Successfully performing a university student’s role despite disabilities: challenges of an inclusive environment and appropriate task modification

Abstract

Purpose: To reflect on what it means to successfully perform a university student’s role despite the presence of impairments. Method: The Disability Creation Process (DCP) model is used as a tool to zoom in the different activities and tasks required for a successful education as well as to describe how the social and physical environment can be as inclusive as possible to compensate for different impairments. One activity in the student’s role (reading) is used to illustrate and reflect on potential challenges in compensating for impairments by way of environmental or task modifications. Results: The student’s role is a complex one, characterized by different actions such as getting admitted, moving around, attending courses, studying and participating in student life. Environmental factors or time can facilitate or impede the level of participation in the education domain. One challenge may be to differentiate between compensation for learning (processes) as compared to outcomes (competency level for future employment) as well as to determine how much assistance is acceptable. Conclusion: Intuitive single-case analysis should be replaced by a systematic analysis relying on a conceptual model such as the DCP. To avoid discrimination and to ensure transparency, acceptable amount of compensation for an activity should be defined.

Implications for Rehabilitation

• Providing adequate accommodation to university students’ presenting invisible impairments is a complex issue.

• Intuitive single-case analysis should be replaced by a systematic analysis relying on a conceptual model.

• A clear differentiation between compensation for learning as compared to outcomes (competency level) should be made.

• The acceptable amount of compensation for an activity should be defined to ensure transparency and avoid discrimination.

Keywords::

• Participation
• education
• student

Acknowledgment

The first author was supported by a junior career award from the Fond de recherche du Québec - Santé (FRQ-S). The authors wish to thank members of the committee for the integration of students with handicap situations of University of Montreal for their valuable input about the content of Figure 1.

Declaration of Interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest.