Exploring the Educational Experience of a Social Work Student with a Disability: A Narrative

Abstract

This article describes the experience of Lisa, one of the co-authors, as a student with a disability completing a Bachelor of Social Work degree in Western Canada. This personal narrative of the physical, relational, attitudinal, curricular and resource aspects of Lisa's education identifies barriers experienced in the educational and practice environments, and highlights strategies that assisted in addressing these barriers. The article specifically relates Lisa's progression through the programme, including accounts of classroom and field experiences, relationships with faculty and students, resource, policy and accommodation issues, and the needs and human rights of a student with a disability. The narrative celebrates the success of a student in an environment (the university) that many believe to be more accommodating and supportive than other public and private organizations. Recommendations for both educational and social work practice organizations are provided. As a co-author of the article, Lisa was an active participant at every stage of the research and development of the article—narrative interview, analysis, identification of themes, connection to theory and literature, and presentation and final writing of the paper.

Keywords:

• Disability
• Social Work
• Education
• Narrative
• Accommodation

Notes

^[1] First Nations is a term used in Canada to describe Aboriginal peoples who were the first occupants of Canada, who have registered status and are not Metis or Inuit (Satzewich and Wotherspoon, 1993, p. xv).

^[2] Potluck refers to a social meal occasion where guests bring their own food.