What is ‘disability’? Exploring the conceptions of internationally educated learners in a Canadian physical therapy bridging program

ABSTRACT

Background

Physiotherapists’ understanding of disability has direct relevance for their practices and work with disabled people.

Purpose

To explore how physiotherapists from diverse backgrounds, cultures and social locations conceptualize disability. Understanding their conceptualizations will provide insight to determine future directions regarding disability education, in healthcare education, to optimize the quality of care and life for individuals with disabilities.

Methods

Six internationally educated physiotherapists enrolled in a Canadian physical therapy bridging program were interviewed and data were analyzed for themes.

Results

Participants’ conceptualizations of disability were complex and a dynamic process that reflected what was ‘thinkable’ in relation to experience, such as with social location and in personal, professional and educational domains. This primary theme was reflected in three subthemes: 1) Professional PT acculturation shaped disability conceptualization in particular ways; 2) Medical model as the dominant way of thinking; and 3) Social model thinking was more feasible in resource rich contexts.

Conclusion

These results reinforce the benefits of a wide exposure to different ways of conceptualizing and addressing disability within PT education to counter the dominance of the medical model and reinforce the importance of advocacy and allyship with disabled people.

KEYWORDS:

• Disability studies
• qualitative research
• health profession education
• acculturation

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all the participants for taking the time to share their unique insights. Additionally, we would like to thank Dr. Nancy Salbach, Dr. Kelly O’Brien, Dr. Darlene Reid, Dr. Stephanie Nixon, Donya Mosleh and Bhavnita Mistry for their continued support throughout the research study. This research was supported by the Bloorview Kids Foundation Chair in Childhood Disability Studies, Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital.

Disclosure statement

The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Notes

1. In the paper we use both people first language (people with disabilities) and the term promoted in disability studies (disabled people) to acknowledge the strengths and limitations of both.

2. ‘Western’ and the ‘West’ in the paper refers to those countries that are also referred to as the Global North. They are primarily but not exclusively in the northern hemisphere and share a set of neoliberal political ideologies and cultural values.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.