1. Students with impairment – are they disabled in higher education? «Building bridges», Stockholm 2014 PhD-candidate Eli Langørgen, Sør-Trøndelag University College (HIST) and Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway

2. Background Human rights: People with impairments have the same rights and should have the same opportunities to participate as everyone else – in all social arenas Laws and regulations in higher education in Norway: Educational institutions are obliged to accommodate individual needs – As far as possible and reasonable - As far as it does not compromise the “professional standard “ Eli Langørgen Sør-Trøndelag University College, Trondheim, Norway

3. What do we know? Higher education is important for promoting labour participation Number of people with impairments in higher education proportionally low Growing number of students with disabilities in higher education: Many with invisible impairments Several experience barriers in their academic and everyday life Eli Langørgen Sør-Trøndelag University College, Trondheim, Norway

4. the world is not «one-size-fits-all»

5. What else do we know….? Many are reluctant to disclose their disability and ask for accommodations Students in vocational educations face disclosure and accommodation issues several times during professional placement Differences in educational institutions’ will to adjust: –How to do….? –What is necessary and reasonable? –When is professional standard compromised? Eli Langørgen Sør-Trøndelag University College, Trondheim, Norway

6. Aim of the project Contribute to the knowledge of facilitators and barriers to participation of students with disabilities in teaching, health, and social work bachelor programmes Eli Langørgen Sør-Trøndelag University College, Trondheim, Norway

7. Research methods Potential informants: Students with impairments, university/college staff and professional placement supervisors Triangulation of methods: –Individual interviews with students –Focus groups with staff and supervisors –Surveys to all three informant groups

8. Part 1: Asking students - interviews

9. Research question: How do students with impairments experience the transition to and throughout their bachelor programmes? Approach: Individual semistructured in-depth interviews Informants: 8-12 students with impairments in teaching, social work or health care educations who are on professional placement as part of curriculum Purposeful sampling Population: Students with impairments attending the university colleges in the Mid-Norwegian region (Trøndelag counties) Eli Langørgen Sør-Trøndelag University College, Trondheim, Norway

10. Part 2: Asking staff and supervisors focus groups

11. Research question: What are the perspectives of educational staff and placement supervisors on supporting students with impairments? Approach: Focus group interviews Informants: Faculty staff and placement supervisors Population: From teaching, social work or health care education programmes at the university colleges in the Mid- Norwegian region (Trøndelag counties) Eli Langørgen Sør-Trøndelag University College, Trondheim, Norway

12. Part 3: Asking a broader population survey

13. Research question: Which factors influence students with disabilites’ access to and throughout vocational bachelor programmes in Norway? Approach: Electronic survey Informants: Students with and without impaiments, faculty staff, and practicum supervisors Population: Programmes within teaching, social work and health care at several educational institutions in Norway Eli Langørgen Sør-Trøndelag University College, Trondheim, Norway

14. Preliminary results from part 1…

15. Thank you for your attention! Eli Langørgen Sør-Trøndelag University College, Trondheim, Norway «As a disabled person, using the same door as everyone else entails an added difficulty; I need the door to be just a little bit wider, a little bit higher, and a little bit brighter.»