Disabled Students' Experiences and Insights in Occupational Therapy Education: A Qualitative Study.

Abstract

Importance: Despite the importance of diversifying the occupational therapy workforce and fostering inclusive learning environments, disabled occupational therapy students face many barriers throughout their education.

Objective: To better understand the lived experience of disabled students regarding external barriers influencing their occupational therapy education.

Design: A qualitative study with thematic analysis of focus group sessions and individual interviews. Trustworthiness was ensured through participant and researcher triangulation and practicing reflexivity.

Setting: Focus group sessions were conducted remotely.

Participants: Convenience sampling was used to recruit participants who met the following criteria: current enrollment in the university entry-level Master of Occupational Therapy program or having graduated within the past 18 mo; identification as disabled/a person with a disability, neurodivergent, d/Deaf, and/or having a chronic health condition; and having engaged in the process of exploring or obtaining accommodations through the Disability Resources for Students department.

Outcomes and measures: A semistructured interview guide.

Results: Four focus group sessions and one interview were completed with 14 participants. Three main themes emerged that describe how faculty support, peer support, and the culture of the profession matter to disabled occupational therapy students.

Conclusions and relevance: Themes describe the varied experiences of students, including barriers they faced and opportunities for systematic change to support them better. Implications include opportunities for faculty training, incorporating disability frameworks throughout the curriculum, and creating a culture of inclusion in occupational therapy education. Plain-Language Summary: This study explored factors that affect disabled occupational therapy students. The results describe what helps and hinders them throughout their education. These include faculty support, peer support, and program culture. Providing faculty training, reframing disability in coursework, and creating a more inclusive culture could better support students. Positionality Statement: Throughout this article, identity-first (e.g., disabled students) and person-first (e.g., students with disabilities) language is used interchangeably, following the guidance of disabled self-advocates who indicate a preference for flexible language styles (Dwyer, 2022). The research team presented different identities, including one team member who identified as having a chronic health condition. At the time of the study, all team members were interacting or had interacted with all or some participants in their teaching roles (i.e., as faculty member or teaching assistant). The faculty members have actively integrated disability studies and anti-ableist perspectives in their teaching.