2Nd Annual Disability Service Symposium

Trinity College Dublin

2nd Annual Disability Service Symposium

Support for Students with Disabilities in Practice:

Perspectives of Stakeholders

Disability Service, Trinity College Dublin

Wednesday, 26th June 2013

Acknowledgements

Trinity College Dublin Disability Service would like to thank all the students, Heads of Department/Disciplines, Practice Coordinators and Practice Educators for their honest and insightful comments during the process of the formulation of the survey and data gathering.

Contributors: Dr Clodagh Nolan, Declan Treanor, Claire Gleeson, Susan Madigan, and Orla Sullivan.

Date: 26th June, 2013.

Executive Summary

This summary report sets out the findings from an investigation into the perceptions of Heads of Departments/Disciplines, Practice Education Coordinators, Practice Educators, and students with disabilities, on professional courses in relation to the supports for professional placements.

Aim of the Research

The aim of this research was to investigate theperceptions of Heads of Department, Practice Education Coordinators, Practice Educators and students with disabilities,on professional courses in relation to the supports for professional placements. The target group were stakeholders involved in the development and provision of professional placements for students and the students themselves. It is hoped that the outcomes of this research will provide a basis and a foundation for the enhancement and development of appropriate supports for both staff working with students with disabilities and the students withdisabilities themselves.

The aim of this project was to;

Explore the perceptions of support including reasonable accommodations and contact with the Disability Support Service from the perspective of Heads of Discipline/Department, Practice Education Coordinators, Practice Educators, and students themselves.
Explore the concerns of Heads of Discipline/Department, Practice Education Coordinators, Practice Educators, and students themselves.
Explore the perceptions of disclosure in a practice education environment from the perspective of Heads of Discipline/Department, Practice Education Coordinators, Practice Educators, and students themselves.
Utilize the findings to develop structures and systems for students with disabilities on placement and to ensure the needs of all stakeholders are met.
Disseminate the findings from this project through a symposium and publication.

The Research Questions

What are the perceptions of support (including reasonable accommodations and contact with the Disability Support Service) from the perspective of Heads of Discipline/Department, Practice Education Coordinators, Practice Educators, and students themselves?
What are the concerns ofHeads of Discipline/Department, Practice Education Coordinators, Practice Educators, and students themselves?
What are the perceptions of disclosure in a practice education environment from the perspective of Heads of Discipline/Department, Practice Education Coordinators, Practice Educators, and students themselves?

Background

Countries such as Ireland have developed clear strategies in widening participation from ‘under-represented groups’ within the third level education sector. (Stevenson, Clegg & Lefever, 2010; Conway, 2008). Barnes (2007) maintains that many countries have worked hard to make universities more accessible to people with disabilities, and as a result there has been a growth year upon yearboth nationally and internationally - on the numbers of students with disabilities entering higher Education (Griffiths, Worth, Scullard & Gilbert, 2010). Equally changes in the legislation such as the introduction of the Disability Act 2005 and the Equality Acts 2004-11 within Ireland, led to an increase in the numbers of students with disabilities going to third level institutions. Over the last decade student numbers have risen from 450 in 2000, to over 7,947 in 2012 representing 4% (6.4 % TCD) of student population (AHEAD 2012). Within Trinity College Dublin those registered on professional courses has increased from 67 in 2006 to 259 in 2012-13. Twenty five per cent of disabled students in Trinity are studying in professional courses as opposed to 7% nationally (AHEAD, 2012). Alongside these increases in numbers has been a marked increase in the number of students with hidden disabilities accessing higher education (Anderson & Wylie, 2011). Of the total number of students registering with the Disability Service in TCD, the proportion of students registering with a mental health difficulty has grown from 5% in 2001-02 (n=11) to 19% in 2012-13 (n=200) . These figures demonstrate not only the increasing need to develop appropriate supports for students experiencing mental health difficulties but also to develop supports for those students with disabilities on professional courses as suggested by Andre and Manson (2004) in their identification that the commencement of placements has been the most significant point of discrimination for students with disabilities. Therefore the placement educators’ role in managing and supporting students with disabilities is very important.

A literature review was carried out and focused on the following areas;admissions on professional courses for disabled applicants, the legal and fitness to practice backgrounds in which Universities should now be operating within. This review deals with the complexity of disclosure and non-disclosure on professional courses, professional competencies and negotiation of reasonable accommodations in the practice placement. There appears to be a dearth of literature in relation to how to determine the level of reasonable accommodation and support for students with disabilities on practice, and no literature was found within an Irish context. Most of the literature found emerged from the professions of nursing, teaching or social work outside Ireland.

Over the last decade student numbers with disabilities entering third level institutions have risen from 450 in 2000, to over 7,947 in 2012 representing 4%of the student population (AHEAD, 2012). Trinity represents 13% (n= 1,058) of the disabled student population nationally. Of the TCD cohort 25% are studying on professional courses as opposed to 7% nationally. There has been a further 25% increase in the numbers of disabled students registering on professional courses (67 in 2006 to 259 in 2013). Given the increase in numbers of students with disabilities entering universities there is a need for clear effective strategies that enable students on professional courses to be reasonably accommodated so that they can reach the standard of proficiency as required by these courses.

The biggest challenge for students with disabilities on professional programmes is the demonstration of professional practice competencies/proficiencies. For Practice Education Coordinators and Practice Educators in the workplace the challenges include determining professionally sound reasonable accommodations that work in practice which are fit for purpose. Additionally these stakeholder need to develop clear communication pathways with the student and the Disability Support Services to ensure the optimal outcome for the student.

In light of this need, the intention of this research was to investigate theperceptions of Heads of Department, Practice Education Coordinators, Practice Educators and students with disabilities, on professional courses in relation to the practice education experience by examining their concerns, issues related to disclosure and non-disclosure and reasonable accommodations.

Respondents included Head of Department (n=3) Practice Education Coordinators (n=8) Practice Educators (n=61) and Students (n=63). It must be noted that those who responded from the students group appear to come from the hidden disabilities and therefore this report must be read with this in mind.

Methodology

This project originated out of a perceived need to investigate the experiences of Practice Education Coordinators, Practice Educators and students in relation to the disclosure of a disability and the provision of reasonable accommodations. The need arose as all stakeholders had encountered difficulty with disclosure or in providing or receiving reasonable accommodations. The researchers wanted to reach as many of the stakeholders as possible and therefore a quantitative approach using a survey design was employed to answer the research questions. Three surveys were developed and were sent to:

Survey One: Heads of Departments/Disciplines & Practice Education Coordinators
Survey Two: Practice Educators
Survey Three: Students with disabilities on professional placements

Key Findings

The key findings from the research are presented below:

Practice Education Coordinators maintain that they consulted with students with disabilities prior to placement; the reverse was found in the student population as they maintained that they were not consulted about their needs prior to their placement nor did they have a choice in where they were placed.
Disclosure was seen as beneficial by all participants. Practice Educators were particularly concerned when students do not disclose their disability as reasonable accommodations could not be put in place. For some students disclosure was not an issue as they did not see its relevance as they felt they could manage.
Practice Educators expressed uncertainty about how to manage emerging mental health difficulties in students. They were unclear about the pathway of support and advice, particularly if the student disclosed during placement.
Negative attitudes and stigma in relation to disability were highlighted as the biggest obstacles for students on placement. Students felt powerless discussing theseobstacleswith their practice educators.
Practice Educators expressed concern in relation to maintaining standards of proficiency/ competency.
Practice Education Coordinators feared that students with disabilities would require more time on placement which in turn could affect the capacity for future placements.
The Learning Educational Needs Summary (LENS) report was found to be relevant for the academic environment, but not for the placement site.
Rather than modifying the assessment process or procedures, Practice Education Coordinators and Practice Educators would prefer to see reasonable accommodations being put in place for students.
Some students did not see themselves as having a ‘disability’ (although they had registered with the Disability Service for support) and while on placement they did not wish to be ‘singled out’ or treated differently from their peers.
Practice Educators were found to have a diverse range of training but would like further relevant disability awareness training in the future.

Recommendations

Recommendations that have emerged include:

Encourage Practice Educations Coordinators, Practice Educators to be more pro-active in supporting and planning for the needs of students with disabilities, by developing clear communication pathwayfor staff and students, for example: disability related information and disclosure in the student and placement handbooks etc.
To extend the needs assessment process to the workplace setting which will allow for the development of clearly defined and individually tailored ‘practice place reasonable accommodations’.
Trialling of these ‘practice place reasonable accommodations’ will require constructive dialogue and piloting for the development of online resources.
Promote the benefits of a supportive and inclusive environment (see that will encourage students to seek support (and disclose their disability) and plan for their needs in placement with both the coordinators and practice educators.
Competencies, proficiencies and learning outcomes need to be clearly defined and ensure that they are accessible to students with disabilities.
Strategies need to be developed around disclosure and non-disclosure at any point during the placement. Perceived disability also requires attention and practice educators need to become confident in discussing issues with students
Establish training resources (including programmes)on understanding reasonable accommodations, confidentiality, awareness of and sensitivity to disability issues such as disclosure and managing disability within the placement setting for Practice Education Coordinators and Practice Educators.
Practice Educators to provide a ‘job description’ for students to enable them to plan ahead of time for their needs.
The research findings and the literature suggest that students where possible should visit the placement setting ahead of the placement to learn about the placement and identify any potential concerns or issues.
Establish role models (i.e. professionals with disabilities) within the professional groups who could act as mentors for students.