Aiming for inclusion: processes taking place in co-creation involving students with disabilities in higher education

• Published in: International journal of inclusive education 2024-12, Vol.28 (14), p.3437-3453
• Main Authors: Bjørnerås, Anita Blakstad, Langørgen, Eli, Witsø, Aud Elisabeth, Kvam, Lisbeth, Leithaug, Ann-Elén, Horghagen, Sissel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Action research; co-creation; College students; Disability; Disability studies; Employment; empowerment; Higher education; participatory action research; Quality of care; Students with disabilities
• ISSN: 1360-3116; 1464-5173
• DOI: 10.1080/13603116.2023.2230198

Students with disabilities encounter challenges through higher education and into employment. Despite holistic disability paradigms, higher education institutions continue to view disability as a human quality, providing support services through a medical lens. Through participatory action research, students with disabilities, in collaboration with university researchers co-create an intervention to promote the voices of students with disabilities in higher education. This study explores and describes the co-creation processes. Data were generated through group discussions, mapping, shared analysis, and shared writing through digital and in-person workshops, and shared documents. A reflexive thematic analysis resulted in the generation of five themes; enabling participation and including all voices; sharing and relating to each other; shifting from being a problem to being discriminated; and translating experiences into actions. The fifth and overall theme is the transformation of co-creators' understandings. The results indicate empowering processes of being awakened to discriminating structures and seeing own capabilities to make changes.