Desired support and strategies deployed by students with disabilities during internships

Desired support and strategies deployed by students with disabilities during internships

• Ruth Philion, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Canada

• Michelle Bourassa, Universtié d'Ottawa, Canada

• Isabelle St-Pierre, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Canada

• Christiane Bergeron-Leclerc, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Canada

• Christine Lebel, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Canada

doi : https://dx.doi.org/10.18162/fp.2023.845

Résumé

Universities are experiencing an increase in students with disabilities (SWD) questioning the support to offer them during internships. This collaborative research gave them a voice so that they could: 1) identify their main challenges encountered during the internship, 2) list the learning strategies used to deal with their challenges and 3) identify the support measures desired from their internship trainers. An iterative process of data collection and analysis, including questionnaire and discussion groups, underlines that SWD ardently wish to succeed by deploying different strategies while being accompanied by trainers willing to welcome them in their otherness.

Abstract

Universities are experiencing an increase in students with disabilities (SWD) questioning the support to offer them during internships. This collaborative research gave them a voice so that they could: 1) identify their main challenges encountered during the internship, 2) list the learning strategies used to deal with their challenges and 3) identify the support measures desired from their internship trainers. An iterative process of data collection and analysis, including questionnaire and discussion groups, underlines that SWD ardently wish to succeed by deploying different strategies while being accompanied by trainers willing to welcome them in their otherness.