Access and Inclusion: The Experiences of University Students with Mobility-Related Physical Disabilities

Abstract

Research indicates that physical and social environments are key determinants of health. However, little is known about how these environments can influence access to and inclusion in educational and leisure activities for postsecondary students with a mobility-related disability (MRD), activities that are important because they affect one’s emotional, social, mental, and physical health. The key goals of this study were to gain an in-depth understanding of barriers and facilitators to accessing educational and leisure activities for postsecondary students with a MRD, and to understand what changes, if any, students think are needed to address the barriers. One-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine students with a MRD. This study shows that there are a variety of barriers to access and inclusion within both the physical and social environments, and even key elements of these environments that have been established to support access and inclusion do not work for some students.