Coping strategies of disabled people facing barriers to their participation in education, vocational training and employment
In 2014, Switzerland ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which establishes as one of its guiding principles the full and effective participation and inclusion of persons with disabilities in society. The present study examines the lived experience and agency of dis...
Salvato in:
| Pubblicato in: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/alterjdr, |
|---|---|
| Autori principali: | , , , |
| Natura: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Lingua: | Anglais |
| Pubblicazione: |
Alter
2022
|
| Soggetti: | |
| Accesso online: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| Riassunto: | In 2014, Switzerland ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which establishes as one of its guiding principles the full and effective participation and inclusion of persons with disabilities in society. The present study examines the lived experience and agency of disabled people living in Switzerland with regard to the coping strategies they resorted to in response to barriers to their participation in life domains such as education, vocational training and employment. Twenty-six people representing four impairment groups (mobility, visual, psychosocial, intellectual and developmental difficulties) and three age cohorts (born around 1950, 1970 or 1990) participated in semi-structured life course interviews. The narratives show how people have dealt with the structural constraints on their participation in different ways and according to their individual circumstances. However, the coping strategies identified can broadly be assigned to three general types (adapting, avoiding, and confronting), which represent different forms of agency with varying prospects for dismantling structural constraints. The paper discusses theoretical and practical implications with regard to overcoming structural constraints and improving the agency and freedom of choice of people with disabilities. |
|---|