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The paper describes a questionnaire study of disabled students on initial teacher education (ITE) courses in a UK University. The recorded number of disabled students in higher education in the UK has increased markedly in recent years (Riddell et al., 2005), a trend mirrored in many OECD countries (OECD 2003). However, despite moves to widen access, a number of studies exploring the experiences of disabled students in higher education suggest that barriers to learning still exist. Tinklin and Hall (1999) classified these into five areas: entrance to higher education, physical environment, accessing information, assumptions of 'normality' and levels of awareness.In addition to decisions regarding disclosure of their disability at university, ITE students must negotiate this issue during school placements. Existing research (Valle et al., 2004) suggests that the decision to disclose a disability is a process rather than a one-off declaration and is highly personal, relating to previous experiences of being identified as disabled. A second issue is the attitudes towards disability that students encounter during their training and the effect that this has on them. This is an area of specific concern in ITE as questions have recently been raised regarding the relationship between disability and perceived competence to carry out a teaching role (Gilbert, 1998).Data is currently being collected via an online questionnaire. All ITE students in a UK School of Education, have been encouraged to participate, with a focus on both students with disclosed and those with non-disclosed disabilities/long-term medical conditions. The questionnaire gathers data on a range of issues, including:o details of the student's disabilityo whether the disability had been disclosed to key groupso factors influencing decisions regarding whether, and to whom, the disability should be disclosed o prior experience of having been identified as having a disability o experiences within the universityo experiences of teaching placementsData will be analysed using a combination of SPSS and content-based analysis.We are currently half-way through the data-collection period and the current response rate is around 20%, we hope that this will rise to around 50% once students return from placement.Findings at this early stage includeo 40% of those who consider themselves disabled or having a long-term medical condition have not shared this information with anyone at university. o Those who have shared information have experienced a range of responses from 'a total lack of support' to feeling 'extremely well supported'. o 50% of disabled students on placement have not shared information with the class teacher; reasons for not sharing include 'stigma', 'not wanting to be judged', 'embarassment' and 'previous discrimmination'. o Responses to sharing this information with staff on placement have ranged from 'bewilderment' and 'panic' to 'very supportive'. Findings will be located in the current literature on experiences of disabled students in higher education, theoretical models of disability and the debate on definitions of disability. The extent to which the experiences of disabled students on ITE courses is similar to or different from those of students in Higher Education more generally will also be explored.Gilbert, S. (1998) Another type of diversity: A student teacher with a learning disability, Qualitative Studies in Education, 11, (2), 323-340. OECD (2003) Disability in Higher Education. Paris: OECD. Riddell, S., Tinklin, T., & Wilson, A. (2005) Disabled Students in Higher Education, London: Routledge Falmer. Tinklin, T. & Hall, J. (1999) Getting round obstacles: Disabled students' experiences in higher education in Scotland, Studies in Higher Education, 24(2), 183-94. Valle, J.W., Solis, S., Volpitta, D., & Connor, D.J. (2004) The disability closet: Teachers with learning disabilities evaluate the risks and benefits of "coming out", Equality & Excellence in Education, 37, 4-17.Eurpoean journal on ITE
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