The proposal aims at giving an insight into which societal and cultural aspects shape and influence educational barriers and facilitators of school aged children (approximately 8 – 12 years) with disabilities in greater Bangkok.

As part of an international research project (comparing findings in the urban centres/capitals of Austria, Ethiopia and Thailand) that is funded through the Austrian Science Fund (Project number P22178, Project website: http://classifications-of-disabilities.univie.ac.at/), the doctoral thesis presented aims at collecting and analyzing data on the educational situation of children with disabilities in Thailand’s capital. The project was started in February 2010, is intended to last until January 2013 and involves researchers from 3 different continents.

Bangkok is a city in the process of constant (economic as well as structural) change and transition. Endless numbers of skyscrapers, gigantic shopping malls, construction-sites and cars seem to coexist next to highly valued and preserved traditions in terms of e. g. hierarchic and religious structures (Taylor 2003). The proposal aims at giving an insight into what might influence education and the level of activity and participation at school of children with disabilities in such a seemingly contradictory context.

Based on a Grounded Theory Approach (Bryant/ Charmaz et al. 2007) data is being conducted in the course of two field researches (November to January 2010/11 and November to January 2011/12) in cooperation with a team of researchers from Srinakharinwirot University in Bangkok. Together we established contact with several schools and organizations teaching our sample of children with physical, visual, hearing and intellectual impairment. This choice is based on the OECD’s definition of category A, disability due to somatic cause (OECD 2005). The framework for the design of tools used for data collection during the first field research is mainly derived from the ICF–CY’s (International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, Children and Youth Version; WHO 2007) chapter on Environmental Factors (Chapireau 2005). Through interviewing parents, teachers, experts and the students themselves the researchers focus on gaining insight into supportive as well as obstructing factors within educational systems in Thailand (Carter 2006). E.g. In how far and to what extent do conditions during the rainy season influence school attendance of children with disabilities?

Questions regarding cultural and societal influences such as attitudes towards disability as well as interactions between and sources of these factors are to be explored and analyzed (Cheausuwantavee/ Nookaew/ Cheausuwantavee 2010). Further outlines for the research’s design are derived from the examination of e. g. Nieke’s (2008) definition of culture, Sen’s (2009) Capability Approach as well as topical political developments such as the discourse on the UN’s Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability.  

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