"And BAM. You Have a Connection”: Blind/Partially Blind Students and the Belonging in Academia Model

Belonging has significant impacts on success in postsecondary. Blind people are underrepresented in postsecondary and lack equitable opportunities to develop a sense of belonging. To build a better understanding of this underrepresented experience, this study shares narratives of 28 Blind students from across Turtle Island (and what is colonially called Canada) using Teng et al.’s (2020) Belonging in Academia Model (BAM) as a conceptual framework. Thematically analyzed findings suggest that blind students’ perspectives offer nuance to the BAM’s conceptualization of how belonging develops. For blind students, external factors such as class size are especially important in determining affiliation with an institution. Blind students elucidated the importance of familiarity with different ways of being in the world, including blindness. Third, acceptance involved having their blind embraced in postsecondary contexts. Forth, interdependence was key to building trusting connections for blind students. Fifth, blind participants discussed equity at length related to access, the added work of trying to obtain access, and the emotional work involved. This study helps fill a gap regarding the experiences of these traditionally underrepresented postsecondary students in Canada. The BAM may raise the consciousness of stakeholders in considering the unique factors impacting belonging for blind people. By attending to these perspectives, stakeholders can become more responsive to the experiences of people from equity-deserving groups. Understanding facilitators and barriers to belonging could result in culturally safer practices and inclusive pedagogical practices and system policies. Only when we create a space where everyone can belong will higher education be truly inclusive

Blurry Lines: Reflections on “Insider” Research

Insider research poses a range of benefits and challenges for researchers and the communities being researched. It is commonly advocated for disability research but there is limited work exploring disabled researchers’ experiences. Influenced by autoethnography and through a process of asynchronous structured conversations, we reflected on our experiences as two blind researchers. Through our collective reflective process and analysis, we created three main themes: insider research is complex and subjective, there is judgment about the “right” thing to do, and insider research requires “different” work. We argue that insiderness is more than sharing characteristics: it is a situated, fluctuating, and “felt” experience. The complexities, judgments, and emotional labor associated with insider research can challenge researchers in potentially very personal and unexpected ways. We propose that further investigation is required about how researchers can best prepare for, engage ethically throughout, and be supported through the insider research process

Patient perspectives: Four pillars of professionalism

Professionalism is a core component of healthcare practice and education; however, there is often not a consistent description of professionalism, and current definitions lack a key perspective: that of the patient. This study aimed to deepen understandings of patients’ perspectives on how professionalism should be enacted by healthcare providers. Using a phenomenological approach informed by constructivist theory, the study team conducted semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 21 patients to ascertain their views on professionalism. Data analysis was conducted using a constant comparative approach wherein initial analysis informed subsequent data collection. Participant themes fell into four pillars of professionalism: taking a collaborative human-first approach; communicating with heart and mind; behaving with integrity; and practicing competently. This study highlights patient perspectives on professionalism and examines consistencies and differences between those perspectives and those of healthcare providers, which are extensively described in the literature. While published literature highlights competence and communication as main aspects of professionalism which our participants also focused on, participants in this study emphasized integrating patients into care teams, employing empathy, and demonstrating integrity. Experience Framework This article is associated with the Patient, Family & Community Engagement lens of The Beryl Institute Experience Framework. (http://bit.ly/ExperienceFramework) Access other PXJ articles related to this lens. Access other resources related to this lens

Blindly Belonging

Medicine, Faculty ofPhysical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Division ofUnreviewedGraduat

Being blind and belonging in academia

Belonging is an essential human need. Developing a sense of belonging is important for people for whom academia is a place of learning, teaching, and employment. Academia – also known as educational institutions, higher education, post-secondary, college, or university – is a site of particular interest given the privilege engagement in this environment may imbue on individuals and communities. Moreover, academia is also problematic from the perspective of disabled people due to the ableist expectations embedded within it. Academia, and developing a sense of belonging there, may be particularly important for people from equity-seeking groups, including blind people. The general topic of this dissertation is an exploration of belonging in academia, from non-blind and blind perspectives. Following the introduction, chapter 2 presents a model – the Belonging in Academia Model - that explicates how sense of belonging develops in academia through five dimensions: affiliation, familiarity, acceptance, trusting connections & interdependent relationships, and equity. The dissertation goes on to examine blind and partially blind peoples’ experiences of belonging and non-belonging in academia, elucidating key nuances such as the importance of interdependence, feeling like a burden, and needing to perform as a disabled person. In chapter 3 this dissertation highlights scholarly teaching in the form of a workshop designed using research-based theatre as an affective pedagogical tool. Finally, preceding the conclusion, chapter 4 shares a brief exploration of doing ‘insider’ research as a blind scholar with blind people.Medicine, Faculty ofGraduat

"And BAM. You Have a Connection”: Blind/Partially Blind Students and the Belonging in Academia Model

Blind/partially blind people are underrepresented in post-secondary education and lack equitable opportunities to develop a sense of belonging. This study shares narratives of 28 blind/partially blind students from across Turtle Island (in what is colonially called Canada) using Teng et al.’s (2020) Belonging in Academia Model (BAM) as a conceptual framework. Thematically analyzed findings suggest blind/partially blind students’ perspectives offer nuance to the BAM’s conceptualization of how belonging develops through affiliation, familiarity, acceptance, interdependent relationships, and sense of equity. Based on blind/partially blind perspectives, the former trusting connections dimension was renamed interdependent relationships. By attending to the underrepresented perspectives of blind/partially blind students, stakeholders can become more responsive to the experiences of people from equity-deserving groups. Understanding facilitators and barriers to belonging could result in culturally safer and more inclusive pedagogical practices. Only when we create spaces where everyone can belong will higher education move toward being more just.Les personnes aveugles/malvoyantes sont sous-représentées dans l'enseignement postsecondaire et manquent d'opportunités équitables pour développer un sentiment d'appartenance. Cette étude partage les récits de 28 étudiants aveugles/malvoyants de toute l'île de la Tortue (aujourd’hui appelé le Canada) en utilisant le Modèle d'Appartenance au milieu Universitaire (BAM) de Teng et al. (2020) comme cadre conceptuel. Les résultats analysés thématiquement suggèrent que les perspectives des étudiants aveugles/malvoyants offrent une nuance à la conceptualisation du BAM sur la façon dont l'appartenance se développe à travers l'affiliation, la familiarité, l'acceptation, les relations interdépendantes et le sentiment d'équité. En tenant compte des perspectives sous-représentées des étudiants aveugles/malvoyants, les intervenants peuvent devenir plus réceptifs aux expériences des personnes appartenant à des groupes méritant l'équité. Comprendre les facilitateurs et les obstacles à l'appartenance pourrait se traduire par des pratiques culturellement plus sûres et des pratiques pédagogiques plus inclusives. Ce n'est que lorsque nous créerons un espace où tout le monde peut appartenir que l'enseignement supérieur deviendra plus juste et équitable

CHES Presentation Accessible

In October 2021, AcTinSite presented at the 2021 CHES Celebration of Scholarship Learning Objectives. The Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia hosted this conference. Below you will find the abstract and PowerPoint presentation for the conference proceedings.Although the number of students with disabilities in health professions is increasing, barriers in clinical/placement learning persist. The interdisciplinary AcTinSite team – bringing together perspectives from design, geography, occupational science, nursing, critical disability studies, knowledge mobilization, and more – set out to create a comprehensive resource that might inform access in clinical placements for students with disabilities. As part of the process to understand factors that the AcTinSite resource(s) may need to address, in-depth interviews were conducted. Twentynine participants – 4 placement coordinators, 8 placement supervisors, 6 access professionals, 4 leaders in education (e.g. heads/Deans), 3 leaders in healthcare (e.g. clinical educators), 4 students with disabilities – from two hospitals and two universities participated. Transcripts were analyzed using a collaborative thematic approach. The AcTinSite team found that clinical and academic educators and learners engage in various forms of unrecognized labour to create access: putting in extra time, doing emotional labour, engaging in relational work, and navigating complexities. This labour is unrecognized and optional, and therefore its result – access – is inequitably distributed. We discuss what aspects of this unrecognized labour should be re-valued and recognized by our institutions as important aspects of teaching/learning, and which aspects perhaps should not need to happen. Educators and institutions need to know how access is created in placement education in order to promote diversity within our professions.SSHRC Insight gran

Providing Accessible ReCreation Outdoors–User-Driven Research on Standards: Protocol for Mobile and Web-Based Interviews for Winter Assessments

BackgroundAlthough there have been recent efforts to improve access to Canadian national parks, many remain not fully accessible to people with disabilities. Winter conditions, in particular, present challenges that limit their participation in outdoor activities. ObjectiveThis study aimed to develop a novel method to assess park access during winter, which will inform recommendations for national park standards to meet the needs of all park visitors (regardless of ability) during winter conditions. MethodsA larger participatory mixed methods research project exploring park access was adapted. A 3-phase approach has already been proposed to achieve the study objectives. In the first phase, a scoping review of the existing accessibility standards will be conducted. In the second phase, objective audits of trails and features in 6 parks, 3 in western Canada and 3 in eastern Canada, will be conducted, as well as mobile interviews with 24 various participants in each region regarding their experiences of and recommendations for improving the park’s accessibility. In the final phase, a Delphi participatory consensus development process will be used, based on the data gathered in the first 2 phases, to prioritize recommendations for standards. This paper will focus on the second phase of the study, specifically on whether the in-person winter mobile interviews (ie, walking and wheeling interviews) with people who have a wide range of disabilities while visiting 3 parks in 2 provinces were modified. Changes were made to accommodate the extreme winter weather conditions in Quebec while using safe and informative data collection methods. ResultsIn Quebec, one park, where winter conditions are safer, has been assessed in person (n=4). Web-based interviews were used to facilitate the assessment of other winter and summer conditions in two other parks (n=8). Winter and web-based interviews were completed in April 2022. Data are currently being collected and analyzed, and results will be completed by December 2022. ConclusionsWe expect that adapting the protocol to gather further information on winter conditions and access to parks will provide high-quality and rich data to better inform park access standards. This participatory mixed methods research will inform the development of park standards that consider the accessibility needs of all people. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/3871

Providing Accessible Recreation Outdoors—User-Driven Research on Standards (PARCOURS): Protocol for a Multiphase Study

BackgroundCanada’s national parks are world-renowned. However, despite recent attempts to improve access, many are not accessible to people with disabilities. With the advent of provincial and federal legislation, standards are being developed to assist with the design and management of parks. ObjectiveThe overarching objective of this study is to inform accessibility standards for federal parks that meet the needs of all park visitors, regardless of ability. The specific objectives of this study are to identify park accessibility standards that exist internationally, identify the accessibility challenges that people with disabilities face in park environments, and prioritize and recommend accessibility standards for national parks. MethodsA 3-phase approach will be used to achieve the study objectives. In the first phase, a scoping review of the existing accessibility standards will be conducted. The second phase will include objective audits of trails and features in 6 parks, 3 in western Canada and 3 in eastern Canada, as well as mobile interviews with 24 diverse participants in each region regarding their experiences of and recommendations for improving the park’s accessibility. In the final phase, a Delphi participatory consensus development process will be used, based on the data gathered in the first 2 phases, to prioritize recommendations for standards. ResultsWe expect to find gaps in existing standards that do not account for the diverse range of accessibility requirements that people with disabilities have for visiting parks. We also expect to find that existing standards, on their own, may not be enough to ensure equitable access to all the experiences and amenities that parks have to offer. Development of subsequent guidelines and best practices may be necessary to address complex scenarios for which standards may not be the best approach to ensuring accessibility. ConclusionsThe participatory and mixed methods approaches used in this study will provide rich insights for developing accessible park standards that consider the diverse needs of people with disabilities. The findings will also support the development or enhancement of park standards at all levels of government. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/3361