National career development learning hub for students with disability

Project overview

This study took place at a single university in Victoria, Australia in 2022 which at that time had an estimated 12 per cent of the student intake identifying as having one or more disabilities compared to a national estimate of 17 per cent (ABS, 2019). In our study, students with disabilities included those with intellectual, learning, physical or sensory disabilities, as well as those who have a mental health, neurological and/or chronic medical condition(s).

We used a mixed methods approach that generated data across two phases. In the first phase, current students who were registered with the disability support centre were invited via an email to respond to an online questionnaire which primarily sought to explore the motivations of, and barriers to, the participation of students with disabilities in WIL placements (n=127). In the second phase of data generation students with disabilities participated in online focus groups (n=27).

In these focus groups students were invited to share their experiences and perceptions of WIL placements and to offer their suggestions and ideas for future resources that could be created to mitigate the challenges faced in WIL placements by this cohort.