Vocational Education and Training for People with Disabilities

📖 The Scoop

Available research on access to postsecondary vocational education and training (VET) and equity for disabled people was reviewed to identify the barriers that continue to confront disabled students interested in pursuing postsecondary VET and the factors that contribute to disabled students' success in VET in Australia and internationally. The three types of barriers discovered are those that prevent disabled people from doing the following: (1) accessing study options; (2) participating fully in their programs; and (3) achieving positive outcomes. Despite those barriers, large numbers of disabled people were achieving success in postsecondary VET, thanks to success factors at the following three major levels: (1) the level of the individual (control over one's life and surroundings; desire to succeed; well-planned goals; persistence; adaptability; and adequate social support network); (2) the service delivery system (adequate planning and preparation for postsecondary study; individualized service provision; sufficient staff awareness about disabilities; and incentives to deliver inclusive services); and (3) the political and legislative context (adequate political representation of disabled students; passage of appropriate legislation; and continuous monitoring and evaluation of the legislation's effectiveness against nationally recognized standards). The review highlighted the need for the following: consistent data collection, reliable evaluation and feedback, specialized training for teachers, coordination among services, and effective monitoring of equity procedures. (Contains 105 references) (MN)

Genre: Business & Economics / Training (fancy, right?)