Supporting Postsecondary Students With Sensory or Mobility Impairments in Reaching Their Career Aspirations

Abstract

This study investigated the kinds of supports postsecondary students who have mobility or sensory impairments perceived as being most effective in assisting them to attain their career aspirations. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 15 postsecondary students who self-identified as having a permanent mobility or sensory impairment, aged 19 to 32 years. Thorne’s (2008) inductive approach to content analysis was used to extract salient themes from the data. Three core findings emerged, with participants (a) identifying a wide range of individuals as being important sources of support, (b) citing important internal resources perceived to be as important as their social support networks in helping them to reach their goals, and (c) describing fewer environmental and material supports, but still perceived these to be crucial in facilitating educational and career success. Overall, these students were able to identify many kinds of support and experienced success in accessing them. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.