Accommodation Needs and Student-Environment Fit in Upper Secondary Schools for Students with Severe Physical Disabilities

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify, from the personal perspective of students with disability, their needs for physical and social accommodations in upper secondary schools specially adapted for students with severe physical disabilities. The study also aimed to identify those areas of student-environment fit which were most often achieved. Forty-eight students in four schools in Sweden were assessed by occupational therapists using the School Setting Interview. Forty-seven students reported needs for accommodations in the school setting. The study indicates that schools generally were able to meet the students' accommodation needs in the physical environment. The schools also met students' accommodation needs for field trips, sport activities and assistance. Student-environment fit in occupations requiring reading, remembering and speaking was unsatisfactory. Accommodations on a general, group and individual level are highlighted and discussed. The study recommends that occupational therapists become more involved and offer society their expertise in barrier removal to a greater extent.