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Identifying Key Concepts in Ambassador Interventions for Students with Disabilities in Higher Education: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Succeeding at university can be a complex matter, and the barriers are manifold for students with disabilities (SwDs). Accommodations are available for those with needs, but these alone do not meet the political goals of inclusive educations. Student ambassadors act as experienced representatives on campuses, supporting others and gaining individual benefits themselves. Approaches building on SwDs’ experiences and capacities can be a means to overcome the complex barriers often faced throughout education. This scoping review aimed to map research on student ambassador interventions for SwDs in higher education and identify the interventions’ key concepts. The result will inform an ambassador intervention in higher education. Six electronic databases were searched for peer-reviewed articles of any design published between 2010 and December 2020. Six studies met the inclusion criteria. A thematic synthesis resulted in three key concepts: peer guidance and supportive relationships; building strategies and transferable skills; and advocating for change. However, no program utilises exclusively students with disabilities in ambassador roles. The results indicate a lack of research as well as awareness on the unexplored potential of actively involving SwDs in ambassador roles.
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Category

Academic literature review

Language

English

Author(s)

  • Anita Blakstad Bjørnerås
  • Aud Elisabeth Witsø
  • Lisbeth Kvam
  • Arne Henning Eide
  • Lisbeth Jahren
  • Sissel Horghagen

Affiliation

  • SINTEF Digital / Health Research
  • Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Year

2022

Published in

International Journal of Disability, Development and Education

ISSN

1034-912X

View this publication at Norwegian Research Information Repository