The Impact of Education on the Lives of Young Persons with Disabilities after University Graduation in Cambodia
Abstract
Purpose: In 2009, the University Scheme Programme, managed by Cambodia Trust, was initiated with the objective of giving young persons with disabilities access to higher education in order to increase their employment prospects. Of the 40 young persons with disability who received scholarships through this programme, 15 have graduated from university. This study aimed to explore the possible impact of education on this target group, their families and immediate community (defined as people in the neighbourhood and village), and the broader community of potential employers.
Methods: Data was collected by conducting in-depth interviews with 14 participants (9 of them female) from the first cohort of graduates from the universities in Cambodia.
Results: The study found that education had a very positive, empowering impact on the lives of the graduates due to changes in their self-perceptions and perceptions of them by family members, neighbours, and colleagues. However, their educational accomplishments had less impact within the broader community, as some participants continued to experience discrimination when seeking employment.
Conclusion: Although education seemed to positively impact the young persons with disabilities in this sample, within the broader community there remained discrimination related to finding employment.
Limitations: The small non-representative sample size limits generalisation from this study.
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