Beyond Physical Access: Mobility and Educational Participation among Student-Teachers with Orthopaedic Impairments in Ghana

Abstract

Educational inclusion is often understood in terms of admission and physical entry into educational institutions. However, being admitted to an institution does not necessarily guarantee meaningful participation in academic and social activities. This study examines how physical and environmental barriers shape the educational experiences of student-teachers with orthopaedic impairments in Colleges of Education in Ghana. The article is based on a qualitative phenomenological case study conducted with four student-teachers with orthopaedic impairments from four Colleges of Education in the Eastern Region of Ghana. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews and analysed thematically. The findings indicate that long distances between dormitories and classrooms, high buildings, steep ramps, difficult physical terrain, inaccessible facilities, unexpected changes in examination locations, and difficulties accessing basic services created additional physical and psychological demands for participants. These barriers sometimes contributed to missed academic activities, reduced participation in co-curricular activities, fatigue, pain, difficulty studying, disrupted sleep, mood changes, and concerns about academic performance. The findings are interpreted through a progression from the medical model of disability to a social/environmental understanding of disability, the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). The article argues that educational disadvantage should not be attributed exclusively to students' impairments. Rather, disability-related disadvantage is produced or intensified through interactions between impairment and educational environments that fail to anticipate physical diversity. The study proposes the concept of functional educational accessibility, emphasizing that inclusion should be evaluated not merely by whether students can enter an institution, but by whether they can move, learn, participate, access assessments, and engage in college life without disproportionate physical and environmental burdens.