Research survey: international opportunities for students with disabilities

We want to explore the opportunities for students with disabilities to exchange studies and international experiences (e.g. internship abroad). We are looking for students from Finnish higher education institutions who have any kind of disability, long-term illness, sensory disability, learning difficulties, mental health challenges, neurodiversity (such as autism or ADHD) or other aspect that affects functioning. You can participate in the study without an official diagnosis.   We are interested in how students with disabilities perceive their exchange studies and international opportunities in comparison to their peers during their university education. 

Having been on an exchange or partaking other international experiences is not mandatory in order to answer, we are interested in the thoughts and experiences of all students with disabilities on the topic. In the long term, our aim is to improve the opportunities for international experiences of all students with disabilities on an equal basis with their peers. 

Participation in the surveys is entirely voluntary and confidential. Completing the online survey will take approximately 15-30 minutes. 

You can save your answers and continue answering later. Remember to send your answers via the survey, as the researchers cannot view the unfinished survey answers. 

Participants will not receive compensation. The data is stored in a data-secured electronic storage space administered by the University behind a password. Only the signed authors have access to raw data. Detailed information (such as place of residence, college, the said diagnosis or symptoms of disability or illness) is removed from the text prior to the analysis. The material is pseudonymized, and quotations used for the scientific paper contain no information that can be linked to the individual. 

The data from this survey is used for the doctoral dissertation of the signed doctoral candidate and possibly for other publications by the responsible authors. The research need was originally identified from the Crip Student Organization’s student community. The researchers and the Crip Student Organization share a long-term commitment towards enhancing internationalization opportunities for students with disabilities to participate on an equal basis with others. 

The research is funded by the University of Helsinki Research Community Diversity in Society. 

If you would like to share your experiences, please participate in the online survey.   

Thank you very much in advance for sharing your experiences and for your trust. 

The survey is open until 22nd of March at 11:59 p.m.

For more information about the research, please contact:

Lotta-Kaisa Mustonen
Doctoral researcher
University of Helsinki
lotta-kaisa.mustonen@helsinki.fi

Kuva: Anniina Sjöblom (Helsingin yliopisto)