An Excessive Demand: Immigrants with Disabilities and Medical Admissability in Canada’s Immigration System

This paper explores barriers to immigration and settlement for people with disabilities attempting migration to Canada. Existing literature on immigration and disability in Canada supplements the stories of three immigrant women with disabilities who shared their experiences of immigration and settlement in loosely structured interviews. This paper draws upon a critical disability studies perspective to emphasize the ways in which immigration policies and practices limit access, particularly the excessive demands provision of the Immigrant and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). A gendered analysis is employed to recognize the specific experiences of women with disabilities immigrating to Canada. This paper finds that the barriers faced by immigrants with disabilities extend beyond the excessive demands provision into other policies and practices that fail to address the intersection of disability and immigration status, and that immigrants with disabilities develop alternative approaches and resistive strategies in navigating their lives during and post-migration.

An Excessive Demand: Immigrants with Disabilities and Medical Admissability in Canada’s Immigration System

10.32920/ryerson.14665584 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Anna Penner

Keyword(s):

Structured Interviews ◽

Women With Disabilities ◽

Critical Disability Studies ◽

Refugee Protection ◽

Immigration And Settlement ◽

Alternative Approaches ◽

Immigrant And Refugee ◽

Experiences Of Women ◽

Limit Access ◽

The Open Studio: Exploring Immigrant and Refugee Youth Experiences of Belonging through Community-Based Arts Practice

Cultural and Pedagogical Inquiry ◽

10.18733/cpi29363 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Leah B. Lewis ◽

Heather McLeod ◽

Xuemei Li

Keyword(s):

Immigrant Students ◽

Group Cohesiveness ◽

Plain Language ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Art Making ◽

Refugee Youth ◽

Collaborative Community ◽

Adlerian Theory ◽

Language Needs ◽

Immigrant And Refugee

The Open Studio is a publicly accessible art-making space grounded in ideals of collaborative community development, Adlerian theory, social justice, and feminist thoughts. Our project involved visual art-making and exploring high school immigrant students’ experiences of inclusion and belonging. The purpose was to help immigrant and refugee youth to adapt to a city in Newfoundland, where newcomers often face an insider/outsider dynamic of disconnection. The Open Studio was structured along seven parameters: focus on intentional art-making; no judgmental commentary (positive or negative); non-evaluative in nature; no forced participation, including witnessing and sharing; and as importantly, participatory involvement of facilitators. The participant-planned and hosted final school exhibit contributed to learning, sharing, and group cohesiveness. A plain language needs assessment, semi-structured interviews, and focus group, were also used to generate data on how an Open Studio informs cultural experiences and feelings of integration and belonging. Keywords: Immigrant and refugee youth, art-making, belonging, integration

WPS, Gender, and Disabilities

The Oxford Handbook of Women, Peace, and Security ◽

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190638276.013.66 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 617-627

Author(s):

Deborah Stienstra

Keyword(s):

Peace Building ◽

Women With Disabilities ◽

Conflict Processes ◽

Post Conflict ◽

Participation Of Women ◽

Full Participation ◽

Development Policies ◽

Un Security Council ◽

Predominant Factor ◽

One of the key gaps, in the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) is found at the intersections of women and disability. This chapter demonstrates that women and girls with disabilities are disproportionately vulnerable to violence in conflicts and remain invisible and excluded from most post-conflict processes, including peace-building. Resolution 1325 provides a significant opportunity to ensure the full participation of women with disabilities in peace-building and post-conflict transitions. The normative framework adopted in the 2015 Global Study on the implementation of 1325 is an intersectional approach. Yet, the type of intersectionality adopted is a “gender-first” approach. As the chapter argues, in relation to Canadian foreign and development policies (2017), a gender-first approach assumes that gender is the predominant factor and deals with other intersecting power relations in this context, which often obscures the unique experiences of women with disabilities. Thus, this chapter concludes that implementing an intersectional approach to WPS in practice requires the support and participation of women with disabilities to ensure that their specific needs are acknowledged and institutionalized.

Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study

Physical Activity Experiences of Women Aging with Disabilities

Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly ◽

10.1123/apaq.21.2.122 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 122-138 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Donna L. Goodwin ◽

Scott G. Compton

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Phenomenological Study ◽

Physical Disabilities ◽

Medical Model ◽

Acquired Brain Injury ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Hermeneutic Phenomenological ◽

Cord Injury ◽

Experiences Of Women ◽

This hermeneutic phenomenological study sought to understand the experiences of physical activity and aging with a disability. Six women with physical disabilities, including cerebral palsy (n = 2), acquired brain injury (n = 1), and spinal cord injury (n = 3), and between the ages of 22-37 years (mean age = 28 years) participated in the study. Their experiences were captured by way of semi-structured interviews. Each participant completed two interviews that were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. The thematic analysis revealed three themes: experiencing something normal, loss of physical freedom, and maintaining function through physical activity. Implications of the findings were discussed within the context of health promotion and Verbrugge and Jette’s (1994) socio-medical model of disablement.

Principals’ views on policies and practices for the educational inclusion of Roma people

International Journal of Sociology of Education ◽

10.17583/rise.2020.5050 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 234

Author(s):

Christos Parthenis ◽

George Fragoulis

Keyword(s):

Data Analysis ◽

School Principals ◽

Residential Areas ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Roma People ◽

Educational Inclusion ◽

Central Level ◽

The role of school principals is recognized as crucial for the daily operation of schools in general and specifically for the management of the challenges posed by the increasing diversity of the current era. In this article, kindergarten principals’ views regarding policies and practices for the management of diversity with reference to one of the most marginalized group, the Roma people, are examined. For this purpose, ten semi-structured interviews with kindergarten principals in areas in which Roma people live either in settlements or inside the residential areas were conducted. Data analysis indicates that principals are aware of the inadequacies of the policies regarding the Roma people and they propose a series of measures at local and central level for the improvement of the school inclusion of Roma children. However, principals are also trapped to a deficit discourse that transfers to the Roma people the major responsibility for their social and educational exclusion.

Women's Experiences of Rectovaginal Fistula: An Ethno- Religious Experience

10.21203/rs.2.15932/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Fatemeh Touhidi Nezhad ◽

Rostam Jalali ◽

Fozieh Karimi

Keyword(s):

Rectovaginal Fistula ◽

Phenomenological Study ◽

Healthcare Personnel ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Negative Attitudes ◽

Sexual Dissatisfaction ◽

Physical Suffering ◽

Colaizzi's Method ◽

Study Participants ◽

Abstract Background: Obstetric fistulas are one of the most tragic injuries that occur after difficult, prolonged childbirth without timely intervention. These fistulas cause discomfort to patients and result in emotional, social, and even physical suffering. The aim of the present study was to explore the experiences of women with rectovaginal fistula in Kamyaran city, in Kurdestan province, west of Iran. Methods: In a phenomenological study, 16 patients, healthcare personnel and patients' families were investigated. Purposive sampling was performed and Study participants were interviewed in-depth semi-structured interviews. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim (word by word) and analyzed by Colaizzi's method. In order to determine the validity of the study, Lincoln and Guba’s criteria, which include credibility, dependability, transferability, and confirmability, were considered. Results: Five general themes and ten sub-themes emerged after investigating interviews. Themes include religious harassment the sub-theme of being defiled), fail (subthemes of loss and negative attitudes, disrupted sex (the subtheme of sexual dissatisfaction), consequence (three subthemes of sleep disturbance, mental crisis, and isolation), and ultimately panic (three subthemes of humiliation, secrecy, and fear). Conclusion: The rectovaginal fistula is a complex and multifaceted problem with social, individual, familial, religious, and ethnic-environmental dimensions, so there is no simple solution to interact with this problem and there is a need to find a solution, considering the dimensions of the problem and plan for help these patients cope with their disease, and take steps to fully treat it.

Memory care approaches to better leverage capacity of dementia specialists: a narrative synthesis

Neurodegenerative Disease Management ◽

10.2217/nmt-2020-0038 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jenny Lam ◽

Soeren Mattke

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Local Context ◽

Narrative Synthesis ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Memory Care ◽

Memory Clinics ◽

Alternative Approaches ◽

Optimal Approach ◽

Primary Care Practices ◽

And Training

Prior research suggests that a scarcity of dementia specialists could hamper access to disease-modifying Alzheimer’s treatments. We describe alternative approaches on how to leverage specialist time for memory care in this narrative synthesis based on 17 semi-structured interviews and a targeted literature review on memory care approaches that leverage specialist time. We identified four types of approaches: community primary care practices empowered with better tools and training; primary care memory clinics; specialty memory clinics and; specialty memory centers. Several approaches to use specialist time efficiently have been implemented and some but not all evaluated. The optimal approach may depend on the local context.

Forestland management and empowerment: A phenomenological inquiry into the experiences of women forestland managers in the state of Georgia, USA

Advancements in Agricultural Development ◽

10.37433/aad.v1i2.43 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

pp. 24-38

Author(s):

Hallie C. Harriman ◽

Nicholas E. Fuhrman ◽

Kathleen D. Kelsey ◽

Kyle Maurice Woosnam

Keyword(s):

Land Management ◽

The United States ◽

Decision Makers ◽

Educational Outreach ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Phenomenological Inquiry ◽

Phenomenological Research Design ◽

Qualitative Phenomenological ◽

Professional Resources ◽

Women are increasingly becoming the primary decision-makers of forested properties throughout the United States. The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of women forestland owners in Georgia. A qualitative phenomenological research design was used to interview nine female forestland owners. Three themes emerged from the semi-structured interviews. Participants stated that land management involved: (a) initial feelings of inadequacy (an imposter syndrome), (b) personal and professional resources, and (c) genuine relationships. The theory of empowerment provided a basis for interpreting the findings and aided in the development of recommendations for future practice and research. We found that women experienced a temporary imposter stage early in land management that gave way to feeling empowered as their experiences with managing land increased. Access to trustworthy information, as well as genuine relationships with forestry professionals and other landowners, played key roles in such advancement. We recommend strategies for natural resource professionals to consider, including encouraging formal and informal networking opportunities when working with female audiences, including at educational outreach events like those hosted by Extension.

Non-participation in mammographic screening – experiences of women from a region in Sweden

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-020-8306-8 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Maria Norfjord van Zyl ◽

Sharareh Akhavan ◽

Per Tillgren ◽

Margareta Asp

Keyword(s):

Qualitative Content Analysis ◽

Mammographic Screening ◽

Individual Characteristics ◽

Healthcare Sector ◽

Life Situation ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Women's Voices ◽

Health Promoting ◽

Degree Of Participation ◽

Abstract Background Understanding women’s life conditions regarding their non-participation in different health-promoting and disease-preventing activities is important as it may draw attention to potential areas for improvement in the healthcare sector. Mammographic screening, a disease-preventing service, facilitates early detection of any potential malignancies and consequently prompts initiation of treatment. The reasons for non-participation in mammographic screening can be understood from different perspectives, such as socioeconomic and lifestyle-related determinants of health. This study aims to gain a deeper understanding of women’s experiences and perceptions about non-participation in mammographic screening in a Swedish region with a single mammographic facility. Methods Data from individual semi-structured interviews, conducted in 2018 with eleven women between the ages of 48 and 73, were analysed by a qualitative content analysis. Results The findings reveal three main categories: 1) doubts regarding mammographic screening and its organisation, 2) sense and sensibility in the decision to refrain from mammographic screening, and 3) dependency and options. These three categories indicate aspects, such as the individual’s life situation, accessibility to the offered service, and the flexibility of the healthcare system, that need to be considered to improve the organisation of mammographic screening. Conclusion Listening to the women’s voices regarding their experiences and perceptions about mammographic screening is important as individual characteristics and social circumstances interact with healthcare and affect the degree of participation.

Navigating the Quicksand: How Postsecondary Administrators Understand the Infuence of Affrmative Action Developments on Racial Diversity Work

Teachers College Record ◽

10.1177/016146811912100305 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 121 (3) ◽

pp. 1-40

Author(s):

Liliana M. Garces ◽

Darkhan Bilyalov

Keyword(s):

Ethnic Diversity ◽

Racial Diversity ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Implementation Framework ◽

University Policy ◽

Institutional Responses ◽

Diversity Policy ◽

Barriers And Challenges ◽

Support Students ◽

Background/Context Seeking to avoid litigation or a legal threat, many postsecondary institutions are responding to a legal and policy environment that seeks to end the consideration of race in education policies by adopting race-neutral policies and practices in admissions, even when not explicitly required to do so by law. Yet, such responses may introduce new barriers and challenges for administrators seeking to promote inclusive campus environments and support students of color, not only within admissions but in other areas of campus life after students enroll. Understanding the consequences of these institutional responses is critical for those addressing the potential limitations a race-neutral approach puts on diversity-related policies and practices. Purpose/Objective In this study, we examine how key players charged with implementing diversity-related policies and practices understand legal developments around affirmative action and the institutional responses to these developments, in particular, how they influence their efforts to support racial and ethnic diversity. To explore the wide-ranging influence of the current race-neutral policy climate, we focus our study on a public flagship university that has opted to employ race-neutral admissions policies and practices as a matter of institutional policy—not by law. Participants Informed by a bottom-up policy implementation framework, we examine the influence of the legal environment from the perspective of administrators who are tasked with carrying out the institution's mission as it relates to diversity. We particularly target administrators who are engaged in outreach and recruitment efforts and who help support students after they enroll. Research Design In this qualitative study, we draw from document analysis and semi-structured interviews of 13 administrators charged with implementing diversity policy at a public flagship institution to investigate how this legal and policy climate has shaped racial diversity work in areas outside admissions. Findings Our findings illustrate how a colorblind approach in policy-making takes hold through seemingly innocuous practices and responses that are called race neutral. These practices, which start in admissions, spill over into other areas of university policy, and shift the nature of diversity-work. Conclusions Findings point to the importance of intentional efforts to implement diversity policy through a race- and racism-conscious lens, develop narratives that counter distorted narratives about racial discrimination, and address legal terms and definitions that do not reflect a realistic understanding of inequality or discrimination.