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A significant autism employment gap persists in many countries. This study examines how the traditional job interview might form an obstacle to autistic people obtaining employment. It then offers a range of strategies that could make the traditional job interview more effective in allowing employers to identify and hire those who have an “autism advantage”.

A triangulated, qualitative approach is employed, comprising (1) five focus groups with a total of 23 students at a UK university who identity as autistic, and (2) semi-structured interviews with five of their support practitioners. Thematic analysis was then applied to identify causes, effects and possible solutions.

The analysis identified three main strategies, and two sub-strategies, for refining the traditional job interview by reducing or removing the obstacle it presents to autistic people seeking employment. These comprise abandoning the traditional interview, adapting it (divided in to adjusting and augmenting sub-strategies) and accepting it.

Three conclusions were developed from the analysis: first, that while the traditional interview tends to be biased against autistic people, it is not in itself a particularly acute method for selecting job candidates; second, that the application of universal design would be beneficial not only to neurodivergent people, but also to neurotypicals and employers; third, that the fear of disclosure represents a major obstacle to autistic people trusting in schemes intended to assist them.

This study introduces an ecological framework for disabilities meant to provide a new model of viewing and learning about disabilities and special education. This model projects a multi-systemic view of factors that influence a person's life, where people with disabilities are active actors in the development of the world. The increased awareness about interconnectedness, globalization, inter- and trans-disciplinarity, influences on human experience, greening, sustainability, inequality, inequity and lack of opportunities is shifting how people think about potential and growth.

The methodological approach is qualitative, interpretive research.

In disability studies, the Ecological Model of Disabilities helps reframe this uniqueness as part of the spectrum of human experiences. In special education, the Ecoducation Model helps reframe the learning experience.

This research is conceptual, but it is also all-inclusive, rendering itself to a wide application in educational settings.

The Ecoducation Model for Special Education is specific to the education of children and adults with disabilities, and it is directly compatible with the broader Ecological Model of Disabilities. These ecological models can be applied to all levels of the ecological system, and to different ecodemes of population. Nevertheless, the ecological models need to be locally implemented, with general principles tailored to national traditions, laws and resources.

Advocating for the pursuit of individual well-being within the larger society, both models call for practical changes in a multitude of areas, including legislation and policy, training of professional personnel, sufficient financial input in programs designed for the care of children and adults with disabilities, change in societal mentalities to fight discrimination, disempowerment and isolation. Because the scope of ecological frameworks is incommensurate, being both interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary, further research possibilities are countless. The ecological perspective opens the fields of disability studies and special education to new theoretical and empirical possibilities.

Two epistemological models are described as new frameworks in disability studies: the Ecological Model of Disabilities and the Ecoducation Model for Special Education. Both are original models that look into the education and inclusion of the person with disabilities.

The paper reviews Fox’s frames of reference against subsequent changes in the composition of the labour force, shifts in social values and the arrival of the politics of identity.

A close reading of the frames of reference is placed in the context of Fox’s writing on the search for managerial legitimacy. That search is then considered in relation to the subsequent revolution in equal opportunities and contemporary efforts to promote equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI).

At the core of Fox’s frames lies the fundamental question of whether employers accept trade unions as a legitimate expression of employee interests. Changes in the composition of the labour force and the related arrival of identity politics has led to the emergence of a new set of interests based on social identity. These interests exist because of state legislation, social pressure from campaign groups and the awareness of the right to equal treatment regardless of gender, race, sexuality etc. It follows that the emergence of these identity-based interests means that employers are all pluralists now. This new pluralism has the ideological challenge of gaining approval not only from employees but also from the public in a world where errant employers are vulnerable to hashtag activism.

By revisiting Fox’s frames of reference, and emphasizing the role of employee interests, the paper shows that Fox's original insights on managerial authority and the need for “legitimising sentiments” are still relevant even if his frames are now outdated.

The study explores measures designed explicitly to manage people with disabilities in a context where diversity interventions are incorporated voluntarily. Furthermore, it examines global organizations’ approaches to marginalized groups, such as people with disabilities, in a context where there is an explicit lack of state regulation on diversity measures.

An abductive approach was adopted for the exploratory nature, which sought to understand how global organizations in a developing country utilize diversity management mechanisms to manage people with disabilities.

The findings reveal that human resources departments of international organizations operating in a neoliberal environment demonstrate two distinct perspectives for individuals with disabilities: (i) inclusiveness due to legal pressures and (ii) social exclusion.

We explored global organizations’ approaches to marginalized groups, such as people with disabilities, in the context of an explicit lack of state regulation on diversity measures and showed that the absence of coercive regulation leads to voluntary actions with adverse consequences. The paper expands theories that critique the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in untamed neoliberal contexts and explains how the responsibilization of institutional actors could enhance what is practical and possible for the workplace inclusion of individuals with disabilities. Without such institutional responsibilization, our findings reveal that disability inclusion is left to the limited prospects of the market rationales to the extent of bottom-line utility.

In the project “Working the way I want” (AWIEW), people with and without disabilities are co-creating a needs assessment tool (NAT) to support participation in the labour market. This tool will include a technological solution at its core and a set of tested new social practices for its successful application in Germany.

The AWIEW project combines several methods and a participatory approach from different disciplines in a transdisciplinary project design. At the micro level, the participatory design approach is used to jointly develop the digital tool with people with disabilities (PWD). At the meso level, semi-structured interviews are used to gather data from different stakeholders in the PWD’ social ecosystem to uncover factors facilitating or hindering the successful transition of PWD to the labour market.

This paper discusses how transdisciplinary results can be incorporated into the development of a tool that supports PWD in navigating their occupational orientation processes. Some preliminary findings are: (a) Vocational orientation for PWD often starts with difficulties in imagining a future job; participative designs need to start from this premise. (b) PWD’ knowledge about the labour market depends on information provided by their social ecosystem; thus, research and design must take this ecosystem into account. (c) Welfare organisations instil a feeling of security and competence within their structures that has to be considered in needs assessment – both as a hindering and an empowering factor.

This paper highlights the importance of combining a digital solution and new practices for a promising approach towards enhancing the participation of PWD in the labour market.

This paper aims to provide strategies for individuals with limited work capacity (LWC) to build workplace friendships and foster inclusion, which can benefit their mental health.

The paper integrates key theories such as social exchange theory and the similarity-attraction paradigm to analyze the dynamics of relationships. Practical tips grounded in the existing literature are outlined.

Effective communication, building trust, showing mutual respect and discovering common interests can facilitate friendship development for employees with LWC. Supportive organizational policies and culture are also critical.

By building workplace bonds and inclusion, individuals with LWC may experience greater social support, more engagement and better mental well-being. This also helps to diminish stigma and marginalization.

This viewpoint provides practical guidance specifically designed for individuals with Limited Work Capacity (LWC) to overcome workplace obstacles and build social relationships. It addresses an existing gap in the interpersonal facets of disability inclusion.

There has been increasing advocacy for the inclusion of people with disabilities in disaster research and practice yet there are limited empirical examples that give voice to people with disabilities and their expereinces by consulting them directly. Conceptulising new methods that frame the role of people with disabilties as co-producers are essential for improving the representation of people with disabilties in the context of disaster research and beyond. The paper discusses how to facilitate disability inclusive research and introduces a participatory timeline tool that was co-produced by people with physical disabilities in Sindhupalchok, Nepal.

The participatory timeline activity utilised 3D printed counters to explore the experiences of people with disabilities during disaster events and their recovery processes, in this case, the 2015 Ghorka earthquake and the 2021 Melamchi Flood. The paper reflects on how to foster disability-inclusive environments by placing agency and ownership by people with disabilities at the centre of research practice.

This approach created an atmosphere of collaboration and supported co-researchers to reveal their experiences and knowledge on their own terms. The counter tool introduced could be adapted for different research inquiries and used alongside other methods which seek to facilitate the voices of people with disabilities.

The research paper adds to the limited body of litreature on how to conduct participatory research with people with disabilities in disaster contexts and more widely within Majority world contexts.

This study examines how the World Para Snow Sports Championship 2021 was leveraged to create para sport outcomes. The purpose of this study is to add to the knowledge of how different organisations can create positive para sport legacies from elite para sport events.

This qualitative case study used interviews with representatives from key stakeholders and archival materials as main sources. An event leverage model was used to better understand the context, structures, and resources relevant to the development of para sport outcomes.

The main findings show how a variety of organisations set goals and implemented strategies to create para sport legacies. While the short-term increase in para sport participation remained rather limited, the new infrastructure, new para sport policies, and increased awareness of para sport were the main para sport legacy outcomes.

The main contribution of this study is empirical knowledge on how different organisations can leverage a para sport event to create legacies for para sport. Future research can examine the perspectives of additional groups, such as other athletes, spectators, and people with disabilities.

For organisations involved in para sport, this study shows the opportunities and challenges of using a sport event to recruit new para sport participants.

While there are some studies on the legacy outcomes of the Paralympic Games, this study focuses on a different para sport event and adopts the leverage perspective.

The present study explored the extent to which home–school interactions for students with disability are addressed within Australian Federal, and State and Territory government and Catholic education department policies and guidelines.

Utilising a framework adapted from Trezona et al.’s (2018a, b) Organisational Health Literacy Responsiveness self-assessment tool, a document analysis of pertinent policies and guidelines provided an opportunity to understand the prominence of home–school interactions within these guiding documents, the prioritisation of home–school interactions, as well as stipulated actions, implementation resources and monitoring processes.

The findings of this analysis indicate that there are varying approaches to identifying and articulating home–school interactions and associated processes, as well as the roles and responsibilities assigned to stakeholders across the education system(s). Recommendations for increasing in-school and in-classroom translation of documented priorities and objectives are presented.

The article concludes with a broad conceptualisation of home–school interactions for students with disability as established within the analysed documents, as well as considerations for policymakers and researchers involved in policy and guideline development and implementation.

Design policy and regulations within our cities can significantly impact the accessibility and social participation of people with disability. Whilst public, wheelchair-accessible bathrooms are highly regulated spaces for this reason, very little is known about how wheelchair users use them or what wheelchair users think of current design standards.

This exploratory inquiry adopts an embodied approach to investigate the perspectives of powered and manual wheelchair users on public bathroom usage and design. The study encompasses twelve interviews, delving into how participants utilise accessible bathrooms based on mobility, disability, support levels, wheelchair types, urinary/bowel regimes and catheter use.

A thorough analysis of individual public bathroom elements (layout, toilet, handwashing and grab rails) discussed in the interviews reveals themes of safety, hygiene, planning/avoidance and privacy and dignity. Strikingly, many wheelchair users invest significant effort in planning for bathroom use or avoid public bathrooms altogether. The ongoing maintenance and regular cleaning of bathrooms, something not captured in regulatory standards, has been highlighted as something of critical importance to the ongoing accessibility and safety of public bathrooms for wheelchair users. This points to a relationship between the design and the maintenance of public bathrooms as influencers of health, well-being, community inclusion and the social participation of people with disability.

This qualitative research is exploratory and contributes to a growing body of evidence that explores how public spaces are experienced by diverse members of our communities, including people with disability. To date, there have been very few investigations into the embodied perspectives of wheelchair users about public bathroom design.

The findings can potentially drive innovative and inclusive approaches to bathroom design regulations that include operational and maintenance guidance.

The research aims to inform design regulations, standards development and practices of designers, architects, facilities managers, developers and planners, ensuring public spaces are designed to support more accessible, inclusive and socially sustainable cities.

Whilst wheelchair-accessible bathrooms have been designed and constructed for public use (in many countries) for many years, we know very little about how wheelchair users actually use them or what wheelchair users think of current design standards.