Narratives of differently abled persons : informing career guidance policy

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to understand how experiences of differently abled persons could inform career guidance policy. Career Construction for Hephapreneurship was developed as a conceptual model from multiple discourses to inform the inquiry, including career psychology, entrepreneurship, existentialism and psychology of disability. The sociopolitical approach to disability framed the study epistemologically. The study consisted of multiple case studies involving disabilities classified under auditory, hearing impairments, intellectual, physical and visual types. Participants (n 6, 3 males and 3 females) were chosen according to purposive sampling. Data were collected through face-to-face and narrative interviews, audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Additional views were also collected via face-to-face interviews with (n–10) stakeholders with an interest in issues of disability and inclusion of differently abled persons. Two themes emerged from the inductive thematic analysis of data sources. It was found that disability remains stigmatised in Lesotho. Discriminatory practices include parents excluding their differently abled children in their early lives. Social exclusion seems to continue from home to school and into the world of work: DAPs experience discrimination in education because of late schooling and the absence of both career guidance services and inclusive policy. As a consequence DAPs’ career choice is limited due to such stigma - related barriers. Attitudes of stigma and discriminative actions thus appear to confine DAPs to particular careers within an already high unemployment world-of-work landscape. Both self-advocacy by DAPs and representative advocacy emerged as informal ways to counter the absence of formal policy. In response to limited career options DAPs seem to prefer entrepreneurial careers to promote self-empowerment. Nonetheless education limitations also mean that DAPs have skill deficits, which inhibit entrepreneurial careers. Career Construction for Hephapreneurship was adapted based on findings to guide policy development in similar emerging economy countries. I posit hephapreneurship as a viable alternative career path to counter stigma and discrimination impeding DAPs’ career choices.