Browsing by Author "Rentschler, R."

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Open Access
‘Bringing everyone on the same journey’: Revisiting inclusion in higher education
(Routledge, 2018-03-15) Collins, Ayşe; Azmat, F.; Rentschler, R.
This study investigates inclusion in higher education, examining learning environments for students with physical disabilities (SWPD) and the challenges faced in promoting inclusive education, using an Australian university as a case study. Drawing from the social model of disability and interviews with 40 stakeholders, our findings suggest that despite marked progress towards inclusive education through reasonable adjustments for all, learning environments remain largely driven by adjustments for individual students, creating organisational and personal challenges. Four key challenges emerged: (1) staff perception about too many resources creating student dependencies; (2) staff training needs; (3) low representation of students with visible disabilities; and (4) moving inclusion beyond education into employment. Our findings emphasise the need to embed employability and skills development in all aspects of teaching and learning while moving towards inclusive education, to enable all students to develop professionally, and reinforcing calls for an inclusive workplace that values and accepts SWPD.
Open Access
Exploring barriers to social inclusion for disabled people: perspectives from the performing arts
(Cambridge University Press, 2021-09-05) Collins, Ayse; Rentschler, R.; Williams, K.; Azmat, F.
Although the potential of arts to promote social inclusion is recognised, barriers to social inclusion for disabled people in the arts is under-researched. Based on 34 semi-structured interviews with disabled people and those without disability from four arts organisations in Australia, the paper identifies barriers for social inclusion for disabled people within performing arts across four dimensions: access; participation; representation and empowerment. Findings highlight barriers are societal, being created with little awareness of needs of disabled people, supporting the social model of disability. Findings have implications beyond social inclusion of disabled people within the arts, demonstrating how the arts can empower disabled people and enable them to access, participate and represent themselves and have a voice. Our framework conceptualises these four barriers for social inclusion for disabled people for management to change.
Open Access
I am a professional dancer
(2023-10) Rentschler, R.; Lee, B.; Collins, Ayşe; Yoon, J.
The demand for professional recognition for artists with disability is growing. There is little research, however, on the ways in which disability arts are associated with professionalism. This study examines professionalization in disability arts by comparing it with the concept of professionalization in the arts generally. It identifies three components of professionalization in disability arts by means of a case study of an inclusive arts organization. This qualitative study entails 17 semi-structured interviews with artists, staff members, and other stakeholders both with and without disabilities. The results identify both commonalities and differences in the components of professionalization between artists with and without disability and indicate challenges to be met in improving public perceptions toward the professionalization of artists with disability.