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    Embracing authenticity and challenging norms: Including people with an intellectual disability as lecturers in third level intellectual disability nursing programmes


    McGlinchey, Eimear, Corrigan, Stephanie, Sheerin, Fintan and Yap, Mei Lin (2024) Embracing authenticity and challenging norms: Including people with an intellectual disability as lecturers in third level intellectual disability nursing programmes. Nurse Education Today, 138 (106206). pp. 1-4. ISSN 02606917

    Abstract

    Underrepresentation of voices from people with intellectual disability in nurse education: In the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom, university level programmes for intellectual disability nurses have traditionally incorporated the perspectives of people with intellectual disabilities but have been delivered by non-disabled educators. Perspectives are interpreted through the lens of the non-disabled person, with the voices of people with intellectual disabilities rarely heard. An alternative approach: including people with intellectual disability as educators: In this article, an alternative approach is proposed that addresses this problem by including individuals with intellectual disabilities as educators within university programmes. Such inclusion will benefit students, academics, and ultimately the individuals who will receive health and social care from these nurses. Many countries have seen legislative and policy changes promoting inclusion for people with an intellectual disability. These are welcomed, but if they are to have a meaningful impact, societal attitudes and perceptions towards people with intellectual disabilities must be challenged. Drawing upon the concepts of social reconstruction and the ideologies of Paulo Freire and John Dewey, we argue that education can catalyze societal transformation. By including individuals with intellectual disabilities as educators in undergraduate programmes, such as nursing, traditional hierarchies of educators can be challenged, and students can learn from experts with lived experiences. This approach fosters critical thinking, reflection, and the development of authentic and informed healthcare professionals. The experiences of a co-author with a lived experience of intellectual disability as an educator, highlights the positive impact of such inclusion on students' perspectives, understanding, and empathy.
    Item Type: Article
    Keywords: Intellectual disability; Higher education; Intellectual disability nursing;
    Academic Unit: Assisting Living & Learning,ALL institute
    Subject Areas > Science & Engineering > Assisting Living & Learning,ALL institute
    Faculty of Science & Engineering > Research Institutes > Human Health Institute
    Faculty of Science & Engineering > School of Nursing
    Item ID: 21475
    Identification Number: 10.1016/j.nedt.2024.106206
    Depositing User: Fintan Sheerin
    Date Deposited: 27 Apr 2026 14:02
    Journal or Publication Title: Nurse Education Today
    Publisher: Elsevier
    Refereed: Yes
    Related URLs:
    Use Licence: This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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