Technical and Vocational Education and Training (Tvet) Program Experiences for Persons with Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury in Nepal: A Narrative Inquiry

This study explores the experiences of TVET programs for persons with traumatic SCI in Nepal. Recently, the National Planning Commission published the 15th plan that aims to encourage the country as a prosperous, independent, and socialist-oriented national economy through healthy, educated, decent citizens who enjoy equal opportunity (National Planning Commission, 2019). In terms of economic growth, it ensures inclusive and equitable access to quality technical education and vocational skill development. Persons with traumatic spinal cord injury are eligible for ensuring the aforementioned equitable access and high living standards. TVET emphasizes linking persons with traumatic spinal cord injury and the labor market to achieve economic success. The deepening stories by the research question that how do persons with traumatic spinal cord injury narrate their experience of TVET programs are included in the study. Through are view of disability and TVET related literature, I learned that the TVET program acted as a bridge between employment and disability. Besides, employment made affirmative impacts on economic independence for persons with traumatic spinal cord injury. Several types of research justified showing a significance of the program in diverse Asian countries such as Taiwan, Bangladesh. I could not find the study associated with TVET and spinal cord injury patients in Nepal. Many researchers investigated the effects of TVET on persons with physical disabilities, but the cases were blended with different types of disabilities. Thus, comprehensive findings could be partially applicable for persons with the injury. In this study, I used a narrative inquiry within the interpretative framework. Also, I conducted an in-depth interview to pay attention to the voice of persons with traumatic spinal cord injury. The interview helped me to understand the stories. Especially five participants who were experienced in TVET programs were purposefully selected for the study. I considered that my participants are the range of twenty-one to forty years of ii age. The participants were six months post-injured. A total of five participants were interviewed physically and through telephone communication. The stories and information were analyzed and interpreted based on the theory of the social model. The social model concentrated on social oppression to make unjust circumstances rather than physical impairment. The stories of the study show that persons with traumatic spinal cord injury are excluded from the main stream in TVET program. They have frequently been deprived of the opportunity of participating in the program due to physical limitations. To be specific, their stories interpreted some similarities that motivation: encourage to be independent, low accessibility: information, disability-friendly educational environment, lack of awareness of disability in society, limited training curricula, devasting economic consequences. Reintegration signifies not economic empowerment but emotional independence. As firstly said, despite persons with traumatic spinal cord injury has faced uncountable barriers in training, it is sure that supported them to reintegrate into the community. On the other hand, TVET provides an essential opportunity to back to the community, but circumstantial constraints restrict the chance. Most private TVET institutes are not prepared for disability-friendly education environments. For instance, the institution is located on the 2nd floor without a lift. People with wheelchairs have no access to the program. Like this, disability is not considered training conditions, insufficient space to move a wheelchair, steps have prevailed. Financial hardship was a critical problem for my participants. Moreover, they appealed to the attitude of TVET educators. When TVET stakeholders whom my participants met, they showed disrespectful attitudes about disability. Although participants were in difficulties, they succeeded in completing the vocational training. The training led them to innovate life through generating income. Now they could maintain livelihood, looking after children. By discovering participants' stories, I came to know the importance of hearing their experiences in the TVET program. Otherwise, fundamental interests and needs overlooked TVET programs are likely to be planned. It may decline the effectiveness iii of the program. My participants’ experiences refer that ensuring education rights in TVET programs is the first step to improve the quality of life of persons with traumatic spinal cord injury.