People with disabilities in the university-work transition: a project to study networks

The employment of people with disabilities is a goal indicated by international and European development policies. The possibility of access to education and vocational training is a prerequisite for achieving an independent life. This paper presents a qualitative research design for studying networks, which can support education and vocational training pathways of students with disabilities. Networks play an important role in building relationships between students and other social actors, and they allow for the identification of resources to ensure equal access to education, vocational training, and labour market. The preliminary results of the legislation and scientific literature analysis indicate the relevance of two elements: a new concept of people with disabilities, considered not only as users but also as actors in the network; the contribution of educational research to human and professional development in non-formal educational contexts, such as work environments.