In this article we shed light on the experiences of disabled students attending professional courses in higher education in Norway. The findings from this empirical study are based on interviews with 14 students with diverse impairments, ranging from the visible to the invisible. They faced barriers that they resolved to address on their own, using their capabilities and working ‘in silence’ to meet the expectations of normal students in academia as strong and independent. In addition to their own motivation and self-determination, what facilitated their progress in their studies was that some of the staff and fellow students met them respectfully as ordinary students, while recognizing their strain and providing support without calling attention to it. Leaning on the Nordic Relational Model of Disability, we call for greater awareness of the complex interactional processes between the disabled students and people in their social environment.

Despite legislative regulations, many students with disabilities face barriers to their participation in higher education. In professional education, the requirements for placement practice add to the barriers for both students who need to disclose their impairments and request special arrangements, and staff who need to make the arrangements to accommodate to the students’ special needs. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of academic staff and placement supervisors on supporting students with disabilities in professional programmes within health care, social work and teaching. Data were generated from focus group discussions with 13 lecturers who worked with students on campus, and 8 professionals who supervised students during practice placement. The results indicate an ambivalence among the staff and supervisors regarding working with students with disabilities. This ambivalence seems to be triggered by conflicting roles and values, unclear outcome measures to evaluate the students, a lack of knowledge of how to accommodate, time constraints, insufficient institutional support, as well as a lack of openness regarding students with disabilities in professional courses. The results call for an increased awareness of how complex processes in the structural and cultural environments affect students’ disclosure of disability and the collaboration between the stakeholders.

This study explores the practical placement experiences of students with disabilities who are attending professional higher education in Norway. Despite legislative regulations to promote equal opportunities, many students with disabilities face barriers to participation in higher education. In professional education, practical placement is a part of the curriculum. However, the transition from the campus classroom to practical placement puts an extra demand on the students to disclose their disabilities and request accommodation; it also puts demands on academic staff and placement supervisors to arrange support. Based on interviews with 14 students in teacher, social work and healthcare programmes, the study highlights the opportunities that placement gave these students to experiment with the demands of work, learn about their own capacity, and test out solutions for accommodation. Practical placement was also an arena where the students worked hard to develop and demonstrate their resources as proficient future professionals. However, due to structural barriers and insufficient planning, the students risked not being able to cope with the demands of placement and to demonstrate their proficiency. The study revealed that planning prior to placement was essential in providing optimal opportunities for students with disabilities to learn and to market their employability.

Although education is supposed to be an empowering process, some students experience the opposite. Disabled university students face multiple discriminating mechanisms during their studies, indicating that they are out of place. This study explores a participatory action research (PAR) study where 11 disabled students collaborated with university staff in planning and implementing measures to promote inclusion at a Norwegian university. The study aims to contribute knowledge of the processes empowering disabled students during co-production of inclusive higher education. Qualitative data were collected during the PAR study from January 2021 to March 2022 including audio recordings from workshops, reflection meetings and a group discussion, field notes from observing students in action as well as the students’ reflections notes and notes from shared analysis and shared writing. A reflexive thematic analysis resulted in the generation of four processes that were believed to support student empowerment: being united with inclusive faculty allies, belonging in a student fellowship, identifying an injustice, and experiencing meaning and change. This study indicates ways to strengthen the universities’ capacities to work towards inclusion, social change, and justice.