Lived Experiences of PWD Students in a State University in the Philippines during COVID-19 Pandemic towards Policy Enhancement

Abstract

There was a change in the technique and form of instruction as a result of the pandemic, which produced difficulties, particularly for PWD students. They were already struggling prior to the pandemic, and things are getting significantly worse now because most of them were unprepared for this catastrophe. The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of the pandemic on the lived experiences of PWD students as a basis in enhancing policy using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) and Action Research (AR). The researcher used the purposive sampling technique. The respondents of the study were the PWD students of a certain college where they are enrolled and were selected based on the criteria set by the researcher. The researcher made interview guide questions that were validated by experts and pilot tested to non-respondents. The respondents were interviewed in person following IATF protocols to gather answers to the questions of this study. The thematic analysis was utilized in treating the data. Based on the findings, the PWD students experienced academic and psychological stress. The environmental, social, and technological challenges were encountered by PWD students in online learning, and to overcome these challenges, they used their self-determination, perseverance, self-directive and positive outlook rooted in the support given by parents and friends. Specialized programs and, a safe and PWD-friendly environment are among the suggested policies that came from the participants. Using the findings, the researcher formulated proposed policy interventions to address the negative experiences and challenges encountered by PWD students.