This research aims to build upon existing literature and explore the experiences of d/Deaf and HoH people who grew up in Southern Ontario and were raised outside of the d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing community, and/or without access to sign language. / Throughout the literature, there is existing research on the experiences of people in the Deaf community from a culturally Deaf perspective and from a medicalized perspective of the condition of hearing loss; however, there is very literature on the experiences of people who do not fall within either of these binary views of what being d/Deaf and HoH is. This research aims to build upon existing literature and explore the experiences of d/Deaf and HoH people who grew up in Southern Ontario and were raised outside of the d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing community, and/or without access to signed language. This research is theoretically underpinned by critical disability theory and deaf critical theory—otherwise known as deaf crit—to broadly understand the nuances of how d/Deaf and HoH people are impacted by structural, systemic, and interpersonal experiences of audism, power, and oppression. This study relied on Photovoice as the research methodology to best center the perspectives of the participants through visual and textual analysis. Three participants participated in four virtual Photovoice workshops where they shared photographs in response to different prompts about their experiences as d/Deaf and HoH people. The ensuing discussion found the key themes: 1) the ability to explore their self-identity as d/Deaf and HoH people; 2) the importance of developing pathways to community early on in life; 3) the need for multiple supports when receiving care. This research contributes to the literature that centers the nuanced perspectives of those who are d/Deaf and HoH but raised without access to Deaf culture, community, and/or sign language and makes suggestions for future practice and policy that centers diverse needs and desires for support. / Thesis / Master of Social Work (MSW)

The purpose of this study is to investigate the access of women to public space in particularly vulnerable suburbs within Malmö County. The study employs a qualitative research method and is based on semi-structured interviews with ten women who share their experiences of living in these vulnerable suburbs. The study is underpinned by theoretical frameworks and selected themes, including the Female Role and Patriarchy, Power and Freedom, and Repression and Symbolic Violence. The findings of the study reveal that the limited power and freedom of women and the prevailing patriarchal system, in the form of a patriarchal society, significantly impact women's access to public space in the vulnerable suburbs of Järva. The results demonstrate that men, through various methods such as repression and symbolic violence, dominate, exploit, and suppress women in public spaces in these areas. This occurs through direct and indirect actions, including various forms of oppression and symbolic violence. Women are not treated equally to men in public spaces, which may suggest that men do not consider women as important as men or that men, as a group, perceive themselves to be superior to women as a group. The study also reveals that women are constrained from acting freely due to the current perception of "the female role" and because women, according to men, should not deviate from the norm. Overall, the study highlights the limited access of women to public space in particularly vulnerable suburbs within Malmö County. The findings of the study underscore a significant societal problem, as women are involuntarily relegated to a subordinate position to men who constitute the norm, which is inherently unjust.

ABSTRACT Access to pre-college and college support programs is essential to student achievement and success. There are a myriad of opportunities and programming that will assist in college readiness for K–12 students. Exposure and awareness are key to these college readiness programs. By participating in college readiness programs, students are more apt to further their postsecondary education and graduate from an institution of higher education. Dual enrollment programs are just one avenue that students can explore to prepare for college. These programs allow students to take college level courses while being dually enrolled at both the college/university and their high school. This allows the student to earn college credit and high school credit simultaneously.Pre-college and readiness programs are crucial for student success, especially for underrepresented populations. Access to accurate and comprehensive information about college can aid individual students’ postsecondary decision-making process. However, studies show that students’ access to college information and their sources for such information greatly vary depending on their demographic circumstances (Galotti & Mark, 1994). The survey was distributed to school administrators and school counseling personnel. Thirty-seven individuals responded and completed the survey. The third and final phase was a series of one-on-one interviews conducted with ten school leaders to discuss how they widen access to dual enrollment programs. The survey data provided the foundation, and the interview provided a deeper understanding to arrive at answers to the research questions. Of the survey respondents, it was found that school leaders take on as much responsibility as the school counseling personnel as related to preparing students for pre-college programs. The interviews with school leaders further explained their position on how they widen access to all students, such as by establishing more high school/university partnerships. The findings from this study provided insight into how students are assisted in the college preparation process. Additional research is needed to further examine the perspective of the school counseling personnel and the student/family perspective. / Educational Leadership

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