Promoting community support for learners with disabilities: A study on youth leaders' roles, practices, and challenges

Abstract

Inclusive education extends beyond classrooms, requiring active community engagement to ensure participation and belonging for learners with disabilities. Youth leaders, particularly those in barangay and municipal governance, hold strategic positions to influence attitudes, mobilize resources, and promote inclusion. This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of eight purposively selected youth leaders actively involved in community and educational programs in Ilocos Norte, Philippines. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and data were analyzed thematically using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-phase framework. Findings reveal that youth leaders conceptualize their roles as multifaceted—serving as advocates, bridge-builders, motivators, influencers, and facilitators of inclusive opportunities. Their practices include designing inclusive youth programs, policy advocacy through youth councils, partnerships with schools and social welfare offices, parental engagement, and social media-based awareness campaigns. Key challenges include limited disability awareness, inaccurate community data, parental apprehensions, accessibility constraints, and persistent social stigma. Participants emphasized the need for targeted capacity-building, inter-agency collaboration, accessibility support, and peer mentoring systems. This study highlights youth leaders as critical agents of community-based inclusive education and provides empirical evidence on grassroots strategies that can inform policy, youth leadership development, and sustainable inclusion initiatives.