Abstract

The objective of this paper is to present a conceptual proposal about participation that links the theoretical contributions of various relevant approaches that, at the same time, have methodological applications focused on empowering people with disabilities in the educational environment. The construct elaborated integrates the contributions of multiple theoretical perspectives, which include the sociological model of disability, the multidimensional model of disability, the sociocultural approach to development and learning, the human rights approach and the inclusive education approach. For this purpose, a general review of each of the approaches is carried out and the main conceptual contributions around the understanding of participation are identified. Based on the integrated definition of participation formulated and the understanding of the narrative forms of meanings, it is postulated that participation is formed in a narrative experience that can be studied from a narrative approach. In addition, it is argued that this methodological proposal, which aims to study the experiences of participation, is consistent with the framework of inclusive research. Finally, some methodological suggestions are outlined to investigate the experiences of participation of people with disabilities in the educational setting.