Internal and external factors in the success of graduates with disabilities in higher education and employment: an international comparative study in Germany and Spain

Abstract Initiatives in legislation and improved resources dedicated to inclusive education have contributed to an increase in the number of people with disabilities with higher education and access to a profession in the primary market. However, people with disabilities often face a lot of difficulties and injustices before they can finish their university career and obtain a job according to their education, abilities, and wishes. This article presents an empirical, international, comparative study that analysed, from the perspective of 56 German and Spanish graduates with disabilities belonging to 34 universities, which key factors promoted the successful completion of their studies and which factors facilitated their inclusion in the labour market. The research was qualitative through individual interviews with graduates with disabilities. The results revealed many common aspects in the internal (self-knowledge, self-determination, autonomy, self-efficacy, and resilience) and external factors (family, classmates, friends, disability services, and faculty members) that explain the academic success and labour market transition (work experience, accommodations, and awareness) of graduates with disabilities of both countries. However, these factors also revealed some differences between the two countries that serve as an impulse to mobilise cultural, political, and practical change in higher education institutions, employers, and society in general.