Empowerment profiles in students with intellectual disabilities of the Todos Somos Campus University program

Abstract

Empowerment encompasses the development of personal competencies and determining skills so that individuals can control their lives and act with autonomy. In recent times, empowerment has been extended to all vulnerable groups, including people with intellectual disabilities. This process involves strengthening their skills, confidence and vision, taking an active role in their community. The present investigation, through the Empowerment Scale, of 28 items distributed in 5 factors (Self-esteem and Self-efficiency; Power and Helplessness; Community activism and Autonomy; Optimism and Control over their future; Appropriate anger) identifies the level of empowerment of the students with intellectual disabilities from the “We Are All Campus” training program of the University of Murcia, in the last three academic years and analyzes possible empowerment profiles. The results show that on a general level, students express that they feel capable of doing things as well as everyone else would, they have a positive attitude about themselves and see themselves as capable people. In addition, they assure that since people have more power if they come together as a group, people who work together can have a positive effect on their community and indeed, community work can help improve things. Although they feel moderately optimistic about their future and doubt whether they feel alone or helpless. On the other hand, two differentiated empowerment profiles appear, where the students who make up the second profile, composed mainly of women, perceive their empowerment more positively.