Alex Cabanela ’23

Major: Psychology with an Education minor
Project: We Thought She Would Be Able to Go: Exploring Parents’ Experiences of Ableism Concerning School Trips
Advisors: Lauren Kahn, assistant professor of education and Kimberly Wynarczuk, assistant professor of physical therapy

Alex Cabanela’s experience with educational research opened his eyes to the merits of the field’s opportunities. As a psychology major, Cabanela had previously engaged with psychology research, but participating in a project focused on the ableist experiences of students with disabilities sparked his interest in education research.

Cabanela analyzed previously recorded interviews with mothers of students with disabilities to identify the forms of ableism that students encountered on school trips, in addition to any support they received. He found that most of the students faced various kinds of ableism, potentially affecting the involvement of their parents on these trips.

“As a possible result, the mothers feel obligated to take on a lot more responsibilities so their children can actively participate in the trip,” Cabanela explains. “Essentially, ableism toward students with disabilities may relate to how involved parents are in student advocacy.”

This particular research has been ongoing at Moravian since one of Cabanela’s advisors, Kimberly Wynarczuk, assistant professor of physical therapy, joined the staff, with many other faculty enlisting in the project. Cabanela underscores the value of his mentors’ guidance as he grappled with the unfamiliar elements of educational research.

“Both Drs. Kahn and Wynarczuk have been incredibly helpful in teaching me the ins and outs of qualitative research and educational research as a whole,” Cabanela says. “Throughout the summer I was able to have plenty of meaningful conversations regarding support for those with disabilities, the state of our educational system, and personal matters.

“Every moment working with them was a positive influence on my academic and personal growth,” he sums up.

“I learned so much in terms of research, career growth, and how we can support all students,” he says. “SOAR gave me the chance to explore research in fields outside of my major, and I think that can be valuable to any student regardless of discipline.”

The project was presented to a local parent group in November of 2022, with the aim of increasing dialogue about advocacy and accessibility. Cabanela and his team also plan on submitting a manuscript to the Journal of Special Education.