Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

"I'M Not Your Inspiration, Thank You Very Much.", Yoseph Mamo, Justin A. Haegele

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

The development of interactive social media platforms has expanded how disability is communicated or shared with the public. Despite the potential of social media to challenge and educate nondisabled people's understanding of disability, little empirical research has been conducted in this area. In this study, we analyzed comments from a YouTube video from a seminal TED Talk by the late Australian disability rights activist, educator, and comedian Stella Young. The video titled "I'm not your inspiration, thank you very much | Stella Young" had accumulated 1,374,878 views, 22,000 likes, and 975 interactions (comments and responses) at the time of the …

Comparing The "Value Of Information Services" For Providers And Vulnerable Patrons: A Mixed-Methods Study With Academic Libraries And Students With Disabilities, Devendra Potnis, Kevin J. Mallary

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Introduction. This multi-year, mixed-methods study compares (a) the reasons administrators and librarians of academic libraries invest in assistive technology for delivering information services to students with disabilities, with (b) the benefits that influence these students’ intention to use AT.

Method. In the first phase, 50 library administrators and 22 librarians from 186 public universities across the US shared their top-three reasons for investing in assistive technology through a qualitative survey. In the second phase, 322 students with disabilities from the same institutions completed a quantitative survey, in which respondents shared individual-level benefits that influence their intention to use assistive technology. …

Accessibility And Ability In Lis Curricula And Pedagogy, Rea N. Simons, Kevin J. Mallary, Clayton A. Copeland, Mirah J. Dow, Evan J. Dorman

STEMPS Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Are Library And Information Science Educators Teaching Accessibility? Content Analysis Of Syllabi, Kevin J. Mallary, Rea N. Simons, Clayton A. Copeland, Jackie Nikiema, Evan J. Dorman

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Library and information science (LIS) graduates are expected to serve patrons from diverse backgrounds, including disabled patrons. While serving patrons with disabilities is a core value of librarianship, graduates often feel unprepared to serve disabled patrons, suggesting that programs inadequately train students to design accessible services. This study’s authors analyzed hundreds of course descriptions and 73 syllabi from 20 North American LIS programs to determine how often accessibility and disability topics are covered and how educators teach accessibility. Findings indicate that accessibility and disability topics are mostly covered in electives, meaning students may never develop accessibility competencies during their programs. …

Exploring The Experiences Of Runners With Visual Impairments And Sighted Guides, Lindsay E. Ball, Lauren J. Leiberman, Pamela Beach, Melanie Perreault, Jason Rich

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

: Running is a popular sport, and, with simple modifications, it can be accessible for individuals with visual impairments, particularly with a sighted running guide. The purpose of this study is to examine the experiences of runners with visual impairments and sighted running guides. Adopting a descriptive qualitative approach to guide data collection analysis and interpretation, seven runners with visual impairments and four sighted running guides were recruited and interviewed. The analysis identified four major themes: (1) benefits, (2) barriers, (3) advocacy, and (4) communication. The identified themes illustrate the influence of participation in running on the health and relationships …

Stop Fearing Blindness! Visually Impaired People Reflect On The Ethics Of Sighted Prospective Teachers Simulating Visual Impairment, Anthony J. Maher, Justin A. Haegele, Andrew C. Sparkes

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

Disability simulations have developed as a popular professional development tool to help increase knowledge and awareness of disability and facilitate pedagogical learning among prospective and pre-service teachers. The aim of this research is to explore the ethics of sighted people simulating visual impairment from the perspective of visually impaired people. Participants were nine visually impaired adults who read vignettes narrating simulation experiences of prospective physical education teachers in a university setting before being interviewed about their perceptions of what they had read. Interviews were conducted via telephone, and were recorded, transcribed, and subjected to thematic analysis. The themes constructed and …

Confident But Lacking Support: School Librarians And Students With Autism, Amelia Anderson, Selena Layden

STEMPS Faculty Publications

School librarians work with students across their organizations, including those with disabilities such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, little is known about how prepared school librarians are to serve these students. Using a mixed-methods survey, this study sought to explore training school librarians have taken about ASD and students with disabilities, as well as the effects of training on librarian confidence and library services. Based on results, librarians who received training through their school district or professional development outside of coursework reported being more confident in supporting students with ASD in the school library.