Accessibility Commons^™

Learners' Perceptions Of Elementary Math Class: A Mixed Methods Exploration, Erica Moy

Educational Studies Dissertations

For social justice and change to occur in classrooms, it is necessary to consider the perspective of learners. Voices from learners around math education is limited in research, especially for younger students. This study examined math class from the perspective of elementary students, with math identity and equitable mathematics instruction as the core. A quantitative coded approach from student survey drawings (n=348) was used for comparative statistical analysis, and a qualitative observation method of categorizing attributes of interest related to emotions in the classroom was used to pull a case study of drawings for deeper analysis. Summary results from teacher …

An Exploration Into Urban Middle School Teachers’ Perspectives On Student Voice And Their Classroom Management Approaches, Gina D. Upshaw

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

Abstract

This dissertation explored the intersectionality between student voice and classroom management within middle school educational settings through the perspective of ten urban middle school teachers. Classroom management is defined as the array of techniques educators employ to foster an environment conducive to learning, often characterized by order, focus, and positivity. This encompasses the establishment of explicit expectations and procedures, adept handling of student behaviors, and the promotion of an ambiance that nurtures student engagement and scholastic achievement. The significance of adept classroom management is particularly pronounced in urban middle schools, where it is pivotal for engendering affirmative learning contexts. …

Disabilities, Identity, And Success At Law School, Andrew Palos

Master's Theses

West Coast Law School, a pseudonym for a medium sized law school, is the subject of a qualitative case study with the focus of the case study on the experiences of students with disabilities. The case study was conducted in as a single-site setting with only one law school being the subject of the research. Students, staff and faculty were interviewed to offer several perspectives of the law school and the environment it created for students with disabilities. Research questions for this thesis focused on potential obstacles to success for students with disabilities, students with disabilities of color and structural …

Challenging Norms, Creating Art: An Anti-Ableist Lens On Visual Arts Education, Alexis Lino

Education | Master's Theses

This research explored the active role of disabled artists in their own descriptions of meaning making through their artistic process, utilizing phenomenological research to examine the lived experiences of intellectually or developmentally disabled and neurodiverse adult artists in the Bay Area. The literary study element of the research strove to understand and employ anti-ableism and constructivism as framing lenses, while also reviewing literature on issues such as access barriers, traditional quality standards in arts education, and the de-emphasis of art within curriculum funding priorities, indicating a need for continued reform toward promoting inclusive and process-oriented art education. With a focus …

Are We Ready: Envisioning An Inclusive Higher Education Program For Individuals With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities At The University Of Mississippi, Bailey Beaird

Honors Theses

An inclusive higher education program (IHEP) exists for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DDs) to foster academic success, employment equipping, interpersonal skill development, and active participation and value validation in the community. Establishing an IHEP can benefit current university students, faculty, and staff, and individuals with I/DDs and their families to create a more informed, inclusive environment. The University of Mississippi (UM) does not currently have an IHEP. Therefore, my advocacy initiative seeks to provide an opportunity for individuals with I/DDs to receive a college education and experience at UM. For two and a half years, I independently researched …

Two Districts, Five Miles Apart: A Comparative Analysis Of The Lauderdale County And The Meridian Public School Districts, Daneel Konnar

Honors Theses

K-12 public education in Mississippi has sparked much conversation and debate regarding the factors and forces that influence school performance on test scores, teacher pay and salaries, infrastructure, and student performance. Mississippi’s children deserve the best quality education and opportunities to grow into the best version of themselves. However, school districts across Mississippi within the same county are facing many disparities. The purpose of this study is to examine the disparities between the Meridian Public School District and Lauderdale County School District in Meridian. I interviewed seven school officials to gain perspective on the differences between the two school districts. …

Libraries Accessibility Plan 2024-2025

Accessibility Committee

One-year plan providing a roadmap for committee projects and goals. Authored in 2024 by the University Libraries Accessibility Committee as an internal document.

Beyond Accommodations: Imagination, Decolonization, And The Cripping Of Writing Center Work, Karen Moroski-Rigney

The Writing Center Journal

This article examines connections among disability, colonization, university policies, and writing center work in North America. By positing that university policies have long mimicked medical and scientific processes for creating—and then discriminating against—perceived categories of disability, this article makes interventions into traditional writing center practices and pedagogies without dismissing the spirit with which these aspects of our field came to be. The article has several central claims:

• Disability has been constructed by nondisabled entities (including doctors, scientists, and institutions).
  
  
• Disability’s “drift” and myriad forms act as both specter and insidious insurance against progress or inclusive design.
  
  
• Writing center scholarship has …

Incorporating Books As Strength-Based Examples Of Characters With Dyslexia, Vera Sotirovska, Margaret Vaughn

The Language and Literacy Spectrum

Incorporating books that facilitate inclusive understandings of dyslexia can be a challenging yet important pedagogical approach to promoting equitable practices. As realistically portrayed characters and stories provide a way for students to see not only themselves but also others, and enter different worlds, the need for multiple representations of children with dyslexia is necessary when working to create equity-oriented classrooms. First, we discuss strategies on how to select and use books with diverse representations of individuals with dyslexia. Next, we provide book selection criteria to guide teachers in curating their own classroom libraries with similar texts. Finally, we include activities …

Culturally Responisve Teaching Practices To Support Students With Visual Imapirments, Genesis C. Miranda

Honors Capstones

This project examines education for children with visual impairments and those from racial, cultural, and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Taken separately, they result in a unique educational experience for the individual. This projedct also looks at the intersection of visual impairment and diversity and how students who fall within these groups are taught. The value of culturally responsive teaching practices is presented and applied to teaching children with vision loss to provide educators with strategies to create inclusive environments that promote learning and empowerment.

Redefining The Landscape Of Educational Interpreting: A National Study, Kristen Guynes, Deborah Cates, Angelina Pelikan, Stephanie Zito

Journal of Interpretation

This national study was conducted to examine the level of progress that educational sign language interpretation has made towards professionalization as a field, particularly since the establishment of the National Association of Interpreters in Education (NAIE) in 2016 and the subsequent release of their Standards and Professional Guidelines in 2019. Following a long history of literature indicating drastic disparities in educational interpreters’ credentials, qualifications, expectations, and working conditions, this mixed-method study partially replicated Johnson and colleagues’ (2018) national study, with added exploration of newly acknowledged domains. Data from 591 educational interpreters were analyzed using descriptive and content analyses, triangulated through …

Subjective Experiences From The College Remedial Student, Deborah A. Quinones

Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to write individual narrative stories about the subjective experiences of six students who entered college and had to take at least one remedial course their first semester. A subjective experience refers to the emotional and cognitive impact of the personal account of an experience (Subjective Experience, n.d.). The participants, including the researcher, were students who entered college for the first time without the minimum requirements for college enrollment; therefore, each was considered a remedial college student. The students were required to take remedial courses in math, writing, and /or reading before taking any credit …

Exploring Community College Faculty And Administrators Work Providing Educational Opportunities For Students With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities (Idd): An Integral Framework For Inclusive Postsecondary Education, Stacy Eldred

Education (PhD) Dissertations

There is a growing number of inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) programs and scholarship in higher education. Providing a spectrum of educational opportunities for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in higher education plays a pivotal role in creating inclusive and meaningful access to postsecondary education. However, little is known about the ways in which the faculty and administrators who are integral stakeholders on campus perceive their work developing and supporting higher education as a socially valued experience for students with IDD. Utilizing constructivist grounded theory, this study examines the ways in which community college faculty and administrators working in …

A Case Study: The Influence Of Professional Development, Administrative Support, And Co-Planning On Teacher Perceptions Of Co-Teaching., Heidi Zimmerman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a case study methodology investigating the influence of professional development, administrator support, and co-planning on teacher perceptions of co-teaching. My interest in co-teaching increased as a former special education teacher after implementing co-teaching strategies in my own practice. As defined by the Kentucky Administrative Regulations, Collaboration means, a teacher of exceptional children works with children with disabilities in the regular classroom to provide specially designed instruction and related services (707 KAR 1:350, Section 2). Oftentimes, Collaboration and Co-Teaching may be used interchangeably. For the purpose of this study, the term Co-Teaching will be used throughout. The goal …

The Effects Of Text-Based Gaming On Reading Comprehension For Students With Intellectual Disability, Faith Ihrig

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the COVID-19 Pandemic, reading comprehension and reading engagement have decreased in the United States. Our world is also becoming increasingly technological, and a large percentage of individuals in the United States, specifically children, are playing video games. There are increasing amounts of video games that target educational skills, such as reading and math, and video games that have been created strictly for entertainment. This study examined the potential effects of playing text-based video games on the comprehension and engagement of 6-8 grade students with intellectual disabilities. A Multiple Baseline Across Participants single case design was used to measure the …

Funding Mechanisms For School Aged Children Who Qualify For Augmentative And Alternative Communication Devices, Hailey Johnson

Senior Honors Projects

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices are used by individuals of all developmental ages who have difficulties with speech. Those who qualify to use an AAC device are able to practice independence, communicate their needs, and are able to engage in more opportunities where conversation with spoken communication is necessary. This comprehensive review of AAC within the school-aged population provides a detailed look at their overall use within the public school setting, and the funding mechanisms available to users and their families for these expensive devices. Interviews with a Speech and Language Pathologist, and a parent of a child with …

Working Alongside People With Disabilities: Their Impact And Value, Alice A. Jensen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

U.S. policies such as the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 and the Americans with Disabilities Act support the inclusion of adults with disabilities in all areas of employment. Through WIOA, the federal government required public entities to provide training and help job seekers with disabilities access high-quality, competitive, integrated employment in the labor market. Nevertheless, two-thirds of unemployed PWDs report wanting employment but cannot find a job. Negative perceptions held by employers and hiring managers and their views that PWDs lack abilities create barriers to employment. In contrast, research has also shown that coworkers can greatly influence successful …

Comparing Children’S Engagement In Storybook Reading With And Without Access To Aac With A Literacy Supportive Feature, Brooke Zimmerman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: This thesis evaluates the effects of comparing children’s engagement in storybook reading with and without access to high-tech augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) with a literacy supportive feature. Literacy skills are a fundamental cornerstone for engagement in the lives of young children. Among these skills, the ability to decode words, or phonetically sound them out, plays a pivotal role in the acquisition of literacy. Proficiency in literacy also broadens the communication capabilities of individuals with developmental disabilities who rely on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) methods. However, existing AAC technologies currently fall short in adequately strengthening literacy development, particularly …

The Experiences Of Postsecondary Students With Disabilities Utilizing One Stop Student Services: A Grounded Theory Approach, Ivan Noe

Education (PhD) Dissertations

The number of students with disabilities attending postsecondary institutions of higher education continues to rise. With it, it is necessary to understand better how they experience their institution beyond curricular spaces. Presently, there exists a gap in the knowledge of how these students experience co-curricular support, including assistance with enrollment services through one stops. This study sought to understand the multiple ways in which this population of students experiences the one stop at one of three four-year public research universities in California. This qualitative research study utilized the constructivist grounded theory methodology and methods to aid in the emergence of …

Sexual Wellness Across Abilities: Reimagining Education For Adults With Disabilities, Damiana Kelsey

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Many adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDDs) lack sexuality education and opportunities for personal expression. Because of this, a sexuality education curriculum was developed for Gateway’s program, Without Walls. This program is specifically for adults with Intellectual Disabilities. This curriculum was delivered to 15 students ages 25 to 56. The purpose of this project is to bridge information for this population and make it more accessible. Especially with this group, there is a need for further discussion and a space to ask questions about social-emotional and sexual health. Over the course of 11 classes, the students reported having a …