Accessibility Commons^™

An Exploration Of Educator Experiences Making Data-Driven Decisions Within A Multi-Tiered System Of Support, Jennifer L. D'Angelo

Doctor of Education Program Dissertations

School districts across the country often face challenges using data to implement a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) to meet the needs of all learners through high quality educational opportunities. This qualitative investigation explored how educators in a public school district in the northeastern United States experience the collection and analysis of data to inform decision-making within a MTSS. Guided by the theory of planned behavior and employing a phenomenological analysis, this study addressed the inconsistencies in educator training along with a lack of existing literature focused on the foundational elements of data literacy. The research questions focused on understanding …

Unveiling The Voices: Lived Experiences Of Adolescent Girls With Emotional Disturbance In Special Education, Jasmin Hagen

Counseling and Psychology Dissertations

This dissertation addresses a significant gap in existing research by exploring lived experiences of cisgender female adolescents (Grades 7–12) diagnosed with emotional disturbance (ED) in the U.S. Current statistics indicate that 28% of students in special education with an ED diagnosis are girls; yet, their perspectives remain largely absent from scholarly discourse. Rooted in critical constructivism, critical feminist theory, and dis/ability studies and critical race theory (DisCrit), this qualitative study aims to elucidate insights that can enhance academic success and elevate high school graduation rates for this demographic. This research investigates the experiences of seven participants from New England, representing …

Creating Inclusive Environments For Students With Disabilities Within Civic Engagement Programming, Phillip D. Brzezinski

Masters Projects

The rate of participation in civic engagement programming among students with disabilities remains low on US college campuses, despite the rate of enrollment of students who identify as disabled increasing (Manikas et al., 2018). This is likely due to the stigmatization associated with disabilities that leaves students with disabilities feeling excluded and without the resources to assist in overcoming the obstacles they face (Aquino & Bittinger, 2019). Because students with disabilities are feeling discouraged to participate in civic engagement activities on college campuses, they are missing out experiences that have been shown to benefit students in academic and professional development, …

Education For Sustainable Development Competencies In A Community-Engaged Art Workshop, Amy J. Schmierbach

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Arts participation can expand empathy and cognitive growth capacity while creating a social bond and communal meaning (McCarthy et al., 2004). As an art instructor for over twenty years, I have witnessed the bonds that can be created through collaborative art experiences. These bonds are nurtured from a space of equity and inclusion. Teaching a community-engaged art course can bring these qualities into the community, allowing university students to use their art skills in real-world applications to impact society through experiential learning art practices. Making art with others will enable us to help others build empathy and social bonds that …

Chapter 10: Increasing Accessibility In Educational Simulations, Meaghan Mcleod

Instructional Message Design, Volume 3

Simulations are an important aspect of education and training. They provide the learner with situations that mirror real life situations or provide access to unobservable phenomena. The simulations provide the learner with a unique opportunity to master skills through the use of and practice in a safe environment. However, many simulations are not designed with accessibility and accommodations in mind. This chapter provides a general overview of simulations and provides suggestions on how to increase accessibility and enhance the learning experience for all learners.

Chapter 05: Message Design: How To Communicate Visual Information To Learners Who Are Visually Impaired, Meaghan Mcleod

Instructional Message Design, Volume 3

Message design consists of signs and symbols that play a crucial role in guiding our daily lives. text, images, videos, graphics, and diagrams are essential tools for communication and education. However, individuals with visual impairments are not able to fully access this visual content that plays such a critical part of our daily lives. Therefore, there is a need to create educational material that can be accessed by all learners including those with visual impairments. This chapter explores practical strategies that instructional designers, teachers, professors, and instructors can use to provide an inclusive learning experience for learners with visual impairments. …

Chapter 03: Message Design For Instructional Designers – Audio And Video Best Practices, Shelby Taylor

Instructional Message Design, Volume 3

Instructional message design is the way that information is delivered to users or the learners. Learners have short-term and long-term memory. Cognitive load theory and multimedia learning theory are two theories that can be applied to best practices in audio and video. Audio and video can range from speeches, podcasts, DVDs, and streaming videos. Both can enhance learning but should not drive the instruction. Segmenting video and audio is one of the many best practices as it allows learners to chunk the information and process it in small bits. There are learners who have auditory and visual deficits and instructional …

Go Beyond Compliance: Use Individualized Education Programs To Answer Strategic Questions And Improve Programs, Adrienne D. Woods, Marie C. Ireland, Kimberly Murphy, Hope Spark Lancaster

Speech-Language Pathology Faculty Publications

Purpose: The most significant document to ensure effective and compliant design, implementation, monitoring, and enforcement of a program of special education services in the United States is the Individualized Education Program (IEP). Although IEPs have been used to document procedural compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for individual students, IEPs also provide extensive data that can and should be used by a variety of stakeholders including speech-language pathologists (SLPs), school administrators, and state education agencies to design targeted professional development and collectively improve programs, processes, and outcomes in special education.

Method: We summarize existing literature on the …

From The Editors, Michele H. Koomen, Thomastine A. Sarchet-Maher, Jessica Williams

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

JSESD remains a venue for the dissemination of research and practice related to the education of students with disabilities in the science classroom and laboratory since 1998. Volumes #1 through 11 were published in a print format. Starting with Volume #12, the journal has been published online and Open Access. Having JSESD in the Open Access format maximizes access for readers and authors and allows the journal to remain economically sustainable. JSESD is proud to now be publishing articles in both PDF and HTML formats (the HTML versions can be accessed through a link from the main articles’ web-page).

Overcoming The Achievement Gap: Arkansas' Utilization Of Weighted Student Funding To Support Students Of Poverty, Michael G. Mcfetridge

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

With over 63% of its students living in poverty, the state of Arkansas has a challenge when it comes to equitable funding and opportunities for its students. One funding mechanism that has been in place in Arkansas for over 20 years now is a categorical funding allocation known as Enhanced Student Achievement Funds (ESA). School districts receive these funds based on their percentage of students in poverty. While this weighted student funding model of allocating more funds to identified characteristics has been in place in Arkansas for over two decades, little research exists to gauge whether these allocation mechanisms successfully …

Oer For Libraries And Textbook Affordability Partners, Lily Dubach, Sarah Norris

Open Ed Live

Join us for an interactive workshop that explores the synergies between libraries and Open Educational Resources (OER). This session will highlight libraries’ role in OER; explore how textbook affordability partners and libraries can exchange ideas, strategies, and best practices; provide a five-fold approach to open education in libraries; and include an active discussion about new technologies to streamline OER adoption, adaptation, authorship.

Accessibility And Open Education Drop-In Session, Karen Tinsley-Kim, Keven Corcoran

Open Ed Live

Join this session on accessibility and open education and bring your questions! In this safe and informal space, facilitators are ready to receive your question. This session does not include a formal presentation; instead, attendees will ask questions and facilitators will guide discussion on topics related to accessibility and open education.

Is Opt-In The Future Of "Inclusive Access"?, Nicole Allen, Wendy Howard

Open Ed Live

"Inclusive Access" is a model that has been adopted by many institutions to provide students with course materials. Recent developments at the federal level have raised questions about the transparency and equity of these programs. This presentation will discuss the current state of Inclusive Access, including how regulatory changes proposed by the U.S. Department of Education may change the default model from "opt-out" to "opt-in." It will also share the University of Central Florida’s experience implementing a successful opt-in Inclusive Access program.

Ouer Story: In The Interests Of All, Anne Prucha, Kacie Tartt

Open Ed Live

In this session the presenters will speak about their use of Open Educational Resources combined with Personalized Adaptive Learning in redesigned high-enrollment GenEd courses. Hear about their successes and challenges--plus outcomes--in a non-traditional approach with OER and PAL in the Humanities. The session will also focus on the advantages and benefits of these innovations for students and faculty alike.

Self- Determination And Student- Led Ieps, Elizabeth R. Clarke

Empowering Educators Conference

In this session, Dr. Clarke and her student, a high school senior, will analyze and instruct educational professionals about self-determination. She will explain how to give students a voice in their IEP and their educational plans, as well as the subsequent effects: boosting motivation, independence and academic success.

A Qualitative Case Study Of Disabled Students’ Experiences With Online Course Accessibility During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jason Altmann

Dissertations of Practice

ABSTRACT

A QUALITATIVE CASE STUDY OF DISABLED STUDENTS’

EXPERIENCES WITH ONLINE COURSE ACCESSIBILITY

DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Jason Altmann, Ed.D.

Department of Counseling and Higher Education

Northern Illinois University, 2024

Xiaodan Hu, Director

This dissertation presents a qualitative case study exploring the experiences of disabled students with online course accessibility during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study investigates how the abrupt shift to online learning impacted the accessibility of educational materials and support services for disabled students in a large, suburban community college.

Critical Disability Theory (CDT) framework was utilized to guide interview questions and explore the connection between the initial …

Fish In A Tree Book Study Assignment Description, David Wolff

Open Educational Resources - Teaching and Learning

Individuals lead storied lives, and everyone has a story to tell. Our stories can be shared orally and documented in print. Often, learners are exposed to stories through novels and other trade books. Teacher educators may benefit from using the stories in novels and trade books as case studies in preservice teacher preparation course. This assignment description outlines how to use the novel, Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt, as a case study to contextualize and understand the lived story of an individual living and learning with dyslexia. Through the novel, preservice teachers experience the dilemmas faced and …

Toward Equal Access: A Model For Lay Advocacy Programs Serving People Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing, Melissa Bell

JADARA

Advocacy programs are prevalent among state government agencies that specialize in serving persons who are deaf or hard of hearing around the United States. The work is crucial to ensuring equal access and equal opportunity, yet the lay advocacy profession is not yet formalized with certification, ethical standards, or training programs for advocates serving this population. Research was conducted to advance efforts to maximize these programs’ effectiveness by compiling components of an ideal model for lay advocacy programs. Directors from state agencies that specialize in serving this population around the country refined the model and described the structure of their …

Awakening To Activism: Exploring Disability Activism Through The Voices Of University Student Activists, Sophia Hirokawa

West Chester University Master’s Theses

In this study, I explored disability activist identity and activism through one-on-one, semi-structured qualitative interviews with four university activists who shared their personal stories of awakening to disability activism, using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) to explore themes. Each interviewee had a unique form of disability activist identity and a multifaceted process of awakening to that identity. They identified strengths in the disability activist community, such as a supportiveness, persistence, and uniqueness, but they also identified challenges, such as ineffectiveness of laws and policies, discrimination, and a lack of accessibility and awareness. The results of this study illuminate the …

(A.D.D.)Ing Curriculum: A Narrative Inquiry Into The Experiences Of Teachers With Attention-Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder In Challenging Educational Spaces, Daniel Szokoly

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study explores the experiences of teachers with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Specifically, it focuses on how their neurodevelopmental disorder impacts their teaching practice, their ability to form relationships, and how they interact with the spaces they inhabit. Using tools of narrative inquiry and critical disability narrative such as observations, interviews, artifacts, etc., I have gathered and analyzed the stories of my four participants who have been diagnosed with ADHD, including myself, over a period of eight months in order to create a framework within which to shine a light on these teachers' experiences. Theoretically, my dissertation draws upon critical …