Accessibility Commons^™

Parents’ Lived Experiences With Competitive Integrated Employment For Children With Intellectual And Developmental Disability, Dr. Aisha J. Omar

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

This phenomenological qualitative study explores the lived experiences of Kentucky parents seeking Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE) for their children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Guided by the research questions—How do parents experience this process, and what barriers or supports do they encounter?—the study highlights systemic challenges despite legislative efforts such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. In-depth interviews with five parents revealed three themes: (a) parental transformation and the pursuit of meaningful work, (b) systemic challenges in accessing CIE, and (c) overcoming protective instincts: navigating fear, independence, and self-advocacy. Findings suggest a …

The Role Of Self-Awareness, Advocacy, And Support In Stem Success: Stories From Landmark College's Aie-Stemplos Program, Anastasio Bonhomme, Jaden Clark, Madison Wan, Gabrielle Woolgar, Rebecca Matte, Christin B. Monroe

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Neurodivergent individuals bring unique perspectives and talents to STEM fields while facing distinct challenges, particularly in higher education environments that often rely on traditional learning models. Landmark College’s AIE-STEMPLOS program provides an innovative framework to empower neurodivergent STEM scholars by fostering self-awareness, advocacy, and community support. Grounded in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles and strengths-based approaches, the program leverages tools like the Birkman Method® to help students articulate their strengths and communication styles in professional terms. This paper examines how accessible learning strategies, peer mentorship, and individualized advising cultivate belonging, confidence, and resilience among neurodivergent STEM scholars, offering a …

Inaccessibility Harms: Exploring The Impact Of Inaccessible Campus Organizations On Disabled Students, Francis W. Q. Corvin, Natalie G. Horgan

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

There are 3.5 million Disabled college students in the United States, with 4,671 utilizing disability services at Purdue University. Nationwide, 8–14% of students in higher education are Disabled, indicating a substantial number of students whose needs should be prioritized and supported. Inaccessibility impacts the way Disabled college students are able to engage with the college experience. Inaccessible classes, restrooms, clubs, job fairs, and campuses create significant barriers thatthat extend far beyond the classroom. Disabled students face challenges in securing scholarships, finding employment, graduating on time, and achieving long-term socioeconomic stability. Recognizing these barriers, HonorServes, a community service student committee at …

“Oh! It’S Fine, We’Re Not Even Counting This Anyways”: Remote Educational Experiences Of Rural Families With A Child With A Disability During The Early Covid-19 Pandemic, Andrew M. Colombo-Dougovito, A. Josephine Blagrave, Aubrey Newland

The Rural Educator

Disparities in rural areas regarding technology, internet access, and higher teacher turnover were amplified as a plurality of schools across the US moved to remote instruction in early 2020 as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. While rural communities often show a greater resiliency and resourcefulness in the face of tragedy than their (typically) more affluent suburban or urban neighbors, regardless of location, the needs of children receiving educational accommodations are often not met effectively or are ignored altogether. To understand if those educational needs were met for rural families early in the COVID-19 pandemic, an exploratory descriptive qualitative approach …

How To Finalize Pdfs To Correspond To American Disabilities Act (Ada) Tagging: The Basics, Kimberly Holling

ScholarWorks Publications

This document is a basic step-by-step outline for tagging a PDF file in accordance with the American Disabilities Act (ADA).  ADA tagging allows a digital document to work well with screen readers in order to assist those with visual impairments to more fully engage with a document's content.  This is not a comprehensive guide, as it will not cover forms or complex tables.  This specific workflow shows how to use Adobe Acrobat Pro to work with, finalize, and verify accessibility in PDFs created from simple Word documents.  Such documents should already use Word heading and list features and very simple …

The Indispensable Role Of The Sister Disability Agencies: Safeguarding Progress And Enhancing Outcomes Through Collaboration, Lesley Cottrell, Susan Given, Christina E. Wiseman

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

This manuscript emphasizes the critical importance of having a Disability Network of services—including University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs), State Councils on Developmental Disabilities, and Protection & Advocacy organizations - in promoting systemic innovation and improved outcomes for individuals with developmental disabilities. Highlighting a case study from West Virginia, where collaboration between West Virginia University’s Center for Excellence in Disabilities, Disability Rights of West Virginia, and the West Virginia Developmental Disabilities Council has resulted in cost-effective, sustainable improvements, this paper underscores the urgent need to protect and expand these programs amidst current policy threats. The evidence underscores that …

Increasing Participation Through Online Focus Groups With Adults With Intellectual Disabilities, Emily L. Cary, Chris A. Taylor, Susan Havercamp, Andrea Witwer

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

The aim of this study was to develop and describe methods on how to conduct virtual focus groups with adults with intellectual disability. Using a community-engaged research approach, adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities helped develop virtual focus group methods. We report on the implementation of these methods through an illustrative application of applying these adaptations to virtual focus groups with 13 adults with intellectual disability in a study assessing their perspectives on mental health therapy.

This work resulted in several adaptations that can enhance inclusivity of focus group research to individuals with intellectual disability. Adaptions broadly included: involving guardians …

Training On "Learn The Signs. Act Early." In Head Start And Early Head Start Shows Ineffective Without Supporting Implementation Policy, Kayla Livingston, Mary O'Donnell, Kate G. Barlow

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Early identification and intervention for children with developmental delays improves child outcomes, yet many children are not monitored, screened, or identified early despite its effectiveness. The relationship between the use of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” developmental monitoring program and referrals to intervention services is not well understood. This study investigated how “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” implementation practices within Massachusetts’ Head Start and Early Head Start agencies correlated with the rate of referrals to intervention services. Researchers utilized a non-experimental quantitative design. Secondary data on referral rates from Head Start and Early …

Educating Medical Trainees On Mental Healthcare And Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Andrea Palmieri, Joan B. Beasley, Micah Peace Urquilla, Jennifer Mclaren

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Many children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) experience mental health conditions and commonly receive treatment with psychotropic medications. Prescribers often overuse these medications in children with IDD, who are frequently treated with polypharmacy and antipsychotics, a trend that continues into adulthood. Medical trainees receive little training regarding the IDD patient population. This paper describes the development and evaluation of an evidence-informed, easy-to-use training curriculum. The 6-hour training establishes a foundation for medical trainees regarding the treatment of mental health conditions in people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD-MH) as part of an integrated health, interdisciplinary treatment approach. …

Multimedia-Based Interventions To Improve Science Learning Outcomes For Deaf Students At Wangsel Institute For The Deaf., Cheten Tshering Mr., Tshering Wangchuk

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Efforts have been made to ensure inclusive learning opportunities for all students, including those from diverse backgrounds. One key strategy to enhance children’s learning and academic performance involves the thoughtful selection and application of instructional tools tailored to meet learners' specific needs. This study examines the impact of multimedia-based instruction on science achievement among deaf students at Wangsel Institute for the Deaf in Bhutan. Using a quasi-experimental design, the research compared pretest and post-test results between a control group and an experimental group. Data analysis included descriptive statistics (t-test) and ANCOVA. The findings indicated a statistically significant differences (p = …

Section 504 (Spanish), Children's Health School Services

School Guides

Parent guide about Section 504 school plan. Translated into Spanish.

Section 504, Children's Health School Services

School Guides

Parent guide about Section 504 school plan.

From Silos To Systems: A Conceptual Framework For Workforce Aligned Oral Health Education, Meghan Bastin

2026 Scholarly Teaching Conference: Poster Session Papers

In the current U.S. educational system, becoming a dentist follows a few prescriptive pathways.  Learners typically complete an undergraduate degree before entering time-intensive doctoral training.  This results in only 3-4 years of direct professional education embedded within an eight -year process, while learners accumulate significant financial investment in their education.  With the average cost of graduate-level dental education alone exceeding $300,000 and new federal borrowing limits likely to further constrain access, there is an opportunity to explore alternative ways of structuring oral health education.

This poster presents a conceptual, system-level framework that explores a perspective in which oral health education …

Becoming Art Itself: A Study On The Generative Logic And Discursive Structure Of Disability Art Incubation Institutions, Gonghui Lu

MA Theses

This study employs “Becoming” as its core analytical concept to examine how disability art incubation institutions operate at the intersection of contemporary art history and social systems as mechanisms that continuously generate both art and subjectivity. Building on Deleuze’s philosophy of becoming and Guattari’s notion of the rhizome, the study constructs a generative model linking art, institutions, and discourse. Through comparative analysis of international cases, it discusses the shift in disability art from a representational logic to a generative logic, and the dynamic oscillation between deterritorialization and reterritorialization within institutional practices. The study argues that disability art should not be …

Wired For Inclusion: Leveraging Strengths Of Neurodivergent Special Educators, Brok Hess, Teresa Clark Ed.D.

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Special education teachers face unique challenges, and neurodivergent special educators possess distinctive strengths that can allow them to excel in the classroom. However, barriers, stigma, and ableism persist that have prevented neurodivergent individuals from accessing this career, receiving support, and thriving as special educators. Self-efficacy and executive functioning both correlate to success and retention within education. This research analyzed the relationship between special education teachers’ self-efficacy and executive functioning, specifically among neurodivergent special educators. Results concluded that a significant positive correlation exists between neurodivergent special education teachers’ executive functioning and self-efficacy. Attention to these results will highlight the importance of …

Utilizing Cte Programs To Bridge The Expectations Gap Between Academia And Entrance Into The Global Workforce, Jose M. Gaspar

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine whether completing high school Career and Technical Education (CTE) coursework, completing foreign language coursework, or participating in community college CTE programs predicted higher levels of postsecondary degree attainment. The study was designed to better understand how academic and technical pathways function within the P–20 system and how these pathways shape student perceptions and long-term educational outcomes. Participants in the study included individuals who had completed some level of postsecondary education and provided information on their high school and community college coursework experiences. Findings indicated that students who participated in both academic and …

Disability Accommodation Implementation Within Occupational Therapy Academia: A National Descriptive Survey On Knowledge, Training, And Attitudes, Nicole Pawek, Julie Olson Rand, Rebecca Ozelie, Hannah Y. Oldenburg

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant programs are accredited health professional programs that have, anecdotally, seen an increase in requested disability accommodations among students over the last decade. There is limited knowledge regarding faculty preparedness, available resources, and attitudes related to implementing accommodations in accredited occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant programs located in the United States. Researchers aimed to describe faculty knowledge and experience with disability accommodation implementation, as well as identify available training and resources related to accommodation implementation and faculty attitudes toward the accommodation implementation process. Researchers used the Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys (CHERRIES) …

Teaching Kitchen Safety Using A Modified Coach In The Kitchen Curriculum Paired With Behavioral Skills Training Procedure With Young Adults With High Functioning Autism, Ryan Michael Groeneweg

Dissertations and Theses

Few intervention studies address the needs of young adults with high‑functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as they transition toward adulthood. This study used a single‑subject multiple‑baseline design across participants and skills to evaluate the effects of a modified Coach in the Kitchen curriculum paired with Behavioral Skills Training (BST) on the acquisition of kitchen safety behaviors. Three adults with high‑functioning autism were taught task‑analyzed steps for safe use of a kitchen peeler, knife, and hot liquids. Instruction incorporated modeling, rehearsal, feedback, prompting, and strategies for generalization and maintenance. Performance was measured as the percentage of safety steps correctly completed during …

Using Curated Co-Teaching Tools To Elicit Tacit Experiences Related To Collaboration, Innovation, And Satisfaction Between Co-Teaching Pairs, Lisa Caputo Love

Theses and Dissertations

This is a qualitative, phenomenological study that documents the lived experiences of co-teaching pairs while they engage with a curated co-teaching “toolkit.” The toolkit, which comprises high-leverage practices and related resources, helps to elicit emotions and descriptions of the pairs’ experiences. A mosaic of data was gathered and analyzed for evidence of collaboration and innovation sparked by the toolkit and to assess participants’ perception of feeling valued and satisfied in the co-teaching role. The findings outline that the participants reported that access to the tools and time for their implementation could be helpful, but that more consistency in work pairings …

Accessibility Analysis Of Academic Library Epubs - Spreadsheets 1 To 3, Adina Mulliken

Publications and Research

These spreadsheets are associated with the article "Accessibility Analysis of Academic Library EPUBs" in Library Resources & Technical Services.