Disability Services As Related To Higher Education Leadership: An Exploratory Study, Tara Wade Franklin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the past three decades, the number of students with disabilities (SWD) attending postsecondary institutions has increased, yet their completion rates remain significantly lower than those of students without disabilities. This mixed methods exploratory study investigates the role of provost leadership in supporting disability services and understanding the needs of SWD in higher education. The study focuses on Texas higher education institutions, examining the relationships between provosts and directors of disability services. Data collected through the e-survey with open-ended questions primarily came from directors of disability services. Quantitative analysis of Likert scale items explored domains such as leadership, collaboration, consultation, …

Understanding Faculty Experiences In Implementing Accessible Course Design Strategies, Stacy Rice

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Faculty who have experience working with individuals with disabilities are likely to have positive feelings about accessibility however, that does not always lead to faculty adoption of accessible course design practices. A gap existed in academic research about what was known of faculty experiences in the implementation of accessible course design practices at a 4-year university in the Midwest. Exploring faculty experience gave insight to future programming needs. Guided by Mezirow’s transformational learning theory, this qualitative project study explored faculty experiences while implementing accessible course design practices to improve access for students with disabilities. Sixteen faculty participated in 1:1 interviews …

The Use Of Artificial Intelligence In Higher Education: A Study On Faculty Perspectives In Universities In Egypt, Farah S. Sharawy

Theses and Dissertations

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an emerging technology that is transforming various aspects of society, including higher education. This paper examines faculty perspectives from five different institutions; The American University in Cairo (AUC), The German University in Cairo (GUC), The Arab Academy for Science and Technology (AAST), Ain Shams University, and Cairo University, on the use of AI in higher education in teaching and learning in Egypt, with all its challenges and resources available to support it, and how it can be used to achieve equity and accessibility. This research was conducted through a qualitative study using semi-structured one- on-one interviews …

Accessibility Of Blended Learning For Special Needs Students In Higher Education, Reem Yaseen Al-Sulaimani

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigated the experiences of visually impaired students and their faculty members with blended learning at University X. Qualitative research methods were employed to gather data through interviews with six visually impaired students and six professors. The study analyzed the data using two frameworks, Universal Design of Learning (UDL) and Community of Inquiry (CoI). The findings indicate that the course design, personalization of accessibility, social inclusion and classroom dynamics, university support and resources, and technology accessibility and digital literacy have an impact on the experiences of visually impaired students and their professors. The study provides recommendations for improving the …

Textbook Affordability At Smith College: Affirming Smith's Commitment To Creating An Inclusive, Equitable And Accessible Educational Community, Natalie Laroche

Other Student Projects

The U.S. Public Interest Research Group’s (PIRG) Education Fund, notes that “in 2020, 65 percent of students surveyed reported skipping buying a textbook because of cost” (Vitez & Nagle, n.d.). The costs of course materials are rising at astronomical rates. According to the Student PIRGs, “the cost of textbooks and course materials has increased at three times the rate of inflation since the 1970s” (Xie, 2023). Textbooks are unnecessarily expensive and are increasingly a barrier to education access and student success. Extensive research has demonstrated that while publishers can get away with (and profit off of) high prices, students who …

What’S The Goal: Increasing Sports Opportunities For Youth From Low Socioeconomic Communities, Nayeli Sandoval Gallo

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focus of this Capstone Project is researching and learning about accessibility, availability, and affordability for low-income families to enroll their children in sports. This is an important issue for families and children because sports impact youth’s lives in a positive way. An argument is made that children at an early age have significant outcomes for general health and physical well-being. The primary stakeholder perspectives chosen were coaches, students, parents, and educators because they are all part of a child’s educational journey and childhood experiences. After interviewing administrators, teachers, and students three different action options were thoroughly discussed to enhance …

Unlocking The Doors To Engagement And Accessibility: A Curriculum Development For Second Grade Learners In Social Studies, Jeanette Mcnair

Masters Theses/Capstone Projects

The goal of this project is to create a second-grade Social Studies curriculum that increases engagement and provides accessibility to all students. The intent is to pull from the instructional frameworks of Universal Design for Learning developed by CAST, Project-Based Learning by The Buck Institute and differentiation by Carol Ann Tomlinson. The following research question was used to propel forward the goal of this project: How can a second grade Social Studies unit unlock student engagement and universal accessibility by applying three educational frameworks? This question was answered by literature research on the topics of engagement and accessibility followed by …

Cause For Complaint: A Case Study Exploring Office For Civil Rights Complaints And Resolutions Related To Digital Accessibility At Public Colleges And Universities, Helen Gema Muñiz Bermudez

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

As the number of students with disabilities pursuing postsecondary opportunities continues to grow, along with an increase in digital educational content and technology, the issue of digital accessibility becomes increasingly urgent - both as a matter of equity and access for disabled students and as a matter of social and fiscal responsibility for postsecondary institutions. When postsecondary institutions fail to meet the requirements of disability legislation, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is the federal entity responsible for enforcement and complaint investigations, handling hundreds of complaints related to digital accessibility at postsecondary institutions since 2013. There …

Accessibility Of University Course Syllabi, Steven M. Baule, Sara A. Fister

Essays in Education

Over the last twenty years, governments and a range of disability rights organizations have advocated for increased accessibility to educational materials and school documents for people with disabilities. Recently, several studies have shown that accessibility is still lagging among educational institutions and other government agencies. The purpose of this study was to analyze extant higher education syllabi to determine the level of compliance with the current Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0). The study reviewed the current accessibility requirements for schools under WCAG 2.0 and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act as amended in 2018. It then provides a review …

Increasing Accessibility To Academic Library Services With Alt Text, Color Contrast, Captioning, And Transcripts In Youtube Tutorials, Barbara M. Pope, Gloria F. Creed-Dikeogu

Kansas Library Association College and University Libraries Section Proceedings

Accessibility of library resources and services in academic libraries is fundamental to serving the discovery and scholarship needs of students and faculty, regardless of disability status. Equitable access in higher education affects student grades and retention, and within the library, involves making library buildings, video tutorials, library instruction, the website, Libguides, and resources accessible to students. Accessibility is vital for disabled students to obtain a college degree. It complies with federal law while improving access to education for all students, such as English as a second language students, undiagnosed disabled students, and students with different learning styles. This article focuses …

Are We Prepared? Analyzing Active Shooter Policy Accessibility In New Jersey Institutions Of Higher Education, William G. Petrovey

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The research in this dissertation was conducted to measure the accessibility, presentation, and format of active shooter protocol for college faculty and staff at institutions of higher education in the state of New Jersey. The study further explores the need for availability of active shooter policy given the unfortunate growing problem of active shooters taking place at institutions of higher education across the country. Since the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007, the New Jersey Ccampus Ssecurity Ttask Fforce [AS1] made recommendations to then Governor Corzine’s administration. Institutions of higher education have since embraced active shooter protocol from various source materials …

Examination Of Ableist Educational Systems And Structures That Limit Access To Engineering Education Through Narratives, Marissa Tsugawa, Brady Webster, Sakshi Solanki, Autumn Cuellar, Catherine Mcgough Spence

Integrated Engineering Department Publications

The purpose of this paper is to examine how higher education systems limit access to engineering education for disabled and neurodivergent engineering students. Throughout this paper we will discuss ableism in higher education systems. Particularly, U.S. institutions and education are designed for non-disabled and neurotypical people rather than with accessibility for all despite legal efforts to improve access to education. We also provide two narratives from the authors that describe their experiences with having a disability and being neurodivergent in engineering education. Finally, we suggest other paradigms and methodologies engineering education researchers can utilize when conducting research on disability and …

Let All Voices Be Heard: Creating An Engaging And Inclusive Asynchronous Qr Classroom, Ruby A. Daniels, Kathryn Appenzeller Knowles

Numeracy

With the shift to remote teaching, many instructors used Zoom for synchronous work. However, this presented issues (fatigue, turning cameras off, inequitable technical hurdles) that motivated quantitative reasoning (QR) instructors to look for asynchronous alternatives. A common technique has been text-based online discussions, which can be difficult for students to find engaging. This mixed method study (N = 41) describes an inclusive video alternative, specifically for teaching QR and quantitative fluency skills, which was piloted in two asynchronous sections and one hybrid section of the same course. Students posted their video responses, watched their classmates’ videos, and wrote short …

“The Amount Of Labor We Do For Free” And Other Contradictions: A Collective Inquiry Into The Pedagogical Choices Of Cuny Adjunct And Graduate Student Instructors Who Taught With Free Of Charge Materials During The Year 2020, Sami Disu, Joanna Dressel, Jamila Hammami, Marianne Madoré, Conor Tomás Reed

Publications and Research

A collective of five CUNY researchers developed and conducted a survey-based study of how CUNY adjunct and graduate student faculty taught with free of charge materials during the year 2020. A total of 152 respondents filled out the survey. Four themes emerged from the analysis of their responses:

1. Adjunct and graduate student faculty who taught with free of charge materials at CUNY in 2020 were motivated by economic, logistical, and pedagogical benefits. They invested considerable amounts of time in both creating and selecting material.
2. Their pedagogical choices about learning materials were formed in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the …

Accessibility In The Basic Course: A Case For Retaining Pandemic Technology, Leann M. Brazeal

Basic Communication Course Annual

This piece focuses on the potential of technologies adopted during the COVID-19 crisis to enhance accessibility for students with disabilities in the basic course. The pandemic disrupted traditional modes of teaching and learning and required basic course instructors to seek out technologies that could help meet the goals of a traditional classroom experience. This piece suggests that this spirit of flexibility with technology should be retained in traditional classrooms going forward, as it can benefit students with disabilities. First, Universal Design for Learning is discussed, including its emphasis on providing multiple options for learning and the guidelines it presents for …

Asking The Right Questions: Accessibility And Library Study Rooms, Jessica Schomberg, Christopher R. Corley

Library Services Publications

This article assists administrators who want to ensure their libraries are inclusive of people with disabilities but don’t know where to start. We argue that organizations should understand not only the basic dimensions of ADA law but also dimensions of disability. They should also become familiar with multiple domains of disability and proactively incorporate reflective questions posed by researchers and advocates into the library space planning process. The article uses examples of common missteps in the development of study rooms with some reflection on how to learn from the experience.

Library Study Spaces And Accessibility, Jessica Schomberg, Elizabeth Harsma, Prajita Chauhan, Oscar Gonzalez

Library Services Publications

To understand the library study space needs of students with disabilities by thinking about study spaces through a disability lens and using theory-based interview questions to conduct a qualitative exploration of student needs related to the accessibility of study spaces. Recommendations are provided.

Studenting And Teaching With Chronic Pain: Accessibility At The Intersection Of Contingency And Disability, Beth Greene

Academic Labor: Research and Artistry

While much attention is given to undergraduate students with disabilities, far less is devoted to graduate students, particularly those who also act as faculty: Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs). This article discusses issues of accessibility encountered by these contingent faculty members, specifically GTAs who have invisible disabilities, and how approaching discussions of contingency and disability with an ethos of transparent vulnerability—a level of transparency that necessarily leads to vulnerability—can help combat the stigma that continues to surround contingency and disability in higher education.

Accommodating Students With Disabilities, Laura James

TFSC Publications and Presentations

The Center for Educational Access (CEA) staff is your campus partner when working with students with disabilities, and will be sharing details about the accommodation process, procedures, as well as quick tips that will be helpful as you navigate this semester.

Use Of Information Resources And Service By Non Academic Staff Of Agriculture University Libraries In Eastern Nigeria (Unn, Moua And Futo), Lawal Mohammed Tukur, S. Kannan

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study examines the accessibility, utilization and satisfaction of information resources and services in Nigeria's Agriculture University Libraries. Non-academic staff, from Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Abia and University of Nigeria Nsukka are the respondents. The main objective of the study is to study the information resources, services, utilization and satisfaction at Agriculture University Libraries in Nigeria in order to analyze the types of available information resources, the level of usage and user satisfaction. Questionnaires were provided to users and the researcher took 1.3 % of the entire respondent population= 5878= 78, so seventy eight …

Ada Compliance In Online Courses: Free Tools And Resources For Creating An Inclusive Environment For Both Students And Instructors, John Huss, Shannon M. Eastep

Pedagogicon Conference Proceedings

Online courses must be accessible to students with disabilities, yet instructor training in accessible design is often an afterthought, leading to legal vulnerability and a breakdown in the learning partnership between student and instructor. Based on feedback from faculty members who shared their familiarity with expectations from the American Disabilities Association (ADA) and Section 508 of the Workforce Rehabilitation Act, as well as challenges and perceived barriers, this session demonstrated free tools, practical suggestions, and important design tips for bringing all courses into compliance., even for those instructors with less than sophisticated technological expertise.

Transitioning To An Online Writing Center: Encouraging Inclusivity And Accessibility Throughout The Covid-19 Pandemic And Beyond, Kennedy Westfall

Masters Essays

No abstract provided.

Academic Accommodation Procedure For Students With Disabilities, Office Of The Dean Of Students, Student Experience & Enrolment Management, Centre For Equity And Inclusion

Resources

The purpose of this procedure is to assist in implementing Sheridan’s Academic Accommodation Policy.

Academic accommodations considered in this procedure will be guided by the following principles:

• Inclusion and full participation

• Respect for dignity

• Individualization

  These principles will enable Sheridan’s commitment to ensure all students realize their full potential.

One Step At A Time: A Case Study Of Incorporating Universal Design For Learning In Library Instruction, Samantha H. Peter, Kristina A. Clement

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Innovative Pedagogy

This paper introduces the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), an inclusive pedagogical principle that works to make instruction accessible for all by incorporating different needs of learners into instructional design. This article provides a brief analysis of the literature on UDL within the field of academic libraries and focuses specifically on library instruction. The paper then concludes with a comprehensive case study of the authors’ journey to actively incorporate UDL into their information literacy instruction sessions over a two-semester period, including lessons learned throughout their process.

Exploring User Interface Improvements For Software Developers Who Are Blind, Guarionex J. Salivia, Flint D. Million, Megan E. Bening

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Software developers who are blind and interact with the computer non-visually face unique challenges with information retrieval. We explore the use of speech and Braille combined with software to provide an improved interface to aid with challenges associated with information retrieval. We motivate our design on common tasks performed by students in a software development course using a Microprocessor without Interlocked Pipeline Stages (MIPS) architecture simulation tool. We test our interface via a single-subject longitudinal study, and we measure and show improvement in both the user’s performance and the user experience.

Tactviz: A Vmd Plugin For Tactile Visualization Of Protein Structures, Olivia R. Shaw, Jodi A. Hadden-Perilla

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Scientific disciplines spanning biology, biochemistry, and biophysics involve the study of proteins and their functions. Visualization of protein structures represents a barrier to education and research in these disciplines for students who are blind or visually impaired. Here, we present a software plugin for readily producing variable-height tactile graphics of proteins using the free biomolecular visualization software Visual Molecular Dynamics (VMD) and protein structure data that is publicly available through the Protein Data Bank. Our method also supports interactive tactile visualization of proteins with VMD on electronic refreshable tactile display devices. Employing our method in an academic laboratory has enabled …

Visualization Without Vision – How Blind And Visually Impaired Students And Researchers Engage With Molecular Structures, Croix J. Laconsay, Henry B. Wedler, Dean J. Tantillo

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

This article examines the tools and techniques currently available that enable blind and visually impaired (BVI) individuals to visualize three-dimensional objects used in learning chemistry concepts. How BVI individuals engage with and visualize molecular structure is discussed and recent tactile (or haptic) and auditory methods for visualization of various chemistry concepts are summarized. Remaining challenges for chemistry education researchers are described with the aim of highlighting the potential value of educational research in further enabling BVI students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.

Integrating Campus Partners Towards Equitable Open Educational Resources Adoption: A Case Study Of A California State University Affordable Learning Solutions Program At Humboldt State University, Kimberly Stelter, Kyle Morgan, Morgan Barker

HSU Library

The Humboldt State University (HSU) Library and HSU Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) collaborated with the campus’ own Accessibility Resource Center, Student Disability Resources Center, and Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion through five training sessions, to facilitate the integration of open educational resources (OER) into the classroom. Faculty and students, from disparate disciplines, participated as equal stakeholders in the discovery and implementation of OER into a course, throughout a year-long immersive program.

This summary covers the history of the California State University (CSU) Affordable Learning Solutions (AL$) OER program at Humboldt State University; the structure of the 2019-2020 …

Making Accessibility Services Accessible Through Implementation Of Information And Communication Technology, Ryan J. Lahti

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

Post-secondary institutions are facing increased pressure by accessibility legislation, such as the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), to ensure students with disabilities have equitable access to the academic environment (Flaherty & Roussy, 2014). This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) examines the situation regarding the Student Accessibility Office (SAO) in a large Ontario university. Traditionally, student service-based offices like the SAO require an in-person visit to access tools, services and resources. The growth of information and communication technology (ICT) into post- secondary education is increasing accessibility of academic programs (Yamamoto & Yamaguchi, 2019), but not student services. The research Problem …

How Can Libraries Move Towards A More Inclusive Model Of Reference? A Practical Approach To Serve Distance Students, Lauren Puzier, Camille Chesley, Amanda M. Lowe

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

Research consultations are a valuable service offered by academic libraries for students who are able to visit the library, however, many students enrolled in online degree programs or considering enrollment have limited access to campus services. We designed and tested a virtual reference consultation service for distance learners and graduate students. This interactive poster outlines a practical approach for designing and initiating a virtual research consultation service to offer equitable access to library services and a positive user experience for distance learners.