Disability and Equity in Education Commons^™

Focus Daily: Jase Special Issue On Hip-Hop, Disability, And The Continuing Evolution Of Arts-Based Pedagogy In Special Education (Side B), Jonte C. Taylor

Journal of the Arts and Special Education

Hip-hop has long served as an educational tradition, emerging from the Bronx as a cultural response to systemic inequities that fostered identity, critical consciousness, creativity, and community through its core elements of emceeing, DJing, breaking, graffiti, and knowledge of self. In this second special hip-hop issue of the Journal of the Arts in Special Education (JASE) and building on the initial 2025 JASE special issue, this collection advances hip-hop pedagogy beyond an engagement strategy by positioning it as a culturally inclusive framework that supports academic achievement, identity affirmation, and meaningful participation for students with disabilities. The contributing scholars explore how …

Engaging Immigrant Families Of Children With Disabilities: Recommendations For Practitioners, Robai N. Werunga, John William Mckenna, Rocio Rosales

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Family involvement is essential for positive school outcomes. Yet research suggests that family engagement for students with disabilities may be marked by conflict. Furthermore, creating an environment that promotes active engagement for immigrant families may be challenging. In this paper, we synthesize existing research, legal guidance, and community-engaged insights to present four practice-oriented recommendations for educators and practitioners working with immigrant families of children with disabilities. Grounded in Hans and Love’s stages of immigrant family engagement, these recommendations aim to support meaningful and culturally responsive participation in special education processes.

From Access To Success: Addressing Barriers For Students With Disabilities In Higher Education, Melissa Wood

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

Over the past several decades, enrollment of students with disabilities in higher education has steadily increased. However, disparities in retention and degree completion persist. Although federal laws such as the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act guarantee equal access, many students continue to encounter barriers that affect their academic experience. These challenges are often more pronounced in community colleges, which serve diverse populations and often operate with limited resources. This paper examines two key barriers and highlights best practices that institutions can implement to improve accessibility, strengthen support systems, and promote persistence and success for students with disabilities.

Parent Engagement And Advocacy In Individualized Education Programs In Rural Appalachian School Districts, Mollie Rutledge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore parent engagement and parent advocacy in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) development and implementation in rural Appalachian school districts. Parent engagement and parent advocacy in Individualized Education Program (IEP) development and implementation are persistent challenges in special education. By intentionally grounding this research in rural Appalachia, the researcher responded to calls for education research that is attentive to the complexity and diversity of rural communities. Parents in rural areas face unique challenges related to poverty, isolation, and limited resources that can influence their engagement and advocacy in the IEP process. The …

Edu 30 Introduction To Special Needs, School & Society Syllabus, Propa Akter

Open Educational Resources

The syllabus for EDU 30 contains a course description, course objectives, course readings divided by week and a link to OER textbooks and ZTC readings.

Cultivating Success: The Role Of Self-Determination In Autonomy For Post-Secondary Students With Disabilities, Cloè Knight

Honors Theses

Self-determination is a crucial theoretical framework influencing the post-secondary success and the quality of life for students with disabilities (SWD). A case study mixed-method design was used to investigate the lived experiences of students with disabilities and how their self-determination skills shaped by parent styles and teacher practices, impacted their success in the post-secondary world. Despite the well-researched benefits of self-determination in the lives of students with disabilities, a systematic literature review revealed important gaps in research related to the roles parents and teachers play in facilitating self-determination skills impacting post-secondary success in students with disabilities. The current study sought …

Removing Barriers In Graduate Health Education For Students With Disabilities, Daniel Nuss

Pacific Journal of Health

Abstract

Students with disabilities continue to face barriers in graduate health education academic programs. As the number of enrolled students with disabilities increases, it is imperative that solutions are identified that remove these barriers to create inclusive and accessible learning opportunities. This study presents a narrative review of literature that examines current research on the topic of graduate health education and disability. Results identified four relevant themes for reducing barriers and improving inclusive access for students with disabilities. The themes include the need for modifying technical standards, faculty training, reasonable accommodations, and Universal Design of Learning (UDL). The findings are …

Academic Coaching Modality, Academic Self-Efficacy, Academic Success, And Executive Functioning Skills In Students With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd), Tracey Y. Hurd

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

As the number of students with a diagnosis of ADHD rises, postsecondary institutions must determine support services, such as academic coaching, that can contribute to their academic success. This study sought to examine the use of academic coaching in students with ADHD to increase executive functioning skills, while determining if the modality of the sessions affects these skills and student academic success, taking into consideration the role of academic self-efficacy in these behaviors. The study also examined Academic Coaches' perceptions of how their coaching practice impacts student academic success, the survey findings, and the potential impact of those findings on …

Keeping It Real: Hip-Hop Based Education In A Mathematics Classroom, Michelle J. Cook, Elizabeth M. Hughes, Jonte C. Taylor

Journal of the Arts and Special Education

Hip-Hop based education (HHBE) infuses elements of Hip-Hop culture into teaching and learning. Growing research shows that HHBE engages students, validates students’ identities and lived experiences, and supports academic success. In this article we share how HHBE can be used in mathematics with a focus on teaching word problem solving strategies. Using vignettes and real-life examples, we illustrate how creative elements of Hip-Hop (i.e., breakdancing, graffiti art, DJing, MCing, knowledge of self) naturally enhance mathematics and word-problem solving instruction. Educators can sample/adapt strategies shared to create HHBE lessons to meet the interests of their students with disabilities. We hope that …

Practices To Possibility: A Narrative Inquiry Examining Practices Supporting Post-School Outcomes For Students With Disabilities, Joshua Reese

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry was to examine how educators in high-performing districts that met or exceeded state targets for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) post-school outcomes implemented and sustained evidence-based practices to support successful transitions for students with disabilities. Despite decades of legislative mandates and educational reforms, students with disabilities continue to experience disproportionately lower rates of employment, postsecondary education, and independent living compared to their peers. This study sought to identify not only which practices are effective but also how they are operationalized and maintained within school systems.

Two Tennessee districts identified by exemplary performance …

Sensemaking Opportunities For Students Experiencing Difficulty: A Mixed Methods Study, Rachel Juergensen, Delinda Van Garderen

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

All students deserve to be engaged in high-quality science instruction that moves beyond memorization and recall of facts and offers opportunities for sensemaking. Science achievement is alarmingly low signifying there is a large percentage of students experiencing difficulty in science. The low science achievement may be symptomatic of gaps in opportunities for sensemaking within the science classroom. Using an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, the current study explored the relationship between middle school science teacher beliefs and opportunities students experiencing difficulty in science had to participate in sensemaking discussions. Integrated findings from the study suggest that teachers’ beliefs influenced the …

Promising Partnerships In Art Education And Special Education: An Interview With Beverly Gerber, Jennifer Elaine Smith, Yilin Shen

Journal of the Arts and Special Education

Dr. Beverly Gerber is a strong advocate for developing “promising partnerships” between art educators and special educators. She has spent her career working to advocate for increased inclusive opportunities for students with disabilities. From this advocacy, she has written books that have sat atop the National Art Education Association’s best seller’s list. In addition, Dr. Gerber is a co-founding member of the Division of Visual and Performing Arts Education (DARTS) in the council for Exceptional Children. DARTS will celebrate it’s 10^th anniversary in 2025. Dr. Gerber’s work has had a notable impact on the intersection of art and special …

The Art Of Disability And Identity: Using Arts-Based Methods To Examine The Relationships Between Disability, Identity, And Identity Development For Young, Disabled, Women In Higher Education, Amelia Holzer

Education (PhD) Dissertations

Within higher education, much of the research surrounding education and students with disabilities revolves around accommodations, and critiques of structural barriers to access. Further, disability within the context of higher education is often thought of through the lens of “service” and support for students with disabilities in higher education often takes a medical model approach of “curing” the student and “treating” their disability with accommodations (e.g., additional testing time), instead of acknowledging the environmental, social, and cultural factors within the classroom, or outside the classroom that may be causing the impairment. There is a noticeable gap in the higher education …

Black Students With Disabilities In The Virginia Community College System, David Jerome Sultzer

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The advancement of policies and laws to support students with disabilities has increased the roles of students with disabilities in post-secondary institutions. There remains a significant disparity between the population of abled and disabled students and even a more significant disparity between Black and other students with disabilities on post-secondary campuses in the United States. Research has uncovered a fair amount of qualitative literature that speaks to the disparity between Black and other students with disabilities on post-secondary campuses with most of the qualitative literature from the perspective of the Black student with disabilities.

This study examined the perceptions of …

Executive Function Skills Of First-Year College Students With Disabilities, Carrie Minnich

Doctor of Education Dissertations

First-year college students with disabilities face many challenges as they transition to postsecondary education. Strong executive function skills can help make the transition easier. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore these students’ perceptions of their executive function skills and how they described their challenges and successes. Quantitative data were collected using the Executive Skills Questionnaire-Revised and reviewed to learn about their executive function skills. Qualitative data were collected from interview transcripts and analyzed to learn about their challenges, successes, and perspectives on their skills. Descriptive statistics indicated that students with disabilities rated most areas of executive function …

Experiences Of Special Education Teachers During Covid-19: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Sheds Light On Learning Loss Among Young Students With Disabilities, Cassidy A. Stine

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Many aspects of teaching and learning for students with disabilities (SWDs) were drastically altered during the height of COVID-19. While many students experienced learning gaps or loss related to unprecedented and abrupt changes to their education, young SWDs in rural areas were faced with unique challenges. The purpose of this Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) study was to gain knowledge regarding teaching experiences/perceptions of rural Georgia K-5 special education teachers during the height of COVID-19 that shed light on learning loss among SWDs. The researcher was specifically interested in knowing more about teachers’ perceptions of academic and social-emotional learning loss as …

Exploring Perceptions Of College Completion Obstacles Among First-Year Students With Disabilities, James Roshone Evans

Theses and Dissertations

Students with special needs encounter significant challenges that affect their development, social mobility, and ability to achieve personal and professional goals. Despite efforts to improve post-secondary education outcomes, enrollment rates among students with learning disabilities remain below average. This study examined the experiences of first-year college students with mild to moderate cognitive impairments to gain a deeper understanding of the barriers to degree completion. It examines mandatory education, California's special education laws, social support systems, and the theoretical frameworks of Tinto's theory on retention, Wahlberg's theory of academic achievement, and Astin’s scholarly roles theory. Interviews with 25 students with disabilities …

Factors That Contribute To Employment Success For Young Adults With Disabilities Completing A Postsecondary Education Program, Leatha Pfanmiller

Theses and Dissertations

The problem addressed in this research was low employment rates for young adults with disabilities. Young adults with disabilities are employed at a much lower rate than their neurotypical peers. The factors identified in this study could be beneficial to other college and postsecondary education (PSE) programs with employment components, to promote higher rates of employment for students with disabilities who attend those institutions.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify factors that contribute to employment success for young adults with disabilities completing a PSE program. The study was conducted at a medium-sized, 4-year, public university in the …

An Interview With Susan Loesl: Pioneering Adaptive Art For Students With Disabilities, Sedigheh Fatollahzadeh Dizaji, Jennifer Elaine Smith

Journal of the Arts and Special Education

Abstract

While art education, which often focuses on skill development, and art therapy, which typically centers more on personal expression and client goals, are two different areas of art, they have many benefits when used together. Susan Loesl is an art therapist and art educator with over 40 years of experience. In this article she shares her expertise in art therapy, art education, and adapting art tools for students with disabilities. Her work highlights the importance of creativity, collaboration, and the need for more art therapists in schools. She also shares advice for those considering careers in art therapy and …

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 …

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 attending postsecondary institutions has increased, yet their completion rates remain 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 students with disabilities in higher education. The study focuses on Texas higher education institutions, examining the relationships between provosts and directors of disability services. The researcher collected data through esurveys and open-ended questions of 16 participants, primarily directors of disability services. Quantitative analysis of Likert scale items explored domains such as leadership, …

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, …

“We’Re Not Walking Schools”: Storying The Pandemic Schooling Experiences Of Mothers Of Children With Disabilities, Kristi Cheyney-Collante, Lindsey Chapman, Shaunté Duggins

The Qualitative Report

This article describes a study designed to better understand the fallout of extended school closures and staggered re-openings for one group heavily impacted by the pandemic, mothers of children with disabilities. Using feminist ways of knowing as the backdrop, we explored how a small group of mothers experienced pandemic-related educational shifts. We aimed to provide solidarity and a space of care. We employed narrative methods to support the storying of their individual and collective experiences. Data were synthesized vis-à-vis participants’ ethic of care, particularly in relationship to the power structures they traversed. Taking a deep dive into the experiences of …

The Use Of Assistive Technology For Students With Disabilities In Technical Colleges In Ondo State, Deborah Ahuoiza Vincent, Rebecca Oyenike Okeowo, Samson Ariyo

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

The goal of this study was to explore the use of assistive technology (AT) for students with disabilities in technical colleges in Ondo State. Three research questions guided the study. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted and the survey included 104 participants (38 university lecturers and 66 students with disabilities) drawn from the three technical colleges in Ondo State. A structured questionnaire consisting of 54 items was also adapted and used in data collection. The reliability coefficient of the instrument was 0.86. The data collected were analyzed using SPSS Version 26. The findings of the study revealed that while there …

Teaching Science To Students With Disabilities Using Socio-Scientific Issues, Rachel Juergensen, Laura Zangori, Pat Friedrichsen, Troy D. Sadler

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities experience inequitable learning opportunities in science classrooms. To create equitable learning environments, science teachers must embed supports within their curriculum units. Teachers rely on their beliefs about the capabilities of their students, their role as science teachers, and the goals of science education to adapt their curriculum units. Curricular changes occur through their pedagogical design capacity (PDC) during lesson planning and enactments, in which their beliefs inform their PDC choices. Yet there is little research regarding science teachers’ beliefs about teaching students with disabilities and how they enact their science curriculum materials in general education science classrooms. …

Improving Access To General Education Via Co-Teaching In Secondary Mathematics Classrooms: An Evaluation Of Utah's Professional Development Initiative, Kaitlin Bundock, Kristen Rolf, Anna Hornberger, Chamy Halliday

Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling Faculty Publications

Co-teaching may be a promising strategy to improve inclusive secondary mathematics education in rural schools. Professional development (PD) aids in special and general education teachers' co-teaching implementation, yet little empirical research examines how to effectively train and support co-teachers. In this study we describe one U.S. state's PD model for secondary mathematics co-teaching, evaluate outcomes of the PD on co-teachers' behaviors and beliefs, and examine the impact of co-teaching on students' mathematics achievement. We examined data from observations, surveys, and students' pre/post assessments across nine classes within seven U.S. school districts, including three rural school districts, over 3 years. We …

Rural Inclusive Education For Students With Disabilities In The United States: A Narrative Review Of Research, Katie Mae Mccabe, Andrea L. Ruppar

The Rural Educator

Despite a long history of overrepresentation in segregated settings (Brock, 2018), students with disabilities who require extensive supports are more likely to receive inclusive placements in rural schools. In this paper, we present findings from a narrative literature analysis of inclusive education for students with disabilities in rural schools located in the United States. Our search yielded 24 articles, published between 2002 and 2019, which reveal three storylines: (a) perceptions about inclusive education in rural schools and communities, (b) inclusive placements are common for students with disabilities, and (c) access to resources is a factor for rural schools to provide …

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. …

Barriers And Challenges For Visually Impaired Students In Pe - An Interview Study With Students In Austria, Germany, And The Usa, Sebastian Ruin, Justin A. Haegele, Martin Giese, Jana Baumgärtner

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

Physical education (PE) is an important part of school education worldwide, and at the same time, almost the only subject that explicitly deals with body and movement. PE is therefore of elementary importance in the upbringing of young people. This also applies to children with visual impairments. However, existing findings on participation and belonging in PE as well as on physical and motor development reveal that this group of children and adolescents is noticeably disadvantaged in this respect. Against this background, this paper aims to explore fundamental barriers and challenges across different types of schools, types of schooling, and countries …

Teachers’ Perception Of The Impact Of The Switch To Emergency Remote Teaching On Students With Disabilities During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Chinwe Osondu

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore teachers’ perception of the impact of the switch to emergency remote teaching on students with disabilities during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, as well as the factors that helped or hindered their academic and social-emotional achievement levels and motivation. A secondary goal of this study is to add to the literature on strategies to improve the outcomes of students with disabilities in an online/virtual learning environment. An interview protocol that included semi-structured, open-ended questions was used to capture the perceptions of 15 special education teachers. Rich qualitative data were …