Disability and Equity in Education Commons^™

Music Education And Its Impact On Students With Special Needs, Sarah V. Foley

Scholarship and Engagement in Education

Using music in a setting that includes students with special needs can have an effect on student communication and socialization. A review of the literature indicates that little is known about the effect of music on student's academic performance and behavior. Overall the research indicates that using music in a classroom, particularly with children with special needs has a positive effect on communication and socialization. Additional studies are needed to document the effect of music on student learning.

Special Education As Both History And Theory: Disability And The Possibility Of Interdisciplinary Friendship: A Multilogue Response To Ellis, Osgood, And Warren, Benjamin Kelsey Kearl

Education's Histories

In his multilogue response to Ellis, Osgood, and Warren, Kearl argues that "history theorizes and theory historicizes."

Walk And Roll Success, Jolynne Lyon

Blog Posts

Blog post about the Run, Walk and Roll event.

Introduction: Queering Education, Darla Linville

Occasional Paper Series

What might it mean to make education more queer? Queerness is not a unitary identity (as is no identity) and queer is not a single way of thinking or being. Sometimes queer is opposition to outness, or resistance to acceptance, and exists in order to disrupt and discomfit. This, too, is queer. How might educators work to make schools more welcoming of queer bodies and identifications, queer the binary categories that define social life, and disrupt the differential privileging of those who claim normative identities?

2017 Faculty Letter To Students, Rhode Island School Of Design

RISD Faculty Values

An end of the year letter from the RISD faculty sent to RISD students reaffirming their support of the students, acknowledging the challenges of this past academic year in light of the current social and political turmoil and sharing the RISD Faculty Values Statement.

Fostering Social-Emotional Skills: A Cross-County Comparison Of The New Jersey Early Intervention System, Abigail Alston

Theses and Dissertations

The positive influence of early intervention on the future success of infants and toddlers who qualify for these services has been supported by various studies. Social-emotional skills, a targeted outcome of early intervention services, are an essential component of a child's social and academic success. New Jersey County Determination Reports demonstrate a disparity between the percentage of children entering early intervention with social-emotional skills below age expectation and then proceeding to exit early intervention with substantially increased social-emotional skills. The purpose of this study was to understand whether certain variables impacted these percentages. Variables investigated for each county included the …

Food Allergies Abroad: An Exploration Of The Experiences Individuals With Food Allergies Face While Studying Abroad, Danielle M. Roberge

Capstone Collection

Food allergies are a life-threatening medical condition that can result in a potentially fatal allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis. Food allergies affect roughly 15 million United States citizens and this number is growing, currently there is no cure. Young adults are most at risk to experience this life-threatening reaction. As more students with food allergies are entering colleges and universities to pursue a higher education, they are also becoming increasingly interested in studying abroad; however, there are few resources available. This research paper aims to explore the various challenges those with food allergies experience while studying abroad. To understand these …

Culture, Inner-City Education And Improving Economic Growth In Birmingham, Alabama, Leroy Abrahams

Capstone Collection

Perhaps the greatest reminder of the economic inequities in American society is the drastic deficiencies in educational outcomes, based on class and race. Birmingham, Alabama, vividly portrays this reality. Families with means send their children to private schools and/or concentrate in the suburbs, leaving largely poor, and oftentimes, predominantly minority in densely populated crime-ridden areas with suboptimal schooling. The schooling patterns are clearly reflected in the economic outcomes, though Black are a majority in the city they are vastly underrepresented in the middle to upper middle class, while grossly overrepresented among those in poverty. These inequities are often mirrored in …

Identity-Oriented Program, Isaac Jorgensen

Capstone Collection

This paper demonstrates why identity-oriented community college study abroad programs are more accessible for the diverse student populations that attend these institutions. It does this with a case study, a demographic analysis, and the theoretical support of The Experiential Learning Cycle (ELC) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). First it proves the lack of diversity within United States study abroad participants. Following this, the paper shows that community colleges house more underserved populations than four-year universities. Additionally, it illustrates the benefits of studying abroad and demographics specific to The Washington State Community College Consortium for Study Abroad (WCCCSA), …

Graduate Reflects On Living Away From Home, Jolynne Lyon

Blog Posts

Blog post is about a graduate student living away from home.

Approaching Undergraduate Research With Students Who Are Deaf And Hard-Of-Hearing, Austin U. Gehret, Jessica W. Trussell, Lea V. Michel

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

An undergraduate research experience can provide a unique opportunity for students to learn and grow as scientists; when positive, this experience is often transformative and motivates students to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduate degrees or careers. Conversely, negative research experiences can sour a student’s opinion of research, propagate misconceptions of graduate school, and lead to attrition from STEM fields. Negative research experiences can be equally devastating for faculty mentors and may result in reluctance to mentor future research students. Using a mentoring approach that has traditionally translated to positive research experiences for hearing students may not be …

Turning Clients Into Superheroes Through Accessibility Consulting, Robbie Kopp

Southeast Regional AHEAD Conference

Breaking Down the Physical and Digital Walls to Access from the Inside Out. Including people with disabilities in physical and online spaces is often overlooked in the scheme of social justice. The presenter will talk about strategies to empower organizations and groups to take up leadership in disability access and support significant change. This will be a highlight of the Able Access program that has been creating new ADA experts with each consultation project across South Carolina and the region.

Note-Taking Support: Giving More Power To The Student, David Tucker

Southeast Regional AHEAD Conference

Abruptly, from a nearby spot a voice speaks...

“Studies into effective note-taking strategies all concur that students should independently CAPTURE, ORGANIZE, and TRANSFORM their notes.

“This research is not to be taken lightly! Support professionals: ask yourself whether they cast doubt on the value of traditional forms of note-taking support! Shouldn’t ALL students be given the POWER! to take notes for themselves?”

Moments later… strange diagrams on a projector screen highlight the connection between effective note-taking strategies and the mysterious science of memory.

The voice again.

“Doubtless, the very act of taking notes is key to understanding and remembering new …

A Campus Or A Zoo?, Tina E. Vires

Southeast Regional AHEAD Conference

Intended audience: ALL Service dogs, emotional support animals, therapy animals, animals as accommodations - they're everywhere! Is that ok? Should or can I say anything about them? What are the expectations? Faculty and staff across the country are asking these questions as more animals appear on campuses and lawsuits abound when students are denied access to animals. How do we maintain compliance and sanity? This session will provide an easy to understand overview of the different types of animals we may find on our campuses, how to discern between the types, how and why they may be approved, appropriate and …

How To Succeed In Teaching Your Campus About Physical Accessibility Issues Without Really Trying, Rob Young

Southeast Regional AHEAD Conference

This presentation is designed for anyone who has desired to teach their community about physical accessibility issues. It will be present within the framework of the "Accessibility Scavenger Hunt", an activity developed by myself in conjunction with Northern Arizona University staff and faculty. The goal of the scavenger hunt was to teach the community about campus accessibility issues without resorting to using simulation exercises. We will discuss the framework of the activity as well as the role that the activity had in improving the accessibility of the campus.

Investigation Of Early Intervention Teachers' Perspective About Services In The Mecca Region Of The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia, Sultan Alzahrani

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This survey-based, quantitative research investigated Early Intervention teachers' perception about Early Intervention services in Mecca Region in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This research focused on three dimensions of Early Intervention including attitude toward Early Intervention services, the cultural influences in the provision of services, and the recommended practices that were used by professionals. Two options were offered to subjects to complete the survey: 1) an online survey and 2) a hard copy of the survey which was distributed to teachers in Early Intervention Centers. The majority of the participants completed the online survey. Data was collected and analyzed. The …

Academic Coaching: A Program For Enhancing Organization, Learning And Work Completion For College Students, Chip Studwell, Lexi Czarnatowicz

Southeast Regional AHEAD Conference

Managing college requires organizing, prioritizing, ongoing learning and timely work completion. These are the executive functioning skills for young adults that when under-utilized, can limit access to effective learning. In this workshop, the presenters will provide an overview of how the Academic Coach program, at Bridgewater College, helps students adjust and develop necessary skills for ongoing learning and work completion. Development of the program, training and certification standards and leadership opportunities for coaches to become team leaders will be discussed.

Note Taking: Moving From A Volunteer To A Paid System, Tamara Griffin, Teressa Gregory

Southeast Regional AHEAD Conference

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville transitioned from a volunteer/stipend note taking system to a paid note taking system. This allowed us to increased our fill rate for approximately 30% to 98%. In sharing our experiences during the transition, we discuss lessons learned and the basic process in establishing a paid system. This presentation will be of interest for all.

Increasing Access To Aba Intervention For Children With Developmental Disabilities In Taiwan, Noel Hsu

Master's Projects and Capstones

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) uses a behavioral approach to help clients and their behavioral challenges. This treatment has been proven to be a highly effective intervention for children with developmental disabilities, such as autism spectrum disorders. It is widely practiced in the United States and many other developed countries; however, this intervention is not widely available in Taiwan. This phenomenon requires our investigation because it raises questions about the available supports and interventions for children with special needs in Taiwan. This project is to explore factors that influence the development of ABA intervention in Taiwan. The goal of this project …

Reimagining Ability, Reimagining America: Teaching Disability In United States History Classes, Maya L. Steinborn

Master's Projects and Capstones

In service to the FAIR Education Act (2012) and the awareness-raising mission of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2008), this project reviews historical and educational literature about disability in the United States and provides a curriculum guide for teaching Human Rights Education (HRE) and disability studies (DS) at the high school level in California. This project traces the historical development of deficit attitudes toward disability back to the colonial era, uncovering the dichotomy between the vast resources in DS and the ableist omission of disability from K-12 curricula. Survey data and interviews further show how teachers …

Neighborhood Strategizing: Understanding Community Collaborations Within California Bay Area Public Schools, Windi Hazzard

Master's Projects and Capstones

For the better half of a century, education policy has been guided by economics and profit. One after another, every U.S. president since the 1960s has championed legislation that reflects neoliberal ideals of competition and profitable skills. Through the standardization of the public school system, education has become a marketplace rather than an environment for cultivating empowered learners and critical thinkers. The purpose of this field project is to show how communities are challenging the current education system in order to influence education policy in San Francisco, California. I interviewed four participants from two organizations that advocate parents’ rights as …

Getting First Job, Jolynne Lyon

Blog Posts

Blog post is about how someone’s experience with the Aggies Elevated program helped prepare them for their first job.

10 Things About People With Fibromyalgia, Storee Powell

Blog Posts

Blog post is sharing information about people with Fibromyalgia.

Attitudes Toward Accommodations And Academic Well-Being Of College Students With Disabilities, Alex Elizabeth Troccoli

Theses and Dissertations

College students with disabilities remain an understudied population, especially on topics relating to academic success. As more students with disabilities are struggling to complete their college education it calls for more research to be done to ensure students are taking advantage of any resources that can be beneficial for them. This study can contribute to empirical literature about how accommodations and other support service for college students with disabilities can impact academic well-being. The research questions advanced in the study are: 1) Is there a difference in the attitudes of students who are availing and not availing to accommodations? and …

Linda Alsop Recognized, Jolynne Lyon

Blog Posts

Blog post is about Linda Alsop’s contributions to the Deafblind community over the past 20 years.

The Rising Gap Between Rich And Poor: A Look At The Persistence Of Educational Disparities In The United States And Why We Should Worry, Roseanne L. Flores

Publications and Research

In 2001 the no child left behind act was signed into law with the promise to close the achievement gap between disadvantaged children and their white and more affluent peers. Ribbons were cut, ceremonies were held, as America set off on a new path to ensure that all children would have the tools necessary to achieve the American Dream. Children who in the past only had access to low-quality schools would now be able to attend high-quality schools and acquire the skills necessary to become productive citizens and obtain jobs that would catapult them into the middle class. They would …

Girls Are Us: A Collection Of Oral Histories From The Jmu Community, Anne M. Sherman

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

On a campus where women make up a majority of the student population, it is especially important that female voices are heard and given a platform on which they can control their own narrative. I wanted to give those female-identifying voices that platform. I conducted a series of interviews to examine how college-aged female-identifying students feel about their identity and how they construct that identity within the climate of the JMU community. I was particularly interested in the intersections of gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexual preference, and ability. I asked each person to share their stories of times when they …

An Exploratory Study To Understand Elementary School Students’ Conceptions Of Food Chains, Shelby Snowden

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Research has shown that elementary school is a critical time to pique children’s interest in science. However, many enrichment activities known to pique this interest in young children are not available to students of low socioeconomic status, English Language Learners, racial minorities, and students with disabilities. This has encouraged many higher education institutions to develop STEM outreach programs. Because of the cognitive gap between STEM professionals and young children and the logistics of implementing student-centered activities in heterogeneous classrooms, programs usually consist of activities that impress students with “sophisticated” science but are beyond the cognitive levels of most students and …

Congratulations To Graduates, Jolynne Lyon

Blog Posts

Blog post is congratulating CPD employees who are graduating.

1st Annual Diversifying Stem Think Tank, Adrienne Coleman

Diversifying STEM Think Tank

Goal: To understand from the perspectives of STEM professionals, Educators, and Diversity/Inclusion Officers strategies to diversify and strengthen the STEM education to career pipeline.