Accessibility Commons^™

Universal Design For Learning’S Successful Implementation: What Can Administrators Do?, Monica Grillo

Graduate Research Posters

Administrators have a unique position to influence teacher attitudes by creating an inclusive school culture and providing instructional leadership. Implementing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a critical issue for public schools in our country. UDL is an inclusive framework based on the science of learning. It supports and removes barriers to learning for all students while maintaining high expectations. Federal education policies have called for inclusive instruction based on UDL principles. Nevertheless, our educators and administrators are not sure they believe in it and do not know what exactly it is or how to implement it with fidelity. Previous …

The Efficacy Of Art And Movement Treatment Modalities On An Individual With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Tristen Valentino

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Current statistics report 1 in 54 children have been identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), many of whom have co-occurring mental health disorders. However, minimal research has been conducted on adults with autism with co-occurring mental health disorders and the efficacy of art and movement therapy techniques. This is the case study by Tristen Valentino, clinical therapist, of a client, David Smith (who was given the pseudonym to maintain confidentiality), a 35-year-old, obese, single, cisgender, heterosexual, Caucasian, male. The implications of this case study are discussed relative to the diagnosis and treatment of adults with ASD who possess comorbid clinical …

Support For Students With Disabilities: How Awareness And Accommodations Differ Across Faculty Members Within The Postsecondary Context, Toby Tomlinson Baker

Theses and Dissertations

This case study sought to determine the most salient needs of higher education faculty who instruct and accommodate students with disabilities (SWDs). Therefore, the faculty were analyzed as a community in a university setting. Currently, the accommodations that faculty provide for SWDs vary from institution to institution. Additionally, certain variables, such as faculty’s years with the university, budget, size, and location of the institution impact the level of support provided and what specific accommodations SWDs receive.The purpose of this qualitative case study was to develop an in-depth understanding of the current level of knowledge that faculty obtain for accommodating SWDs. …

Covid-19 And The Achievement Gap, David Herr

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project will investigate whether the shift of many schools to remote instruction as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has widened the achievement gaps between students of different racial identities and socioeconomic groups. I will use existing research and my understanding of pedagogical principles, as well as GPA data from before and after the advent of remote learning, to determine whether these gaps have changed since the implementation of remote learning, as well as to identify the mechanisms that have caused these changes, if they do exist. I will then extrapolate strategies with which to combat these disparities in …

The Role Of Assistive Technology (At) In Enhancing The Educational Experience Of Students With Special Needs In Higher Education: A Case Of University Of Zimbabwe Library, Agnes C. Chikonzo, Masimba Muziringa, Jonathan Munyoro

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study examined how assistive technology (AT) is being used to enhance the educational experience of learners with special needs at the University of Zimbabwe. Using a case study design, primary data were collected mainly through questionnaires from a sample of 82 respondents comprising students with visual impairment and albinism registered with the University of Zimbabwe Disability Support Services Library, a branch of University of Zimbabwe Library. The study results demonstrated that AT provides freedom by enabling respondents to complete academic activities that they were previously unable to do, such as studying, reading, writing, researching, web browsing, emailing, communicating with …

Supporting Instructors To Promote At-Promise Students’ Success: How Faculty Coordinators Facilitate Tslc’S Ecological Validation, Jonathan Toccoli

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Despite decades of research and billions of dollars spent per annum to promote at-promise student—that is, low-income, first-generation, and/or racially/ethnically minoritized students—college success, at-promise students continue to be retained and graduate at lower rates than their traditionally college-going peers. The purpose of this study is to investigate how faculty coordinators in the Thompson Scholars Learning Community (TSLC) facilitate and integrate instructors into the program’s ecological validation which has been found to promote at-promise student success. This study is framed by the ecological validation model of student success in conjunction with a systems theory perspective of faculty roles to investigate how …

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.

Inequalities In Girls’ Learning Opportunities Via Edtech: Addressing The Challenge Of Covid-19, Helen Crompton, Agnes Chigona, Katy Jordan, Christina Myers

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic prompted school closures, which affected nearly 1.5 billion learners globally. Girls are likely to have experienced learning losses during the pandemic to a greater extent, as there are multiple barriers that influence gender disparities in accessing and benefiting from EdTech, including social inequalities or norms and technological constraints. Equity needs to be foregrounded when EdTech interventions are implemented, by considering disparities emerging from digital access, freedom, literacy, pedagogies, and design:

Digital access: Potential gender disparities in digital access, including at home, should be considered when EdTech interventions are designed.

Digital freedom: Social norms, as …

Building Institutional Support For Undocumented And Daca-Eligible College Students In Michigan, John A. Vasquez, Alejandra Acosta, Rosario Torres, Melissa Hernandez

Journal of College Access

In 2017, the state of Michigan operated, and continues to operate, in an unstipulated policy environment related to undocumented students. There is no higher education commission or policy coordinating body in Michigan nor has the state legislature passed any legislation related to undocumented students or students who are DACA-eligible. Under this unstipulated policy environment, postsecondary institutions have the discretion to establish their own admissions policies and practices, including tuition and financial aid guidelines for undocumented students. Some institutions have stated their public support of these students through what they identify as inclusive and supportive institutional practices via their websites. However, …

Teacher Perceptions Of Co-Teaching Effectiveness In Inclusive Elementary Classrooms, Ann Sims

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine if co-teaching is an effective strategy of inclusion for students with Individualized Educational Program (IEP). Specifically, students in the general education classroom for grade levels kindergarten to fifth grade in the state of Illinois. Co-teaching has been utilized in middle and upper-grade levels, but the implementation of co-teaching has started to integrate into elementary grades. Two questions guided the study; is co-teaching an effective inclusive strategy for students with an IEP in a general education classroom; and does the model of co-teaching impact the student's academic progress? A quantitative study utilizing a …

Blind Accessibility In College And University: Is Online Learning Accessible To All?, Erica R. Hagman

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Increasing technological advancement, coupled with the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting social distancing orders, has amplified the push for online learning and hybrid courses like never before. As education moves online, are the necessary adjustments to accommodate students with varying levels of ability being made? One would think that online learning would be easier to navigate for Blind and Visually Impaired (BVI) students, but is that truly the case? In this study I investigated if the Learning Management System (LMS), Canvas, is accessible to BVI students. I hypothesized that BVI students would have more difficulty accessing classroom material …

Vulnerable Learners In The Age Of Covid-19: A Scoping Review, Catherine F. Drane, Lynette Vernon, Sarah O’Shea

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

© 2020, The Author(s). This scoping review provides an overview of COVID-19 approaches to managing unanticipated school closures and available literature related to young people learning outside-of-school. A range of material has been drawn upon to highlight educational issues of this learning context, including psychosocial and emotional repercussions. Globally, while some countries opted for a mass school shut-down, many schools remained open for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. This partial closure not only enabled learning in smaller targeted groups but also offered a safe sanctuary for those who needed a regulated and secure environment. In Australia, if full school closures were …