Disability Studies Commons^™

The Form, Function, And Meaning Of Creative Expression, Sierra Strain, Susan Macdermott

Summer 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

This project consists of school site observations and needs assessment data used to gain a better understanding of the various types of creative expression engaged in during the school day and to determine the form, function, and meaning of creative expression to students at a school for students with learning differences. This study discusses to the creation of a creative expression program created to help meet the sensory need demonstrated by this population of students on campus throughout the school day. The importance of zentangle based art use as a sensory regulation strategy in a school setting is discussed as …

The Impact Of Repeated Reading Intervention On Oral Reading Fluency For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asd) In Saudi Arabia, Ahmed Al Naji

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence rate of learners with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has risen concurrently with their inclusion into public schools in Saudi Arabia. Being in schools, they face academic challenges, particularly in reading. This increased rate evokes the importance of implementing valuable strategies to keep up the academic skills of those students. These students require Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs), which have been demonstrated crucial for their reading development. Nevertheless, limited research has been done on examining the efficacy of EBPs used to enhance the reading skills of learners with ASD, especially their Oral Reading Fluency (ORF). This study used an effective approach …

Examining The Effectiveness Of Using Point-Of-View Video Modeling On Mathematics Improvement In Students With Learning Disabilities In Saudi Arabia, Tirad Alsaluli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Video Modeling (VM) is one of the most widely used approaches by researchers to improve many skills, such as academic skills in students with Learning Disabilities (LD; Boon et al., 2020). As the incidence rate of individuals with LD in Saudi Arabia increase (Almedlij & Rubinstein-Ávila, 2018), the need for evidence-based math interventions focused on the math development of individuals with LD also increases. Although VM is recognized as an Evidence-based Practice (EBPs), a limited number of studies have implemented VM as an intervention to improve mathematic skills. Implementing VM as a math intervention strategy would explore its effects on …

Disabled Rooms In Hotel Industry: A Research On Perception For Disabled Rooms, Osman N. Ozdogan, Cihan Yilmaz, Eva Abramuszkinova Pavlikova

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

Hotel businesses are required by law to have a certain proportion of disabled rooms according to the number of rooms they have. In addition to these legal obligations, the participation of disabled people in tourism activities is supported by the businesses and people in empathetic way. Although the hotel rooms built for disabled people are designed to be more spacious and facilitate the movements of the disabled, these rooms do not only serve the disabled people. It is offered to non-disabled guests especially during peak seasons when the room occupancy rate is high. In this study, the facilities provided by …

You Don't Need Eyes To See: The Lived-Experience Of College Graduates Who Are Black Men, Born Into Poverty, And Living With A Visual Impairment, Ronald Dillard

Dissertations

The following study seeks to answer this research question: What is the lived experience of college graduates who are Black men, born into poverty, and living with a visual impairment? The researcher has used intersectionality as an aspect of Critical Race Theory (CRT) to conceptualize the research question and develop an interview protocol.

The researcher has conducted in-depth interviews for this qualitative inquiry, resulting in a narrative study. Purposeful sampling was implemented to identify three participants who fit the criteria of being a Black man, born into poverty, and living with a visual impairment. Data was reorganized to tell the …

Datanote: The American Community Survey, Daria Domin, John Shepard, John Butterworth, Jean Winsor, Agnes Zalewska, Daria Domin, Alberto Migliore

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

The American Community Survey (ACS) offers a broad population view of employment outcomes for working-age people with disabilities. This Data Note summarizes findings from an analysis of 2021 ACS data on employment rates, weeks worked, and poverty rates of people with and without disabilities across the US. These data are compared for people with no disability, people with any disability, and people with a cognitive disability, which indicate that people with disabilities continue to have less success in the labor market, and a greater likelihood of being underemployed, compared to individuals without a disability.

Health Information Seeking In The Digital Age: A National Survey Of Women With Disabilities, Susan Robinson-Whelen, Rosemary B Hughes, Jeanne L Alhusen, Leanne Beers, Charles G Minard, David Davidson

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

PURPOSE: Access to high quality and accessible online health information (OHI) is critical for reducing disparities, overcoming barriers, and improving the health of women with disabilities. This study aimed to understand women with physical disabilities' use of the Internet to access OHI, most often searched health topics, perceived usefulness of OHI, and self-reported eHealth literacy and challenges in OHI seeking.

METHODS: We conducted a national online survey with 508 women with physical disabilities who used the Internet.

RESULTS: Respondents utilized a wide variety of OHI resources. They searched a broad array of health and disability-related topics, with bowel/bladder and finding …

Physical Accessibility And Historic Preservation In Historic House Museums Of The Southeast, Abby Milonas

All Theses

Museums are a public good, as they provide educational recreation and preserve cultural history, and so it is crucial that they are physically accessible to as many visitors as possible. The aim of this study was to understand what architectural features of historic house museums are the least accessible and what has been done to ameliorate these challenges. The survey used in the study was developed using the guidelines for making historic buildings accessible as described in the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards. It was distributed by email to representatives of 220 historic sites, of …

Using Linked Digital Activity Schedules To Promote Cooperative Thematic Play, Vincent E. Campbell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Previous research has shown that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may struggle to engage in social play, which may impact their willingness to engage in contextually appropriate cooperative play (Koegel et al., 2014). Researchers suggest that activity schedules targeting cooperative play may increase appropriate play for children with ASD (Brodhead et al.,2014; Pellegrino, 2018). However, previous studies did not include opportunities for interactive choice responding or the implementation of generic picture cues during script training. We investigated the impact of a linked digital activity schedule on promoting cooperative thematic play in children with ASD. Six children with ASD engaged …

Evaluation Of Telemental Health Services For People With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities: Protocol For A Randomized Non-Inferiority Trial, Luther G. Kalb, Jessica M. Kramer, Tawara D. Goode, Sandra J. Black, Susan Klick, Andrea Caoili, Samantha Klipsch, Ann Klein, Micah P. Urquilla, Joan B. Beasley

Institute on Disability

Background: Roughly 40% of those with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD) have mental health needs, twice the national average. Unfortunately, outpatient mental health services are often inaccessible, increasing reliance on hospital-based services. While telemental health services hold potential to address this gap, little is known about the effectiveness of telemental health for the diversity of persons with IDD, especially as it relates to crisis prevention and intervention services. Accordingly, the aims of this study are to: (1) compare telemental health versus in-person crisis prevention and intervention services among people with IDD; and (2) understand if outcomes vary across subpopulations, in order to …

An Analysis Of Communication-Related Information And Services Offered To Parents Of Deaf Children In Puerto Rico, Brenda Belcher

Capstone Collection

The period from birth to five years is a critical stage for human language acquisition, and inadequate access to language during this period can cause far-reaching negative effects. Young deaf and hard-of-hearing children face barriers to acquiring language through speaking and listening techniques, and their parents must make consequential decisions about what communicative strategies to pursue for their child. In Puerto Rico, information and support around communication approaches flow to parents from a variety of sources, including the Island’s local Early Hearing Detection & Intervention (EHDI) system, three dedicated schools for the deaf, and a variety of community-based organizations. This …

The Forgotten Language Skill: Finding A Prominent Place For Listening In Meaningful Programming For Multilingual Learners With Learning Disabilities, Tracy Griffin Spies

Educational & Clinical Studies Faculty Research

Listening is the primary vehicle through which children learn, is fundamental to all other communication competencies, is a core component of multimodal instruction, and is key to learning language. At the same time, listening comprehension is the least understood language skill and is challenging for teachers in the provision of high quality instruction. For multilingual learners with learning disabilities it also presents certain challenges at the intersection of students’ disability and developing language proficiency. This article presents a conceptual analysis of listening comprehension across the perspectives of learning disability and second language acquisition in an effort to link disconnected understandings …

A Scoping Review Of Health Research With Racially/Ethnically Minoritized Adults With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Heather J. Williamson, Tara Chico-Jarillo, Samantha Sasse, Leticia Rennie, Jennifer R. Etcitty, Carol L. Howe, Michele Sky Lee, Julie S. Armin

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Living with intersectional identities, having a disability, and being a member of a racial or ethnic minoritized group in the U.S., contributes to marginalization that may result in health disparities and health inequities. The purpose of this scoping review is to describe health research regarding adult racial/ethnic minoritized individuals in the U.S with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Eight electronic databases were searched to identify literature on the topic published since 2000. Of the 5,229 records, 35 articles were included in the review. Eligible studies included research conducted in the U.S., published in English, and research focused on adults with …

Differences Among Family And Professional Guardians: A Statewide Survey Of Characteristics, Training, And Practices Related To Decision-Making, Kristin Hamre, Derek Nord

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

This cross-sectional study sought to examine the differences between family and professional guardians across personal and role characteristics, training received, and their inclusion of people they serve in decision making. A total of 237 subjects serving as guardian to adults in the state of Indiana completed an online survey. Results showed group differences across race, education, as well as diagnosis and age of those served. Overall, training was limited across both groups, and family guardians received significantly less training across several topics. Finally, family and professional guardians were found to significantly differ in their willingness to allow people they serve …

Factors Impacting Access To Community Services By People With Intellectual Disabilities, Caitlin Crabb, Randall Owen, Tamar Heller

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Background: People with intellectual disabilities increasingly live in smaller community settings rather than institutional settings. Home- and community-based services (HCBS) are a type of long-term care in which services and supports are provided in people’s homes and communities. HCBS are essential for people with disabilities to remain in the community.

Method: The 2015-2016 National Core Indicators survey data, along with other datasets, were used to determine how factors impacted service utilization and additional services needed for adults with intellectual and development disabilities (I/DD) in the US. Three groups of factors were used: individual, interpersonal, and public policy factors.

Results: Variables …

Parents’ Perceptions Of The Philly Goat Project’S All Abilities Ramble: A Qualitative Study Of Animal-Assisted Intervention For Intellectual And Developmental Disorders, Patricia Flaherty-Fischette, Jenée Lee, Yvonne D'Uva-Howard, Elizabeth P. Cramer, Karen Krivit, Sarah Meehan

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are a growing population. Considering the wide diversity in IDD and the financial burden of traditional treatment modalities, Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI) has emerged as an innovative and non-traditional treatment for individuals with a range of disabilities, including individuals with IDD. To the authors’ knowledge, the present study was one of the first to explore a goat-assisted therapy experience for children with IDD. This study explored the experiences of 23 children with the All Abilities RAMble – a goat-assisted therapeutic activity offered by the Philly Goat Project (PGP). Key themes in our study included …

Toward An Equity-Driven Conceptual Model Of Covid-19 Vaccine Decision-Making For People With Idd, Lydia Ocasio-Stoutenburg, Reese Triana, Shelly Baer, Jairo Arana, Ana C. Sale, Douglene Jackson, Michelle Schladant, Nastasia Boulos, Grace Dima, Jeffrey Brosco

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

COVID-19 presented a public health emergency in the U.S., resulting in severe illness, hospitalizations, high mortality rates, and long-term adverse health care conditions. Several studies examined the disparities in transmission rates, barriers to care, and negative health outcomes for persons with disabilities, particularly people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). While data revealed similar trends among Black, Hispanic or Latino/a/x/e, Native, Indigenous, and Asian people, outcomes are compounded for people of color with I/DD. Several historical, pervasive, systemic, structural, and attitudinal barriers have constrained healthcare access and adequate treatment, instigating feelings of distrust among those in systems of care. Although …

State Oversight Of Polypharmacy And Psychotropic Medication Use Among Individuals With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities: A Three State Case Study, James Houseworth, Kami L. Gallus, Tiffany Greene, Steven R. Erickson, Jennifer Lynn Jones, Laura Vegas

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are prescribed more medications than the general population, placing them at significantly higher risk for issues due to taking multiple medications (polypharmacy). There are currently no clear national standards for the administration of medications given this risk. The following policy analysis explores state policies related to prescription medication oversight. This analysis pays particular attention to the use of medications that alter one’s mental state (psychotropics) among people with IDD who receive home and community-based services (HCBS) in the United States. The article outlines current efforts implemented to reduce medication-related risks for people with …

Reimagining Disability: A Call To Action, Paritosh Joshi, Julia Pappageorge

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

This article focuses on how the medical profession, organizations, and universities should incorporate the social model of disability into their regulations and policies to advance justice for individuals with disabilities. Traditionally, disability has been viewed through the medical model, which postulates that one’s individual body or mind is medically impaired and diminishes the person’s quality of life. The model overemphasizes individual difference or disability diagnosis as something that should be treated at an individual level through medical intervention, and ignores social factors that impact the development of physical and mental conditions. Moreover, this pervasive attitude towards disability permeates institutions and …

Reaching Consensus On The Future Direction Of A Resource Center Within A Ucedd: A Quality Improvement Delphi Project, Emily J. Hickey Phd, Amy D. Whitehead Mpa, Rachel Weingarten Bs, Leann Smith Dawalt Phd

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families need access to timely, quality information and assistance about relevant services and supports. Despite statewide systems of information and assistance for this population, there is a need for “in-the-moment” assistance for individuals and family members who participate in on-site research, training and or service delivery at the Waisman Center. The aim of this quality improvement project was to clarify the role of an internal Resource Center so as to align with the staff resources available and not duplicate statewide systems of support.

The Waisman Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison the …

Caregiver Health: Having A Child With Asd And The Impact Of Child Health Insurance Status, Kristin Hamre, Derek Nord, John Andresen

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

This study aims to understand the health outcomes of parents with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the interactive effect of child health insurance status. The study utilized 2014-2018 pooled National Health Interview Survey data to construct weighted national estimates and construct main and interaction effect logistic regression models. Findings show parents of children with ASD experienced significantly poorer health compared to parents of children without autism. Insurance status was found to significantly interact with child ASD status. Compared to parents of children without ASD that used private insurance, parents with a child with ASD who used private insurance, …

Health And Quality Of Life Among People With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities And Direct Support Professionals During The Early United States Covid-19 Pandemic, Erin Vinoski Thomas, Bridgette M. Schram, Sombal Bari, Rachel Odunlami, Kristina M. Ormond, Sydnie E. Smith

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and the direct support professionals (DSPs) who support them have faced unique risks to their health and quality of life (QoL) throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We sought to understand how COVID-19 has influenced QoL and overall well-being among these populations. We conducted a Rapid Qualitative Inquiry study with a sample of people with IDD and DSPs (n = 18) to gain deeper perspectives about QoL and well-being during the pandemic. Participants described that changes in QoL were typically negative and influenced primarily by reduced socialization and impacts on health and independence; however, …

Contributions Of Community Organizations To Personal Outcomes For People With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities: A Study Of Special Olympics Program Participation, Seb M. Prohn, Parthenia Dinora, Kayla Diggs Brody

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Community organizations can enhance the intellectual and developmental disability (I/DD) service system’s ability to improve the health, wellness, and participation of people with I/DD. This study added an item about Special Olympics (SO) participation to the 2019-2020 National Core Indicators In-Person Survey to predict active SO participation and to determine whether personal outcomes differed for SO participants. Results of a multinomial logistic regression showed that people who were younger or who did not require mobility aids were more likely to participate in SO. Compared with people who never or formerly participated in SO, current SO athletes had better personal outcomes. …

Acknowledgments, Matt Wappett

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

No abstract provided.

Investigating The Longitudinal Relationship Between Social Motivation And Depression In Autistic Adults, Robyn H. Himelstein

Theses and Dissertations

Autism affects individuals across the lifespan, yet there tends to be limited research and services for autistic adults. This is especially concerning given that autistic adults have high mental health needs, with depression being one of the most common and clinically significant co-occurring conditions. We explored the longitudinal relationships between social motivation, social access (i.e., having opportunities for meaningful social interactions), loneliness, and depression in N=303 autistic adults ages 18-65. Participants completed online surveys about social behavior and wellbeing three times over 3–4 months. We hypothesized that an interaction between higher social motivation and lower social access at Time 1 …

Finding The Why: Trauma's Origins And Effects In Morrison's The Bluest Eye, Hope Lopez

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes the effects of Toni Morrison’s first novel, The Bluest Eye, on its readers and the public discourse surrounding the central issue of systemic racism and incest. The central focus of the analysis is trauma in the novel: how Morrison captures that trauma in writing, how the reader encounters and interprets that trauma, and the effects of that trauma on the narrative and the reader. To construct this argument, I apply the lenses of reader response criticism, psychoanalysis, and trauma studies to the novel.

Morrison expressed concern that readers would miss the crucial message of why the …

Silent Holy Spirit, July-September 2023

Silent Holy Spirit

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in St. Louis, MO

Silent Holy Spirit Finding Aid

American Community Survey (2021), John Shepard, Jean Winsor, John Butterworth, Alberto Migliore, Daria Domin, Agnes Zalewska

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

This Data Note summarizes employment and poverty rates across the US in 2021. These data are compared for people with no disability, people with any disability, and people with a cognitive disability, which indicate that people with disabilities continue to have less success in the labor market, and a greater likelihood of being underemployed, compared to individuals without a disability.

Datanote: Vocational Rehabilitation Services And Outcomes Of People With Intellectual Disabilities: 2013–2022, Jean Winsor, John Butterworth, Alberto Migliore, John Shepard

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

This DataNote describes the characteristics, services received, and employment outcomes of adults with an intellectual disability (ID) who exited from the vocational rehabilitation (VR) program during fiscal years (FY) 2013 through 2022, in the 50 states and the District of Columbia (DC). We compare the findings of adults with ID to the findings of people with other disabilities.

Improving Communication Access With Deaf People Through Nursing Simulation: A Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration, Jamie L. Mccartney Ph.D., Tracy Gidden, Jennifer Biggs, Kathy Geething, Karl Kosko Ph.D.

Journal of Gender, Ethnic, and Cross-Cultural Studies

Baccalaureate nursing and sign language interpreting students participated in a pediatric discharge simulation with a deaf person playing the role of the baby’s parent. At the conclusion of the simulation, participants were emailed a consent letter and a link to a 17-item questionnaire developed by the authors. Responses were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively, whereby nonparametric statistics were calculated to examine Likert-scale items. A Mann-Whitney test statistic was calculated, instead of an independent samples t-test, given the smaller sample in the current study (n = 26). A question was posed to participants that evaluated their self-perception of the effectiveness of …