Disability Studies Commons^™

Unheard Victims Of Covid-19: The Impact Of Mask Use On Communication For D/Deaf And Hard Of Hearing People, Kym Couch

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Masks are effective at preventing the spread of COVID-19, but they also impact communication for d/Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) people. This research is a mixed methods approach to analyzing the impact that the widespread use of masks in response to COVID-19 has had on DHH people. Building on the allowance for nuance and paradox presented by Deborah Stone in her book Policy Paradox: The Art of Political Decision Making (2012) and holding to the Social Model of Disability, this research involves the qualitative and quantitative analysis of a survey of one-hundred and ninety-eight (198) DHH people, interviews with …

The Impact Of Epilepsy And The Evolution Of A Nonprofit: "The Epilepsy Connection", Logan Thomas

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the diagnosis, symptoms, and consequences of epilepsy along with the author’s personal journey that promoted the creation of a successful epilepsy service club on the University of Mississippi campus, later evolving to a nonprofit organization off campus. Epilepsy is defined as having at least two seizures without a known trigger that are recurring and may include uncontrollable jerking of muscles or staring blankly with significant risk for short-and long-term consequences. These consequences include social isolation, problems at school, reduced physical activity, increased risk for injuries, social stigma, anxiety, depression, attention issues, and other consequences. An independent online …

Ableism, Ableist Microaggressions, And Psychological Thriving: A Mixed-Methods Study Of College Students With Physical Disabilities, Tonya Barnhill Dawsey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Microaggressions are daily insults to individuals that communicate messages of exclusion, inferiority, and abnormality. The term microaggression was originally used to explain the experiences of racial minorities. This term has also been used to explain the experiences of other individuals with oppressed identities. More recently, the term ableist microaggression has been used to describe these types of experiences for individuals with disabilities. Like other oppressed groups, individuals with disabilities experience ableism through interpersonal discrimination which is often delivered in a subtle, ambiguous, and unintentional manner that is difficult to address. Qualitative studies in the field of education and disability studies …

Chronic Sorrow And The Impact On Parents Of Children With Disabilities, Rhianna Mayra Nordlund

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Purpose: Chronic sorrow was assumed to be a common feeling experienced by parents of children with disabilities, and if not supported properly it would impede a parent’s ability to support their child through the treatment of a disability and other life stressors that come with a lifetime diagnosis. This research looked to see how family type, the child’s diagnosis, feelings of support expressed by the parent, societal stigma about disability, and coping abilities impacted the parents’ experiences of chronic sorrow and who is was most at risk of chronic sorrow.

Methods: Through a positivist research design, the researcher addressed the …

The Impact Of Music Therapy On Language Acquisition In Children With Nonverbal Autism, Alecia Bernau

Senior Honors Theses

Through an experimental method, the researcher investigated whether children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more likely to develop verbal communication skills after consistent exposure to songs with lyrics. Six children with nonverbal ASD were exposed to the same song with lyrics, with the goal of increased vocalization and language acquisition. Over nine sessions, subjects were pulled to participate in the experiment. The researcher played the song for the participants, recording the responses from each trial and categorizing them as either full words, verbal approximations, or miscellaneous verbalizations. The findings of the study suggest that there is a relationship between …

The Autistic Perspective: Interviewing Autistic Adults On Lived Experiences With Behavior Modification And How It Has Shaped Their Communication, Lighla R. Whitson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The use of behavior modification (BM) based treatment, the best-known example being Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), is established as an evidence-based practice for promoting communication and other outcomes for Autistic individuals. As such, many Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs) use it in their practice to target various forms of communication. Among many autistic advocacy groups, however, ABA and other BM informed therapies are often described as a detriment to mental and emotional health. Organizations such as the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) have come out against the practices and recommend finding different approaches to teaching communication skills. Much research is needed …

A Comparison Of The Expressive Language Characteristics In Schizophrenia And Wernicke’S Aphasia, Taylor Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mental illness and language disorders are rarely linked together as a way of making a comparison. In this study, a comprehensive scoping review was initiated to discuss the differential diagnostic characteristics of expressive language in Schizophrenia and Wernicke’s Aphasia (WA). This study will examine the domains of language where there are overlaps between the characteristics of expressive language. Semantics, pragmatics, and discourse will be further examined while comparing what aspects of expressive language are key in each domain. Schizophrenia being classified as a mental illness and WA being classified as an acquired language disorder, there are fundamental properties of language …

The Myth Of Perfection: Charting The Rhetoric Of Veteran Disability For A Course To Stability, Nicholas Rader

All Dissertations

This dissertation rhetorically analyzes discrimination in Western institutional discourses and documentation procedures, such as architectural texts and procedures, through a historiographic lens. An analytical methodology will be offered to show how discrimination of intersectional bodies is historically informed and reaffirmed by the manipulation of Western myths and mythos. Specifically, by mapping navigational mathematics and cartographic methods over rhetorical, architectural, and historiographic theory, it will be shown how the manipulation of Western myths establishes and reifies patriarchal discrimination that eventually fissions into eugenicist logics in nineteenth and twentieth century France, England, and the United States. In modernity, the practice of manipulating …

Circumventing Ableism: A Grounded Theory Study Exploring Caregiver Strategies To Promote A Positive Identity, June Furr

All Dissertations

This qualitative research study explores how caregivers and persons with disabilities navigate the rhetoric of disability and caregiving through the interviews of fifteen caregivers and fifteen persons with disabilities using the lens of grounded theory and Burke’s (1952) dramatistic pentad. Significant findings describe how focused disability description can circumvent ableism when rhetorical resources that assist caregivers and persons with disabilities to navigate the rhetoric in disability descriptions are provided. Disability description theory includes the three stages that define, collaborate and revise, and practice and apply a disability description. This qualitative research offers an introduction into the phenomenon of …

Utilization Of Routine And Recommended Preventive Care Among Individuals With Disabilities In Nebraska, Snehal Jadhav

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Background: Healthcare access disparities exist among individuals with and without disabilities (IWD, IWoD). There is a scarcity of studies focused on Nebraskans living with disabilities.

Methods: Access to Care Nebraska surveyed adults (age 19+) in Oct 2020-Mar 2021. We used Andersen’s model of healthcare utilization to group risk factors for non-compliance with routine care and recommended cancer screening. A multivariate log-binomial regression compared the non-compliance between IWD and IWoD to compute adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) for risk factors.

Results: Of the 1101 participants,96(8.7%) were IWD. IWD had a higher proportion of non-compliance to routine preventive care (61.7% vs 54.1%) and …

Magic Mirrors, Jamie Ho

School of Art, Art History, and Design: Theses and Student Creative Work

When a beam of bright light hits the convex and polished surface, an image is reflected back onto the wall. This is a description of a magic mirror, an object from the Han Dynasty (206 BC -24 AD), that embodies how Euro-America views China: both technically advanced and shrouded in mystery. The magic mirror also points to the history of photography, as this term was often used in the Victorian era to describe a camera. The image created by a camera is a mimic of reality, both all too familiar and unfamiliar.^[1] Like magic mirrors, the GIFs I create …

Who Is Accessing Ipse Programs? Examining The Demographics Of Students Enrolled In Inclusive Post-Secondary Education, Madison Heider

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This initial survey study was designed to examine the demographics of students attending inclusive post-secondary (IPSE) programs for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). IPSE programs are designed to deliver a similar, if not identical, collegiate experience to students with IDD as their peers without disabilities. Previous research has investigated IPSE programs and their impact, but there is limited information regarding student makeup. The researchers looked to identify the diversity of students beyond their disability categories; research questions surrounded student diversity, barriers to accessing IPSE programs, and what, if anything, programs do to increase diversity within their programs. The …

Ohio Forensic Nurse Examiners: Readiness To Care For Victims Of Sexual Assault With Disability, Deanna Nicole Smith

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Forensic nurse examiners (FNEs) care for crime victims in acute care settings. These nurses are specifically trained in trauma-informed care and evidence collection in cases of sexual assault, domestic violence, abuse, and human trafficking (RAINN, 2022). The scholarly project focuses on the care of victims of sexual assault living with disability, as this population is three times more likely to be victimized than any other population (NSVRC, 2022). The project literature review reveals a lack of data on preparation standards for FNEs on caring for victims with disability and providing accommodations during forensic examination. Currently, it is unknown if FNEs …

Only 2000 Psi Of Bottom-Time Air: A Case Study Of Diveheart Participant Social Capital, Kirk J. Williams

Nonprofit and NGO Studies Student Projects

Social capital development for many, but not all, is a relatively organic process, and as social creatures, people work together to reach collective goals. The defined interactions related to the practices of societal norms, taboos, and broad cultural acceptance are constructs of communal decisions lending deep credence to the value of any number of the social capital definitions. However, opportunities are not always readily available to individuals living with disabilities, so they can and do get left out to varied degrees. With unsurprising results, previous research relied on comparing survey data from individuals with and without disabilities to identify possible …

An “Other” Experience Of Videogames: Analyzing The Connections Between Videogames And The Lived Experience Of Chronic Pain, Gracie Straznickas

College of Computing and Digital Media Dissertations

In this dissertation I argue for the connections between the lived experience of chronic pain and videogames, exploring what interacts with and influences them. To answer this, I draw on cripistemology as I engage in autoethnography, close-reading and close-gameplay, restorying, mixed methods design, formal interviews, surveys, and inductive coding. I further argue for pushing back against the unhelpful binaries that define the “human” and a false idea of “universal” experience or ability, instead pointing to the intersectionality that better reflects the biopolitics of disability, including both debility and capacity. I engage with these methods in three specific projects that consider …

Building An Infrastructure For Down Syndrome Care, Kate E. Martin

Instructional Design Capstones Collection

People with intellectual disabilities experience greater obstacles in attaining their full health potential. The most common identifiable cause of intellectual disability is Down syndrome. Established in September 2021, the Down Syndrome Program at The Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) aims to meet the healthcare needs of members of the Southern Nevada community with Down syndrome and their families. However, there is currently no infrastructure in place in Southern Nevada to provide Down syndrome care, or clinical services dedicated to individuals with the condition. This work discusses options that were explored to develop …

Blind Fighter – A Video Game For The Visually Impaired, Avery Wayne Harrah

ATU Scholars Symposium

Blind Fighter is a video game made to be playable by anyone, regardless of any visual impairments the player may have. The game relies on auditory queues to allow players to understand what is happening in the game without ever having to see the screen. The project’s goal is to serve as a proof of concept that video games can be made inclusive with a few additions during development, without sacrificing overall quality. To do this, the game features full graphics in addition to testing many strategies for visually impaired players, including direction-based audio, unique sound effects for each game …

The Effectiveness Of Using A Community-Based Yoga Program To Increase Feelings Of Inclusion In Adults With Intellectual Disabilities, Cynthia Schmidt

Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Innovations in OT Symposium: Transforming Possibilities into Practice

No abstract provided.

Promoting Skills In Children And Teens With Autism Spectrum Disorder Through Play And Steam, Meaghan Mcleod Mozingo, Krzysztof J. Rechowicz

Modeling, Simulation and Visualization Student Capstone Conference

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have a low employment rate. This is caused by a lack of support from employment resources and the negative stigma associated with common characteristics associated with ASD. With limited career-building activities and events, it is difficult for individuals with ASD to identify their skills, strengths, and career opportunities. Parental support is crucial when seeking employment opportunities for their children. Through the use of play, children with ASD engaged and explored their skills with science, technology, engineering, arts, and math-centered activities. This paper highlights the events and shows the proposed redesign for an additional workshop.

Special Needs In Pediatric Dentistry, Emma Kail

Health Sciences Presentations

Over the summer of 2022 I got the chance to work on my internship at a special needs and non special needs focused dentistry. Through this presentation I focus mainly on the pediatric special needs aspect of the dental care given to patients. Throughout the poster I speak about the importance of special needs care within dentistry and the field of dental health itself, where I worked and how they accommodated and worked with those with special needs to give the best care possible, and finally how this experience has changed my goals set for my future, especially within the …

Online Stories Empowering Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Transgender And Nonbinary Communities, Myles Barrett

Undergraduate University Honors Capstones

The mental and physical health issues of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Transgender and Nonbinary (TNB) communities have been neglected for far too long. The risk of suicide and mental and physical health issues in Deaf and Hard of Hearing TNB communities is alarmingly high due to issues surrounding family life, school, healthcare, lack of accessibility, and anti-trans legislation. Research indicates that social support shown through positive representation, encouraging interactions, and accessible resources within one’s community can act as a buffer against the mental health issues that Deaf and Hard of Hearing TNB individuals face. However, many of these …

Perceptions Of Disabilities Among Native Americans Within The State Of Utah, Erica Ficklin, Melissa Tehee, Sherry Marx, Eduardo Ortiz, Megan E. Golson, Tyus Roanhorse

Psychology Student Research

Currently, little research exists on disabilities among Native American communities and no research exists on how Native Americans perceive disabilities, services currently available, and unmet needs. Understanding these key areas is essential to providing efficacious and culturally relevant care. To address this gap in the literature, we used Indigenous research methodology through sharing circles throughout the state of Utah to listen and amplify the voices of the Native communities. Participants shared how they conceptualize "disability," what they thought of current services, and how they thought the needs of Native persons with disabilities should be addressed. Four major themes emerged in …

Comparison Of Product And Observational Measures Of Academic Engagement Under Different Contingencies Of Reinforcement, Milad Najafichaghabouri

Student Research Symposium

Educational researchers frequently target and measure student on-task behavior in academic settings. On-task behavior is typically defined based on the topography of the behavior (i.e., what it looks like to be on task). However, few studies have assessed if students being on task corresponds with students completing more work or responding more accurately. The current study examined correspondence between on-task behavior, work completion, and work accuracy for four elementary and middle-school aged children across different contingencies of reinforcement in a clinical setting. Academic engagement was assessed for each participant under different conditions: baseline, on task, work completion, work accuracy, and …

What's In A Name? The Politics Of Commemoration From The Un-Naming Of The Alexander Graham Bell Dorm At Rit To The Samuel Schmucker Controversy At Wcu, Brent Ruswick

Sustainability Research & Practice Seminar Presentations

Professor Brent Ruswick, History - What's in a Name? The Politics of Commemoration from the un-naming of the Alexander Graham Bell dorm at RIT to the Samuel Schmucker controversy at WCU

The Social Support Experiences Of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd) Adults, Lindsay A. Duede, Colter Ray

LSU Master's Theses

Social support researchers commonly recognize that support is most useful when it matches the needs and desires of those receiving it. Yet, the majority of research regarding attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and social support frames questions of communication competence by placing neurodiverse communities at odds with neurotypical ones. This practice reinforces a hierarchy in which neurotypical individuals are viewed as correct and deviations from that norm as failures. Individuals with ADHD experience emotions differently than those without it; thus, it stands to reason that people with ADHD could have different needs and desires for support. Therefore, this study has two key …

Policies On The Victimization Of Enumerated Students Across The Geographic South, Matthew D. Kreutz

Honors College Theses

A high-quality school district anti-bullying policy is not enough to reduce bullying and safeguard bullying-involved individuals. When bullying policies do not successfully attain targeted results, it is difficult to know if they were implemented as planned. Victims of bullying often suffer long-term psychological problems, including loneliness, diminishing self-esteem, psychosomatic complaints, and depression. This thesis will cover theoretical evaluations and content analysis of bullying policies and their enactment at the district and state levels in the geographic South.

Inhabiting "Sore Butt Cracks": Queering The U.S. Long-Term Care System, Alison Lawrence

Women's and Gender Studies: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

In the face of a failing long-term care system, the author positions a queer theoretical lens as a potential source of creativity and empathy to help us build a care system that supports the dignity and personhood of all patients. The comedic work of a long-term care patient, Youtuber Clay-The-Comedian, is analyzed through a queer-theories lens as a new approach to long-term care that celebrates the personhood of all types of bodies, while also never diminishing the often difficult reality that folks in need of care face. This queer rhetoric engages with the messy, embodied experiences of patients to develop …

Silent Holy Spirit, April-June 2023

Silent Holy Spirit

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

Silent Holy Spirit Finding Aid

Implementasi Kebijakan Bantuan Pangan Non Tunai Dalam Rangka Pengatasan Kemiskinan Di Era Covid - 19, Haura Ariesta, Fentiny Nugroho

Jurnal Ilmu Kesejahteraan Sosial

This study focuses on the implementation of the Non-Cash Food Assistance (BPNT) policy in poverty alleviation efforts in Kembangan District, West Jakarta, during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the BPNT program managed by the Ministry of Social Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia adheres to the distribution procedures, several challenges have emerged, including delays in disbursing aid funds, invalid beneficiary data, issues with E-waroeng (food stalls), account registration, delayed distribution, and occasional inadequacy of food supplies. However, supportive factors such as effective coordination, improved data management, education, active participation from local authorities, and the commitment of E-waroeng owners have contributed to …

Desa Wisata Atau Wisata Desa:Menelaah Fase Kesepian Masyarakat Pasca Pandemi Covid -19, Maureen Wanda Sabrina, Kania Saraswati Harisoesyanti

Jurnal Ilmu Kesejahteraan Sosial

The Tourism Village Policy launched by the government has developed into an ambitious initiative that can boost the community's economy. However, behind this dream, there is a complex discussion about how ready the village community is to undertake this transformation. This article discusses the stages of the community undergoing the tourism village program against the background of Taraju Village having limited access, the existence of newly formed supporting community self-help groups, and even the community's initial rejection of the development of a tourism village. Meanwhile, this tourist village has achieved achievements on a provincial and national scale. The research used …