Disability Studies Commons^™

What Supports Are People With Intellectual Disability Living In Group Homes Provided To Access Health Care? A Case Study, Rachel Skoss, Paola Chivers, Glenn Arendts, Caroline Bulsara, Rena Vithiatharan, Jim Codde

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: People with intellectual disabilities living in group homes often have complex health needs, are high health service users and need support from their service provider to access health services. In Australia, little is known about the types and amounts of these supports. Methods: A case study was conducted on a large Western Australian disability provider of group homes to 160 people with intellectual disability. Over an 18-month period, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, the study quantified health service use in hospital- and community-based settings, ways by which the person was supported to access health care and the impact on …

Caregivers’ Experiences Supporting The Transition To Adulthood Of Adolescents With Acquired Intellectual Disability, Melinda Rose Jordan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Transitioning to adulthood can be challenging for adolescents with acquired intellectual disability (caused through an accident, brain injury, neglect, or health condition) and their caregivers. The purpose of this study was to examine lived experiences of caregivers who cared for adolescents with acquired intellectual disability during their transition into adulthood. This study used the phenomenological qualitative design guided by the social support theory. Three research questions were asked: what do caregivers of an adolescent with acquired intellectual disability experience as they support the adolescent’s transition to adulthood, how do caregivers of an adolescent with acquired intellectual disability experience social support …

Raising Their Voices: Lived Experiences Of Gifted Women With Adhd, Jessica Leigh Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Given the imbalance in the ratio of male to female ADHD diagnosis, there is a dearth of information on the profile for women with ADHD, especially in adulthood and with those of higher intelligence levels (Rommelse et al., 2016). Each, if not all, diagnoses of ADHD or giftedness come from a parent, teacher, or outside observer’s scale of symptoms and behaviors (Hay et al., 2007; Klesfjo et al., 2020; Polderman et al., 2007). In this study, ten gifted women with ADHD aged 29-77 completed semi structured interviews to examine their lived experiences of education, career, and relationships. Using a dual …

(Dis)Invested Bodies: The Neoliberal Crafting Of Disability, T. Wesley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Using the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as a unifying text, my dissertation explores the relationship between cultural production and the neoliberal crafting of humanity, the term I use to describe how social dimensions—including the construction of the textual and material body—become reorganized and governed through market relations. While many disability scholars and activists frame the ADA’s failures through social misunderstandings of disability, few have seriously attended to the limits of the ADA as a neoliberal fusing of economic governance and classical liberal individualism.

Tracing convergences between the ADA and earlier US disability legislation to socioeconomic and political reforms enacted …

Impact Of Dialogic Reading Intervention On Language And Literacy Development Of Young Dual Language Learners, Ekta Ghosh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is a pressing need for research on early language intervention for dual language learners (DLLs) at risk of developmental delays, especially young children who are non-Spanish speakers. Despite the projection that 62% of the nation's children will be children of color by 2050, there is a significant research gap in this area (Lin et al., 2023). This study aims to fill this gap and recommend effective early language interventions for DLLs. The present study uses a single-case design to determine the impact of Dialogic Reading on vocabulary and alphabetical knowledge of preschoolers aged 36 to 60 months in English …

Three Essays On Socio-Spatial Exclusion Of Disabled People, Fitore Hyseni

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation consists of three papers that document socio-spatial exclusion of disabled people. In the first paper, titled “The Disability Penalty: Evidence of Housing Discrimination from a Correspondence Audit Study,” I investigated disability discrimination in the U.S. rental housing market. Access to housing is a necessity that can further exacerbate socio-economic challenges experienced by disabled people. Despite reports of differential treatment of disabled tenants by landlords being on the rise, there have been no rigorous studies investigating them. Using a correspondence audit study, I investigated if landlords in the U.S. discriminate against disabled people. Findings show that disabled applicants were …

Barriers And Supports To Academic Success Among Autistic College Students: A Qualitative Study, Isabella M. Ortiz, Steven M. Gerardi, Mary Zadnik

Summer 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological and developmental disorder that affects many college students, impacting their everyday life activities and making transitions challenging. Occupational therapists serve a role in treating students with autism, but there is little evidence in the literature about their perceived barriers and strengths during the high school to college transition. This study utilized a semi-structured interview & thematic analysis to uncover the unique challenges & successes these students with autism face in an academic setting & identify effective support mechanisms/barriers.

Research Questions:

1. What are the perceived barriers to participation and performance in academic activities among …

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Beyond #Blacklivesmatter Through An Understanding Of Intersectionality And Ethical Leadership: A Critical Autoethnography Of A Black Female Graduate Student Living With Multiple Hidden Dis/Abilities, Shariese Katrell

Theses and Dissertations

There can be numerous questions to be asked concerning the perspective of a Black female graduate student at a predominately White institution who lives with multiple hidden dis/Abilities (Gillborn, 2015). This critical autoethnography can help discover and uncover new issues and establish transformational changes that could expand knowledge and research surrounding the critical analysis of intersectionality and Disability Studies and Critical Race Theory from an/abled feminist approach. Transformative politics can be identified in this study, which examines socialism and the systematic structures and power within academia at the graduate level (Trevino et al., 2008). The issues of Black disability feminism, …

Examining The Effectiveness Of The Parent Implemented Functional Communication Training Through The Use Of Zoom In Children With Developmental Disabilities At Home Setting In Ksa, Abdulrhman Ashgar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Studies showed that children with Developmental Disabilities (DD) have communication and social difficulties; consequently, they are more likely to display disruptive behaviors. During daily interactions, disruptive behaviors can pose difficulties for individuals such as siblings, peers, parents, and educators. In KSA, parental involvement in school-related activities is overall insufficient. Also, parents were dissatisfied with their children's progress in academic and life skills. Those factors evoked the importance of having parents implement evidence-based practice to increase their competence, knowledge, and independence. Furthermore, teaching children meaningful communication ways through FCT may benefit school readiness and the development of social relationships and overall …

"We Are In A Complete Crisis": Navigating The Lack Of Resources To Mental Health Care For Individuals With Idd, Abby Julian, Lindy Strand

Student Research Symposium

IDD and Mental Health

●What is IDD?

●Approximately 7.3 million Americans with IDD (University of Minnesota)

●59% of people with IDD have 1+ mental health conditions (Reichard et al., 2019)

●Many Utah families experience significant difficulty

Enablement Of Fishing Among Those With Physical Impairments, Tony Lozada, Cassandra Nelson

Summer 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

The poster explains the capstone process for the development and implementation of a fishing-based program for people with upper extremity impairments.

Trip Production Models For Persons With Disabilities, Pouyan Saeidian

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Nearly 13% of the US population consists of people with disabilities, yet finding an equitable and comprehensive approach to meet their travel needs remains a challenge. Our research delves into the mobility patterns of people with disabilities to understand how their daily travel—both the frequency of trips and the distance covered—compares to those without disabilities. We also explore the factors influencing their travel behaviors and how these insights can guide policymakers in improving accessibility and mobility for this community. Utilizing data from the 2022 US National Household Travel Survey, we applied a blend of statistical analysis and machine learning methods. …

"I Will Write Mad Stories": The Hysterical "I" In The Diaries Of George Eliot, Charlotte Forten Grimke, Virginia Woolf, And Sylvia Plath, Jaclyn Marie Swiderski

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation focuses on the long history of hysteria and the ways in which it has been used to denigrate and silence disabled women. Women diagnosed as hysterical, by either the medical establishment or the court of public opinion, are denied the right to generate knowledge about and for themselves – they are epistemologically disabled. The author argues that hysterical women have unique ways of looking at and understanding the world which push back against their epistemological disablement. In order to uncover some of this history of hysterical women, this dissertation uses the diaries of four “hysterical” women over the …

Evolving Community Preparedness: Analysis Of United States Pandemic Health Disaster Readiness, Jessy Rugeyo

Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown substantial gaps in counties' preparedness and response capacity across the United States. This study analyzes the relationship between county-level pandemic preparedness and confirmed COVID-19 cases using secondary data from the FEMA's National Household Survey (NHS) and county-level COVID-19 data from the CDC. The data show a negative relationship between preparedness levels and COVID-19 positive rates, highlighting the necessity of proactive readiness measures. Individual risk assessment, motivation for preparedness, and socioeconomic variables have a major influence on confirmed cases. Higher levels of education, income, and preparedness are associated with lower positive rates, emphasizing the importance of …

Virtually Coached Nature-Based Activities For Perceived Stress In Rural-Dwelling Families With A Teenager With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Deborah R. Logan

All Dissertations

Families with teenagers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can experience more stress than families without teenagers with ASD due to individuals with ASD often exhibiting social behaviors that differ from social norms, and parents having to adjust their expectations and future goals for their child with ASD. Rural-dwelling families of teenagers with ASD may experience additional stress due to their having to travel to access therapeutic services. Research focused on family-based services aimed at decreasing stress among rural-dwelling families of teenagers with ASD is lacking. The purpose of this convergent mixed methods study was to explore the feasibility of an …

Real-Time Delphi Study: Perspectives Of An Autistic Panel On Independent Living, Celeste Michaud

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The shift from institutional living to community integration for people with disabilities, including autistic people, has been significantly influenced by legislative measures and advocacy. Despite these efforts, autistic youth and adults still experience a unique transition to independent living compared to their peers with other disabilities. Studies have reported that autistic adults are more likely to remain in the family home and less likely to live independently post-high school (Anderson et al., 2014). Existing literature and legislation illustrate a fragmented approach to defining and measuring independent living for autistic adults, often driven by non-autistic perspectives (Cribb et al., 2019). This …

Stricken By The Worst Type Of Sickness: The Communal Reaction And Response To Impaired Individuals In The Middle Ages, Alice Holland

Dissertations and Theses

Medieval communities often approached trouble within the fold collectively. This includes concerns over the health and safety of their individual members. This thesis examines the communal perception and treatment of disabled individuals in the Middle Ages. Using four twelfth-century miracle collections, The Miracles of Saint Gibrian (1145), The Life and Miracles of William of Norwich (1150-1172), The Miracles of Our Lady of Rocamadour (1172-1173), and The Miracles of Thomas Becket (1173-1179), I examine how communities created systems of care for their impaired members. In using these sources, which tell the stories of common individuals traveling to shrines for a saint's …

Double Burden Of Persons With Disabilities: Are Those More Likely To Suffer From Chronic Disease?, Salsabila Kusumawardani, Hardiyani Puspitasari, Muhammad Ciro Danuza, Yusuf Faisal Martak

Masyarakat: Jurnal Sosiologi

This study examines the likelihood of persons with disabilities experiencing chronic diseases compared to those without disabilities, emphasizing the role of demographic characteristics. Prior research shows that individuals with disabilities have a higher risk of chronic diseases due to pre-existing health conditions, secondary complications, healthcare access barriers, and limited health education. Beyond these factors, we argue that demographic characteristics—such as age, gender, insurance status, and living environment—also shape daily habits and lifestyles that influence long-term health outcomes. Using probit regression analysis, this study quantifies the probability of chronic disease among persons with disabilities. Our findings indicate that individuals with disabilities …

A Confirmatory Factor Analysis Of The Psi-4-Sf In Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Paige Weir

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The factor structure of the Parenting Stress Index - Short Form (PSI-4-SF) was evaluated among parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Two hypotheses were tested: (1) the original PSI-4-SF model would yield an unsatisfactory fit, and (2) a three-factor alternative model would improve fit compared to the original and other models. A sample of 205 parent-child dyads was analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with the lavaan package in R Studio. Preliminary analyses included descriptive statistics, normality checks, and assessments of skewness and kurtosis. Results supported the first hypothesis, showing poor fit indices for the original PSI-4-SF model. …

Vysion Software, Isaias Hernandez-Dominguez Jr, Chander Luderman Miller

2024 Symposium

Vision loss presents significant challenges in daily life. Existing solutions for blind and visually impaired individuals are often limited in functionality, expensive, or complex to use. Vysion Software addresses this gap by developing a user-friendly, all-in-one AI companion app that provides features including text summarization, real-time audio descriptions, and AI-enhanced navigation. This project details the development plan, initial functionalities, and future vision for Vysion Software.