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1 – 10 of over 11000Ewa Giermanowska, Mariola Racław and Dorota Szawarska
We examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the functioning of university students with disabilities using assistant support services in Poland. The study aims to (1) reveal…
Abstract
Purpose
We examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the functioning of university students with disabilities using assistant support services in Poland. The study aims to (1) reveal the role existing university-based assistant services play in students' lives and (2) examine the impact of the pandemic on assistant services by students with disabilities.
Methods/Approach
We gathered and analyzed 25 interviews with students with disabilities from across Poland, from public and nonpublic higher education institutions.
Findings
The assistant support service at universities introduced in Poland proved to be fragmentary and limited only to the educational process, which resulted in the exclusion of people with complex disabilities and those requiring support in self-care activities. The pandemic has exacerbated previously observed dimensions of segregation and inequalities leading to disproportionate isolation of students with disabilities. It also highlighted the limited understanding of personal assistantship functioning in the academic context and the need for urgent development of universal access to assistance services across Poland. At the same time the forced move to distant, internet-based learning, at least for some students, gave them a sense of self-reliance and independence.
Implications
This research adds to the understanding of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for students with disabilities in the case of Poland. It also calls for a reexamination of what personal assistance should mean in the context of higher education and beyond.
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Tafadzwa Rugoho and Jenny Shumba
Students with disabilities face numerous challenges in the institutions of learning especially in developing countries. Refugees student with disabilities face double jeopardy as…
Abstract
Students with disabilities face numerous challenges in the institutions of learning especially in developing countries. Refugees student with disabilities face double jeopardy as they face discrimination due to their disability and because of their refugee status. In Zimbabwe the rights of refugees with disabilities are not well respected as enshrined in the international statues such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Universities in Zimbabwe appreciate that refugees are part of their diverse population and this includes the presence of students with disabilities who are also refugees. They have adopted a number of initiatives to accommodate these students. The disability resource centers at these institutions have been given the leading role in helping students with disabilities who are refugees to feel at home. The student affairs department also provides the necessary assistance that is required by these students. Refugees often require counseling to be able to deal with the past and the future challenges. Hence, counseling facilities are provided by the universities so that students who are refugees are mentally psyched so that they are able to perform well in their class. The language barrier was identified as deterrent to the success of refugees in their studies. Universities offer English language tutorials for free to the refugee students prior to the attendance of their degree programs. Challenges that are faced by refugee students with disabilities cannot be solved by government alone hence partnerships with non-governmental organizations (NGOs). NGOs have been at the forefront of assisting these students with scholarships and assistive devices because some students with disabilities do not afford to source the devices due to their prohibitive costs.
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Naomi Jeffery Petersen and Sandra J. Gruberg
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted in 1990, comprehensively addressing the life needs and civil rights of people with disabilities (PWDs). Although the ADA…
Abstract
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted in 1990, comprehensively addressing the life needs and civil rights of people with disabilities (PWDs). Although the ADA would prohibit discrimination in the workforce, public services, transportation, and information, therefore spurring efforts by private and public institutions to plan for and adopt accessible environments and practices, the actual voice and experience of PWDs often remains unacknowledged, even on university campuses and in academic programs that purport to have progressive ideals. This chapter examines the efforts made by one midsized, comprehensive, American university not only to remove architectural, social, and academic barriers to student success as required by law, but to establish an academic voice for the disability experience and the disability rights movement through the newly founded Accessibility Studies Program.
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This chapter presents a case study of the University of South Africa (Unisa), an Open Distance and e-Learning (ODeL) institution, to highlight the innovative strategies the…
Abstract
This chapter presents a case study of the University of South Africa (Unisa), an Open Distance and e-Learning (ODeL) institution, to highlight the innovative strategies the university adopts to create inclusive learning spaces for students with hearing and visual disabilities and impairments in an ODeL environment. In doing so, this chapter first highlights the obstacles that students with hearing and visual disabilities and impairments face in the higher education sector in South Africa in general, and then closely examines the challenges these students face within a distance-learning context, with particular reference to the post-apartheid era. Subsequently, the discussion steers towards the specific context of Unisa and the approaches embraced by its Advocacy and Resource Centre for Students with Disabilities (ARCSWiD) to create an inclusive learning environment for these students. A close examination of the various sound and audio formats, as well as support services for documents in Braille, for example, for students with visual impediments and a discussion of the support systems, such as sign language interpretation, among other support structures, for students with hearing difficulties are then put forward. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the ethical issues associated with the use of assistive devices and other support structures for these students, before putting forth recommendations, and making suggestions for possible future studies.
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Sunday O. Obi and Stephanie L. Obi
Every successful program needs someone to champion its cause. This also applies to programs for students with disabilities. It is upon this person's shoulders that responsibility…
Abstract
Every successful program needs someone to champion its cause. This also applies to programs for students with disabilities. It is upon this person's shoulders that responsibility falls for initiating the steps to bring disability programs to fruition at an institution. Support services are typically coordinated by this full-time staff member who is responsible for providing students with disabilities a variety of “academic adjustments” that are mandated under Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act. Again, this law requires that post-secondary institutions make modifications to their academic requirements and ensure that they do not discriminate against a qualified student with a disability (Frank & Wade, 1993; Simon, 2001). These modifications may include appropriate academic adjustments such as the provision of course substitutions, adaptation of instruction methods, alternate exam formats, and modifications in the length of time for the completion of requirements; or the provision of auxiliary aids, such as taped texts, sign language interpreters, guide dogs, use of tape recorders, readers or writers, and access to adaptive technology (see Pavone & Rotatori, 1994). The individual who provides these core supports is often instrumental in linking students with disabilities with other support services on campus (e.g., writing laboratory, math tutorial, and academic development center) (Smith, 2004).
Planning and design of university campuses is as important as the instructional philosophy of universities for determining academic and social development of university students…
Abstract
Planning and design of university campuses is as important as the instructional philosophy of universities for determining academic and social development of university students. However, mainstream university campuses have often been designed with typical “normal” or “abled” users in mind and have neglected the needs of students with physical, sensory, and developmental disabilities. Universal design perspective with its equality, social inclusion and social justice agenda can be helpful in giving insights for inclusive educational environments. This study presents a research based design process conducted at a university campus in Turkey to create an inclusive educational environment for the students with disabilities, and to improve their participation in campus' academic and social life. For this purpose, existing campus spaces were evaluated for their inclusiveness both objectively through a checklist and subjectively through participatory workshops and meetings. The findings from both studies were used to identify the needs of the users with disabilities in the campus' settings. The results obtained from these studies were used to inform the implementations, and a holistic plan for creating an inclusive campus environment was developed. This study provides the implications for architectural and urban needs of users with physical, sensory, and vision disabilities or restraints in campus environments, develops methodology for future studies with similar context, and informs about the challenges and opportunities present in the process of creating inclusive university campus environments. .
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Ashleigh Hillier, Jody Goldstein, Lauren Tornatore, Emily Byrne, Joseph Ryan and Hannah Johnson
The purpose of this paper is to better understand the impact of peer mentoring on mentors working with university students with a disability. Research questions focused on how…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to better understand the impact of peer mentoring on mentors working with university students with a disability. Research questions focused on how undergraduate student mentors evaluated their experience as a mentor, in what ways they benefited, the challenges they experienced and how these challenges could be addressed.
Design/methodology/approach
Quantitative and qualitative data examined the experiences, benefits and challenges experienced by the mentors across seven separate cohorts. Self-report measures were collected in a pre-post design, and qualitative analysis was conducted on focus groups at the end of the program. The paper also outlines the program model including training and support mechanisms, and the program curriculum implemented by mentors.
Findings
Responses on the measures showed that student mentors saw mentoring as a positive experience, and they felt more committed to their university after participating. Qualitative content analysis of focus groups supported this and also highlighted some of the unique challenges faced by mentors working with students with a disability. These included communication difficulties, trouble building rapport, not knowing how to help their mentee and feeling over-protective.
Research limitations/implications
While the findings are preliminary, results indicated that serving as a mentor to freshmen university students with a disability had an important impact on the personal growth and skills development of the mentors. In addition, similar program models should recognize that careful attention is needed to ensure mentors are fully supported in their role. Findings also highlight areas for improvement of the program such as examining longer term outcomes, including a comparison group, and seeking the perspectives of the mentees. Limitations included limited standardized assessment tools to assess impact more broadly.
Originality/value
The study is original in its focus on improving current understanding of outcomes for student mentors who are working with incoming university students with a disability status.
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The purpose of this paper is to analyze a group of disabled students’ views and feelings on disclosing the nature of their impairments by applying via Universities and Colleges…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze a group of disabled students’ views and feelings on disclosing the nature of their impairments by applying via Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS, 2016), using a numerical coding system. The adequacy of “disability” categories on both university and UCAS forms, and related sensitive issues will be central to this paper.
Design/methodology/approach
Thus, the author will visit the debates surrounding the two contrasting models of “disability”, namely, the individual medical and the social model of “disability”. The associated advantages and disadvantages that are ensued will be examined.
Findings
This paper will conclude by offering inclusive solutions to disclosure, which are sensitive to both impairment and cultural-related issues and encourage disclosure from students with a wide range of impairments. The benefits of all-encompassing inclusive practice and the resulting wider implications for the student population at large will, therefore, be highlighted.
Originality/value
There is an acute shortage of similar kinds of research conducted on disabled international students’ experiences of disclosure, which make the current work timely and original.
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Angela Shapiro, Joanna Marshall Bhullar and Margaret McShane
Since 2011, Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) in Scotland has delivered pre-entry study skills programs, specifically tailored to meet the needs of students with disabilities…
Abstract
Since 2011, Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) in Scotland has delivered pre-entry study skills programs, specifically tailored to meet the needs of students with disabilities prior to commencing their studies at university. Following changes in the organizational structure, these programs ceased to exist. Two staff members then decided to collaborate on delivering a new customized program that would contextualize the type of support required by students with disabilities.
The study skills program aimed to increase confidence, engage with support services before the start of the program of study, encourage students to access support as early as possible, and provide useful advice on a range of topics specifically designed to meet their needs.
In this chapter, findings from a small-scale study will be presented that investigated whether a correlation could be drawn between pre-entry support and increased confidence. Although feedback from attendees at the study skills’ workshops has been positive, the impact of this type of support is difficult to quantify. This is partly due to the small numbers of participants and the plethora of student support initiatives at the institution. However, the qualitative outcomes indicate that students have integrated successfully into their degree studies.
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Ahmad A. Alhusban and Salwa N. Almshaqbeh
This study aims to determine the design factors that may affect the design of disabled students. Additionally, this study assesses and compares the reality between the public…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to determine the design factors that may affect the design of disabled students. Additionally, this study assesses and compares the reality between the public Jordanian universities’ built environment and international universities based on the Americans with Disabilities Act checklist – version 2.1 – to provide an accessible built environment for physically disabled people. Furthermore, this study examines the satisfaction degree of physically disabled people with the built environment in selected universities. Besides, this study examines the relationships/interrelationships between the students’ demographic factors, design factors and the degree of the disabled students’ satisfaction.
Design/methodology/approach
This research used different data collection methods to answer the research questions: literature review, observation and questionnaire. Additionally, this study used different analytical and statistical methods, such as comparative analysis between the local cases and the selected international case study based on the Americans with Disabilities Act checklist, version 2.1, descriptive analysis and Pearson r correlational statistics.
Findings
This research found that the Jordanian public universities did not apply all required design factors to achieve a high degree of the built environment of accessibility and provide all the requirements and needs of physically disabled students like international universities. Additionally, half of the physically disabled students respondents were satisfied with the availability and quality of pathways, ramps, doors and corridors, non-slippery materials, elevators, accessible entrances, entrances doors, methods of openings, adequate spaces for wheelchair students at the configuration of the entrance and the availability of railing. In contrast, they were unsatisfied with the availability of parking and bathrooms for each gender and signage systems. Moreover, this research found no significant differences between gender and educational level and all factors that may impact the students’ satisfaction with campus environmental design. Furthermore, this research found that there was a strong to very strong positive linear association and a significant correlation/intercorrelation between the availability and the design quality of parking, entrances, doors, lobbies and corridors, bathrooms, signage systems and information, ramps, elevators and stairs and the disabled students’ satisfaction degree.
Practical implications
This research tends to help disabled students participate entirely and independently in the built environment and all aspects of society, involve them within the community and facilitate their access to universities’ urban space. This research considers guidelines and checklists for architects and policymakers to apply through all design and retrofitting processes to meet disabled students’ requirements. This research provides a vital understanding of the needs of disabled students in educational spaces to create a barrier-free campus environment.
Originality/value
Inclusive design is a relatively new architectural concept. It provides means to ensure access and equal participation in the built environment, offers the opportunity to improve and design new equivalent solutions in architecture simultaneously and covers the way for a broad clarification of equality. Applying the concepts of inclusive design is a step toward eliminating the barriers imposed on the built environment in public universities and creating an accessible built environment. In addition, this research can guide future research in other institutions.
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