Disabilities In Higher Education Research Articles

Peer Mentoring Circles in higher education: perceptions of their members with and without disability and program proposal

The increase of the number of students with disabilities in Higher Education, including students with intellectual disability, emphasizes the need for Higher Education Institutions to provide support for their inclusion and learning. Within inclusive Higher Education peers can have a fundamental role through Peer Mentoring Circles. This qualitative study aims to understand the perceived experiences of members of Peer Mentoring Circles, within the scope of a program that provided academic support, during an academic semester, to mentees with intellectual disability. Data collection included semi-structured interviews with members of the Circles (two mentees and seven mentors), and the facilitator’s field notes. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. Through the data analysis, two categories were identified: components of the Peer Mentoring Circles program and experiences of the members of the Circles. The data generated suggest that both mentors and mentees had positive experiences, contributing to the development of the mentees’ skills. Based on literature and the data generated emerged the proposal for the Peer Mentoring Circles program with a broad set of guidelines for its implementation, which can set the baseline for developing future peer mentoring programs in Higher Education aimed not only at students with disabilities, but also at other students with support needs such as international students.

Incidence of teacher reflection on the teacher's understanding of diversity and its role in the transition to inclusive education

AbstractThis research focuses on including people with disabilities in higher education. It proposes that reflective teaching is a tool to move from an integrative to an inclusive approach. Using a qualitative methodology, it analyzes teachers' positions on integration and inclusion, using focus groups to collect information. The results show that most teachers are close to the integration approach, although they recognize difficulties in implementing inclusion. Academics highlight the importance of curricular adaptation, flexible methodology and universal learning design to enable the participation of students with disabilities in higher education. The analyses also highlight the constant need for teachers to adapt, which generates additional pressure, especially for those who adhere to an inclusive approach. Teachers should base their reflection on the emotional and rational components of teaching, which play a crucial role in balancing the individual and objective freedoms of teachers and students, thus ensuring a fair and equitable educational environment for all.

Facilitators and barriers to learning faced by female students with disability in higher education

This study was aimed to investigate the learning experiences' facilitators and barriers that is encountered by the physically disabled female students during their higher education. Twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted with female students with physical disabilities aged between 19 and 33 years. Interviews were transcribed, confirmed, and analyzed after being recorded. The average age of the sample was 22.15 ± 3.48 years and one-fourth of the participants’ disability was due to cerebral palsy and 35% participants used wheelchairs. All the factors promoted inclusive education and equal opportunities for both disabled and nondisabled students. This study reveals that in order to improve the learning experiences of students with disabilities (SwD) and to give them more opportunities for success, it is important to consider all the barriers discussed in this study. It can be concluded that high effort is required to transform the higher educational institutions to be more accommodating for students with disabilities.

АКАДЕМИЧЕСКАЯ МОТИВАЦИЯ И САМОРЕГУЛЯЦИЯ СТУДЕНТОВ С ИНВАЛИДНОСТЬЮ: ПСИХОЛОГИЧЕСКИЕ АСПЕКТЫ

The study examines the relationship between academic motivation and self-regulation among stu-dents with disabilities in higher education

Hidden diversity in the conservatoire: A qualitative enquiry into the experiences of higher education music students with disability

Students undertaking higher education music degrees represent a rich tapestry of experiences, cultures and needs. However, equity and inclusion issues related to music students with disability in higher education are frequently addressed in generic ways, and without consultation or consideration of their unique requirements. With limited research available, this qualitative study within an Australian Conservatorium of Music analysed the experiential and situated reflections of 18 music students with disability. Based on our reflexive thematic analysis, we propose that issues related to equity and inclusion for music students in higher education are multi-faceted and interrelated. By foregrounding the participants’ voice, the qualitative themes suggest that enhancements related to disclosure processes, quality of communication and reliability of resources, would fortify equity and inclusion. The findings span the need for reforms at the institutional level, as well as specific professional development for educators and awareness raising amongst the student cohort. Informed by the participants’ lived experience, the findings call for music educators, professional staff and institutional leaders to effectively apply features of inclusive, caring, professional practices so that music students with disability can thrive in higher education.

Studying Disability: A Multi-Stakeholder Perspective on Requesting Accommodation in Higher Education

Including students with disabilities in higher education is a global political objective and is considered a human right. However, many students do not feel included and hesitate to ask for the help they need to succeed in their education. This study aims to investigate the processes of requesting accommodation for students with disabilities in higher education from the perspectives of both students and support providers. Six co-creation workshops were held, with a total of 46 participants from various backgrounds relevant to exploring pathways for students with disabilities in higher education and into the workforce. The audio recordings of the workshops were analyzed using a constructivist grounded theory approach to identify and explore processes. Three interconnected processes were identified: determining whether to disclose, asking for accommodations, and studying disability. The analysis showed that these processes could be time-consuming and riddled with barriers, and they did not always result in granted accommodations. Some students ended up using their study time to research their disability and potential accommodations instead of studying their subject matter. To eliminate barriers and promote disclosure, universities should ensure a universally designed education and that staff have the necessary knowledge to assist students in obtaining accommodations.

Lived Experiences of Faculty with Disabilities in Higher Education: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Method

The number of faculty members with disabilities has increased nowadays in the university because of the inclusive recruitment policy. The faculties with disabilities still struggle with the disable-unfriendly environments in universities, and they are excluded from the research fields in Nepal although there are some research done on school children with disabilities and people with disabilities in family and society. University faculty members with disabilities need to be studied in order to truly address the real-life problems. This study explores the lived experiences of faculty members with disabilities perceived at Tribhuvan University, Nepal. A hermeneutic phenomenological research method within qualitative approach was exploited. Purposive sampling technique was used to select five teachers with disabilities in the study. Disability studies theory was used as a theoretical tool. The major findings are that the disabled faculty encountered mainly infrastructure/physical structure barriers, university policy and practice barriers, the university executives’ (un)conscious/ (un)intentional ignorance and attitude barriers in the campuses. The teachers with vision impairment and motor impairment endured through difficulty of disable-unfriendly physical structures, university policy and practices. The findings mean the university environments were unfriendly, hostile and adverse to the disabled faculty. This study may motivate the executives to modify the policy, practices and attitudes to the disabled ones at the university which may impact the quality of the university.

OER Accessibility for Students with Visual Disabilities in Higher Education in the Era of Open Knowledge

Open knowledge has the potential to expand inclusive and equitable access to lifelong learning while supporting social inclusion. However, there is low public awareness on issues around inclusiveness, especially for students with visual disabilities who are unable to use the medium of the sighted owing to the consequences of their disabilities. This article discusses various issues around the accessibility of open educational resources (OERs) and the integration of inclusive institutional culture in the Nigerian university system.  An interpretive approach was adopted for this study. Out of 22 universities offering enrolment to students with visual disabilities in Nigeria, seven universities were purposively selected based on the availability of OERs on their websites. The purposive sampling method was also used to choose 30 participants from four out of the seven universities who could serve as key informants for the study. Data were collected using in-depth interviews. Data from interviews was designed to achieve qualitative analyses and results were analysed thematically. The study revealed strategies university libraries could deploy to improve access to OERs for students with visual disabilities and provided insightful thoughts and direction on re-imagining the future of the open knowledge movement in Nigeria and the rest of Africa.

A Decade of Research on the Effectiveness of Augmented Reality on Students with Special Disability in Higher Education

This short article summarizes a decade of research on the effectiveness of augmented reality (AR) in higher education for students with disabilities in particular. The study examines how AR technology has been used to enhance the learning experience of these students. Through a comprehensive review of multiple studies and findings, this study examines the impact of AR on access, engagement, and overall educational outcomes for students with unique disabilities. The findings highlighted significant progress in the field, shedding light on the potential of AR to provide inclusive and effective learning environments for this student population, thereby contributing to a broader discussion of technical and higher education.

The contribution of the Accessibility Program: include for the insertion of people with disabilities in higher education

This article aims to highlight the contribution of the Higher Education Accessibility Program – Include Program, which is conceived as an expression of accessibility policies for people with disabilities in the academic environment. The methodology was carried out through documentary research – analysis of notices and bibliography – on the portal of the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES), covering the period from 2001 to 2022. It was understood from the documentary analysis that two actions stand out and strengthen the insertion of these people: architectural adaptation and implementation and/or strengthening of accessibility centers. From the bibliographical research, it was learned that inclusion actions are strengthened in the academic environment with the significant performance of Accessibility Centers, which mediate the relationship between academics with disabilities and the scientific community. This mediation takes place through guidance regarding the need to change traditional methodology, issues of pedagogical accessibility, different methodologies, among others. Therefore, it is urgent that the entire academic community becomes aware of its inclusive role in Society.

HIERARCHICAL EFFECT OF ACADEMIC SELF-EFFICACY AND SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS ON SATISFACTION AND DROPOUT OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Even though distance education from the home environment has seemed comfortable and economic for students with disability in formal higher education during the pandemic, insufficiency in their academic self-efficacy, satisfaction and an increasing tendency to drop out were observed. This quantitative research is based on development of the scales and hierarchical regression analyses to determine the resources of academic self-efficacy, satisfaction and the tendency to drop out of students with disability in higher education beyond physical accessibility. The hierarchical effect of sub-dimensions of academic self-efficacy on satisfaction and the tendency to drop out and hierarchical predictor roles of socio-demographic characteristics (gender, rate of personal disability, type of disability, and four fields of study) were analysed. Some of the important findings are; self-efficacy in training, emotional well-being, technique and communication are determined as the sub-dimensions of academic self-efficacy. Self-efficacy in emotional well-being is the most effective sub-dimension of academic self-efficacy on satisfaction. Hierarchically, fields of study (social science and health sciences), rate of disability and types of disability (chronic illness and hearing disability) are effective on academic self-efficacy. The results support the decision makers to increase the quality of more inclusive higher education by considering differences based on education fields, types of disability and rate of (personal) disability and gender.

Academic Performance and Well-Being of Students with Disabilities in Higher Education: (With Reference to Visually Impaired Undergraduates in Sri Lanka)

All students living in the world should have an equal opportunity to get a proper education. Education is one of the most important factors that determine one’s future well-being. Currently, special attention is being paid to the education of students with special needs around the world. As a result, the facilities and new technical knowledge required for people with special needs are expanding. Among students with special needs, visually impaired students face many problems in education. The primary purpose of this research was to identify the problems faced by visually impaired students in higher education. Purposive sampling method was used to select students for the research. Sample consists of 74 visually impaired undergraduates studying at the universities of Sri Jayewardenepura, Colombo, Kelaniya, Jaffna, and Eastern university of Sri Lanka. The problems faced by visually impaired students were analyzed based on the information obtained through interviews, structured questionnaire and in-depth interviews (with 05 selected students). The main issue pointed out by all the students (100%) was the lack of books for them to use related for their study programs. This is the main reason for confining visually impaired students to a limited number of subject areas in university education. Also, past papers are not available in Braille or any accessible medium for them to refer prior to the examinations. Introducing new subjects or degree program that fit for their necessities and occupation opportunities, preparation of audio books to cover more subject areas and providing a training for students to use computers for examinations are the possible solutions for the academic well-being of visually impaired students. It is important to emphasize that providing equal opportunities alone is not sufficient; it is essential to offer required opportunities that meet their specific needs.

Inclusion of students with disabilities in higher education in India: Some issues and suggestions

Higher education has its own importance in terms of employability, political power, and national development. The Right to Persons with Disabilities Act (formerly the Persons with Disabilities Act of 1995) (2016) indicates that persons with disabilities should have access to education at all levels, and efforts have been made to improve the status of higher education for the disabled. Despite initiatives by the government of India, the enrollment of students with disabilities in higher education institutions is still very low, and this group is lagging far behind in comparison to the 3% of reservations that are available to them. This article reports on the status of students with disabilities in higher education and various initiatives taken by the government of India for the higher education of students with disabilities. The paper also highlights the issues affecting the higher education of students with disabilities in India and possible ways in which the issues could be addressed.

Sunflowers, hidden disabilities and power inequities in higher education: Some critical considerations and implications for disability-inclusive education policy reforms

The article discusses recent Higher Education (HE) initiatives to introduce the Sunflower Scheme, which enables students with hidden disabilities to ‘discreetly’ indicate the existence of a disability to access support. A significant problem related to persons with hidden disabilities lies in their frequent reluctance to disclose their disabilities because of discriminatory attitudes that arise not only due to the dominance of arbitrary fabrications of ‘normalcy’ – aligned with elitist and human capital HE discourses – but also due to the lack of recognition of the existence of hidden disabilities. Even though the Scheme has been touted as a method that recognises hidden disabilities in HE, it, nevertheless, reinforces discourses of ‘misrecognition’ that create power inequities and project subordinated identities. The article argues that introducing the Scheme in HE constitutes another manifestation of disability-related initiatives that reinforce individual pathology and paternalistic discourses of dependency. The article contributes to a policy dialogue on the need to introduce alternative forms of provision to foster disability-inclusive practices in HE and makes a case to empirically capture the ‘lived experience’ of the Scheme in the context of Disability Equality policies in HE.

CHARACTERISTICS OF PATIENCE AMONG STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY

This phenomenological study aims to deepen the understanding of the characteristics of patience among students with disabilities in higher education. The basis for this research lies in the Indonesian Law Number 8 of 2016 concerning Persons with Disabilities, which is further regulated by the Government Regulation of the Republic of Indonesia Number 48 of 2023, specifically addressing the provision of appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities in higher education. The qualitative phenomenological approach was employed in this study. The research objective was to explore the characteristics of patience among students with disabilities in higher education. Two students with disabilities from the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Islamic Riau were selected as the research subjects. The study revealed that the characteristics of patience among these students were related to academic resilience, self-control, resilience, and self-acceptance. For students with physical disabilities, patience was primarily associated with limitations in physical mobility, while for students with hearing impairments, patience was linked to limitations in hearing. The implications of this research emphasize the crucial need for counseling services to support and enhance the patience of students with disabilities. Furthermore, the Indonesian government must firmly enforce Law Number 8 of 2016, as it pertains to human rights, particularly for students with disabilities in higher education.

Feeling valued: the interplay of assistive technology and identity

Purpose The aim of this study was to explore the impact of AT in identity for students with disabilities in higher education and if/how this changes over time. Methods Using a longitudinal qualitative research design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with students with disabilities (n = 13) in higher education in Ireland on two occasions during an academic year. A trajectory approach to longitudinal analysis was employed. This involved the use of matrices and identification of a through line for the study, which connects participant change over time. Results The through line identified was feeling valued, which was central in the negotiation of identity over time across three themes: feelings of autonomy and competence; claiming disability; and feeling like you belong as a student. AT impacted experiences across the three themes which subsequently promoted or undermined students’ sense of value. Reciprocally, feeling valued influenced use and perceptions of AT. Factors specific to a higher education context were also identified which influenced meanings attached to AT over time. Conclusion Creating an environment where students feel valued is key in promoting use of and positive perceptions of AT. This should form an integral part of AT and disability policy in higher education.

Understanding professors’ and students with disabilities’ perceptions of inclusive higher education: a systematic literature review

ABSTRACT This systematic literature review explores professors’ role in implementing inclusive education for students with disabilities in higher education. Findings from 22 articles reveal diverse barriers, including attitudinal challenges, physical accessibility issues, and bureaucratic hurdles. While professors express positive intentions, practical implementation often falters, hence indicating a need for comprehensive training programmes. The review highlights the transformative potential of such training programmes, fostering a shift from the medical model to a more inclusive framework. This paper underscores the need for universities to invest in faculty development and take a collective approach involving all the stakeholders in order to dismantle barriers. The call to action also includes sustained conversation and research undertakings in the Latin American context, to enhance inclusive practices and support students with disabilities in higher education.

Inclusive education of refugee students with disabilities in higher education: a comparative case study

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG-4) calls for the establishment of an inclusive education system for all students. As conflicts, persecution, and natural disasters continue to displace millions globally, the duration of refugee situations has become increasingly extended. The complexities of exile have further entangled the human rights issue, making it essential for affected individuals to seek sanctuary in other countries. These crises not only uproot families but also disrupt livelihoods and educational systems. Consequently, the onus has been on international laws and policies to promote and protect inclusive education as a human right for students with disabilities. In this study, using mixed methods, we first conducted interviews with two Syrian students with disabilities at Yarmouk University in Jordan and Qatar University in Qatar. Thematic analysis of these interviews yielded three primary themes: equity in educational opportunities, services provided, and challenges facing inclusive education. Following the interviews, we conducted a document analysis to evaluate the educational policies at both institutions. We used the 4-A framework for this evaluation, emphasizing that educational systems should be Available, Accessible, Acceptable, and Adaptable. The analysis indicated significant disparities in how closely each institution adheres to the principles of the 4-A framework. The findings indicate that inconsistencies in policy implementation, unequal access to financial aid, and difficulties in career planning are influenced by cultural, social, political, and economic factors.

Experiences of Students with Learning Disabilities in Higher Education: A Scoping Review.

As the number of students with learning disabilities (SwLD) entering higher education (HE) increases, a need arises to improve the services provided to them by understanding their experiences. This scoping review explores the extent and type of evidence on the experiences of SwLD in HE. The review followed the six stages outlined by Arksey and O'Malley. PubMed, Science Direct, EBSCO, ProQuest, and APA PsycNet were searched for primary data, and studies published between January 2012 and July 2022 were included. The following information was extracted and collated from the included studies: author/s, year, location, objective/aim, study design, materials and methods, and major findings. The search yielded 3729 titles and abstracts. Their screening resulted in 26 eligible articles. The review of these articles identified three major themes: (a) academic concerns, (b) psychosocial experiences, and (c) support systems and accommodations. The academic concerns included difficulties in areas such as reading, writing, and spelling. The studies on psychosocial experiences showed that SwLD experience stress, anxiety, and lower self-esteem. The studies on support systems and accommodations indicate that they get academic support, technological support, and extra time for examinations from educational institutions. The SwLD experiences academic and psychosocial challenges during higher studies. However, the existing support systems do not address these challenges, and there is a need for further research in this area.

A multi-stakeholder perspective on inclusion in higher education: Ruling on fragile ground

In higher education, there is a lack of consistent provision for the needs of students with disabilities. This study explores the decision-making processes that lead professionals to either take or avoid inclusive actions, such as implementing universal design, granting accommodations, or making academic adjustments. Six workshops were organized and attended by students with disabilities, lecturers, support personnel, and other relevant stakeholders. The stakeholders suggested the topics and invitees for the workshops, shared their views, and learned from each other. The audio recordings from the workshops were analyzed using various techniques from constructivist grounded theory. The results showed that professionals often lack the necessary knowledge to include students with disabilities in higher education. Furthermore, there are barriers to collaboration and obtaining information, which hinder attempts to bridge the gaps. Unclear responsibilities and ignorance provide a fragile ground for decision-making and an opportunity for opting out of inclusive acts.