Disabled College Students Research Articles

The Educational Environment as a Factor in the Professional Guidance of Disabled University Students

The Educational Environment as a Factor in the Professional Guidance of Disabled University Students

Failing at the basics: disabled university students’ views on enhancing classroom inclusion

ABSTRACT Since the beginning of higher education, universities have remained largely closed off spaces for disabled students. This paper examines how, and why, it has largely been in the last fifty years that these students have slowly been able to enter universities as the sector has made incremental improvements to enable the entry of students from different disability backgrounds. The paper aims to assess the positive steps universities have taken towards more inclusive practices for disabled students, while also using data sourced from a survey of disabled students studying in the Global North to consider what actions might increase equitable practices in university classrooms. Disabled students highlight that for all of the advances and support they receive, so often it is the fundamental elements of classroom inclusion that are still being overlooked, and subsequently, are creating barriers in even the earliest steps into their university careers.

Disabled student ambassadors promote inclusion in Norwegian higher education: building competencies and strategies for the future

Disabled students encounter complex barriers to participation and inclusion throughout higher education and face challenges transitioning into employment. This study has engaged eight disabled university students in participatory action research. The students, in collaboration with university researchers and staff, have developed and implemented actions at a Norwegian university. The study aimed to explore the students’ experiences of being ambassadors to promote inclusion. Data were generated through participatory observation with field notes during actions, sound recordings of reflection meetings, and a focus group dis­cussion. A reflexive thematic analysis resulted in the construction of four themes: confronting and overcoming the challenges, adding value and being a resource, building strategies to control stigma, and translating knowledge and actions towards inclusion. The results demonstrate the individual and societal value of including student voices to change for more inclusive practices, where disabled students are empowered and build competencies and strategies for the future.

Higher Education Accommodation Decision-Making and Positionality: A Survey of Disability Resource Professionals

In higher education settings, the central function of a disability resource professional (DRP) is determining accommodations in collaboration with disabled college students, making their role in the outcomes of students with disabilities paramount. Despite this importance, research on the process of determining accommodations is minimal, and professional guidance on the matter can be interpreted in varied ways, leading DRPs to rely on their professional judgment to reach final decisions. What subtly informs this professional judgment, particularly concerning DRPs’ positionalities and student identities, is largely unexplored. The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of U.S. DRPs related to their accommodation decision-making processes, experiences, and perceptions. Based on the results of this exploratory national survey of DRPs, accommodation decision-making processes described by participants can be divided into four components: (a) forming initial opinions, (b) engaging with students, (c) consulting with others, and (d) making final decisions. Notably, participants’ perceptions of positionality and identities in the accommodations process situated those of students to be more heavily considered than their own. Following a presentation of findings, the authors conclude with implications for the field and recommendations for future research.

The Educational Costs of Chrono-Curriculum and Academic Chrono-Politics on the Schooling of Disabled College Students in Kenya

A college education is vital because it exposes students to worldwide experiences fundamental for productive citizenship. However, it is elusive to most disabled citizens because of the clash of school time and disability and colleges’ obsession with efficiency. Guided by the historical, biological, and social construction of disability as a human flaw, this qualitative study contextualizes the findings within the frame of crip time, chrono-curriculum, and academic chrono-politics to reveal that disability is the basis of academic oppression and, therefore, the disempowerment of disabled college learners in Kenya. Education costs manifest in individual impairment/disability, lack of accommodations, inaccessible infrastructure, lost time, defensive unsupportive faculty and administrators, mythologies of disability, and poverty and insecurity. Since universities’ ableist chrono-curriculum and academic chrono-politics are educationally `costly to disabled students, the reformation of universities is needed to foster faculty disability awareness and commitment to disability rights and empowerment of disabled students.

Barriers and Perceptions of Disabled University Students on Online Learning Methods during the Covid-19 Pandemic

The purpose of this study is to find out in more detail about the obstacles faced by students with OKU UKM while following online learning as well as their views in particular on effective online learning methods during this pandemic season. Next, the study was conducted quantitatively using survey method. An online questionnaire (google form) was used in this study as a research instrument which in total contains 18 items. The study sample was randomly selected in groups according to the rate for each category. It consists of 30 OKU students from 47 OKU students who are active in the 2021/2022 study session at UKM. Data collection was through a questionnaire and the findings were analyzed by descriptive analysis using Statistical Package for Social Sciences for Windows Version 26 (SPSS) software. The statistics used for data analysis in the study were mean score, standard deviation, frequency and percentage. The findings of the study have shown that the majority of barriers faced by students with disabilities during online PdP during the Covid-19 pandemic season were barriers in completing group assignments with a high level. Furthermore, the level of the overall barriers faced by students with disabilities is at a moderate level. As for the views of OKU students, the majority of OKU students are very affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. While the effective PdP method for students with disabilities during the pandemic season varies. In conclusion, the effective mode of learning and teaching for OKU UKM students during the pandemic season depends on the type of disability of the OKU students.

Differing Perspectives of Stigma from Students with Disabilities and Access Workers

Abstract Students with disabilities in post-secondary education have experiences of stigma that can prevent them from disclosing disabilities or using academic accommodations. Without disclosure, these students lose access to academic accommodations that can better enable their success. Access workers at post-secondary institutions are mindful of the barriers that stigma can produce and often work to reduce it. However, access workers and students with disabilities may have different understandings of stigma, including the most prevalent and concerning sources of stigma for students and the particular consequences that stigmatization provokes. I work to explain and understand these differences as consequences of varying discourses on stigma and theorize the impact of these discourses on disabled college students.

Disabled University Students: An Exploratory Study of a Support Program in a Spanish University

Spanish universities are mostly designed to accommodate normal students who do not have any kind of disability. This is evident not only in the physical structures, but also in the curricular designs, in the methodologies used and in the absence of training for lectures and administrative staff. In this context, the purpose of this paper is to present the objectives and measures of the student support service policy of a Spanish university. To this end, we will firstly describe and analyze the objectives and actions within the program, and then carry out a first qualitative evaluation and assessment based on semi-structured interviews with disabled students who are the beneficiaries of the program. The initial results show low satisfaction on the part of the beneficiary students and a perception of the need to take into account the educational requirements of students with disabilities.

Barriers to employment as experienced by disabled university graduates in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

AbstractBecause of experiencing discrimination, denial, stress, and rejection from prospective employers, disabled university graduates struggle to find jobs. By interviewing eight participants and conducting a focus group discussion with them at Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University Yogyakarta, the findings revealed that the teaching procedures in larger inclusive classrooms seemed to be a barrier for most disabled university students. Consequently, the students needed vocational training in addition to their courses before integrating into the workforce. Recalling when being students, these disabled university graduates found it difficult to prepare for jobs that required math or science because their university courses had not included assistance with different kinds of media. Additionally, they did not feel prepared for writing curriculum vitae and preparing job applications. They indicated that the university setting did not prepare them to deal with the typically fierce competition in job markets. They also found getting a job in the labor market to be difficult because a scarcity of formal employment opportunities suitable to their fields, and employers do not provide feedback or even any reply at all, to their job applications. In summary, academic, social, cultural, economic, psychological barriers, and discriminatory practices were encountered for disabled university graduates seeking employment.

"It's Finding Peace in My Body": Crip Theory to Understand Authenticity for a Queer, Disabled College Student

Using narrative inquiry and guided by crip theory, we critiqued the relationship between the experiences of one queer, disabled college student and compulsory able-bodiedness, compulsory heterosexuality, and academic ableism. Findings reveal the complexities of claiming crip and passing. They also reveal resistance to these complexities through the dynamic process of radical self-love and the identity of a queer health rebel. In turn, this resistance led to a fluid conceptualization of authenticity as a student development construct. Implications of these findings suggest educational practices that foster holistic access—including those offered for nondisabled students during the COVID-19 pandemic—and reject academic ableism.

Assessment of inclusive-barrier free campus design education for disabled university students project supported by tÜbİtak 4004 program

Bu calismada, Turkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu TUBITAK 4004 Doga Egitimi ve Bilim Okullari proje destegi kapsaminda yurutulen “Engelli Universite Ogrencilerine Kapsayici- Engelsiz Kampus Tasarimi Egitimi” projesi ve proje sonuclari incelenmistir. Engelsiz kampus tasarim ve uygulamalari, engelsiz tasarim surecinin odaginda yer alan kullanicilarin yalnizca fikrinin alinmasi seklinde basit bir sureci degil, tasarimciyla kullanici arasinda dogrudan etkilesimin gerekli oldugu bir sureci icermektedir. Kapsayicilik ve kullanici merkezlilik, tasarim sureclerine katilim boyutunu dâhil ederken, tasarimdan etkilenen bireylerin tasarimla ortaya cikan karar sureclerinde aktif rol almalarini ifade etmektedir. Bu proje, Erciyes Universitesi Merkez Kampusu’nde sekiz gunluk bir egitimin de icerisinde yer aldigi bes ay sureli bir etkinlik programi cercevesinde gerceklestirilmistir. Proje ile Kayseri ilindeki yuksekogretim kurumlarinda egitimine devam eden lisans ve on lisans duzeyindeki 30 engelli ogrenci, proje egitmen ve uzmanlari ile bir araya gelerek kapsayici-engelsiz tasarim konusunda calismalar yapmislardir. Proje ile ogrencilere tasarim bilgisinin anlasilir bir bicimde aktarilmasi ve tasarima iliskin bilimsel ve yaratici dusunme kabiliyetlerini, yaparak ve yasayarak gelistirmesi icin gorsel ve isitsel agirlikli etkilesimli uygulamalara odaklanan teorik bilgiler aktarilmistir. Bilgi aktarimi sonrasinda proje alanini yerinde degerlendirmeye dayali arazi arastirmalari yapilmis ve kampusun mekânsal sorunlarinin tanimlanmasi ve cozum onerilerinin gelistirilmesi amaciyla atolye calismalari gerceklestirilmistir. Ortaya cikan bilgi ogrenciler tarafindan yazili, cizili ve gorsel anlatimlarla ifade edilmistir. Kampuse iliskin algilarini kampuste yasam, kullanim alanlari, guvenlik, aidiyet, mutluluk ve erisilebilirlik basliklari altinda degerlendiren ogrenciler, kampuste karsilastiklari sorunlari ve cozum onerilerini ic mekân duzenlemeleri, dis mekân duzenlemeleri ve sosyal yasam konularinda detaylandirmislardir. Projenin katilimcilar uzerinde olusturdugu etkiyi olcmek ve projenin amacina ulasilma durumunun degerlendirilmesine yonelik olarak ise katilimcilar ile egitim basinda on test ve egitim sonunda son test uygulamalari yapilmistir. Bu uygulamalar, cevresel farkindalik, sosyal giriskenlik, tasarim, erisilebilirlik ve engelsiz tasarim degiskenlerine dayali olarak gerceklestirilmistir. On test ve son test uygulamalarinda istatistiksel olarak anlamli farklar bulunmustur. Son test uygulama sonuclarinda, on test sonuclarina gore ortaya cikan artis ve son test icin her bir faktorde hesaplanan artis, egitim oncesinde ongorulen beklentileri karsilamis, egitimin amac ve hedeflerine istatistiki olarak da ulasildigini gostermistir. Bu tur bir egitimin, basta yuksekogretim kurumlari olmak uzere yapili cevrelerin tasarim kapsayicilik duzeylerinin artirilmasi konusundaki yeni calismalara yol gosterici olacagi dusunulmektedir

Bullying victimization and depression among young Chinese adults with physical disability: Roles of gratitude and self-compassion

Because bullying victimization can influence students' well-being and mental health in negative ways, bullying victimization among students with disabilities has received increased attention in the West. However, few studies have been conducted on disabled students in China. Furthermore, the mechanisms through which bullying victimization impacts depression have disproportionally focused on psychopathological variables, while protective factors remain understudied. Based on a sample of 112 college students with physically disability from one Vocational College of Special Education in Zhejiang province, the present study attempted to examine the mediating roles of gratitude and self-compassion in the association between bullying victimization and depression. Results indicated that disabled youths reported a relatively low level of bullying victimization. Bullying victimization was positively associated with depression through decreased gratitude first and then self-compassion. Study findings suggest that designing mental health prevention and intervention programs focusing on gratitude and self-compassion would help disabled college students with a history of bullying victimization.

Problems of Disabled University Students During Their Educational Life: Konya Sample

Engelli bireyler gündelik yaşamlarını devam ettirirken birçok sorunla karşılaşmaktadır. Engelli bireylerin sorun yaşadıkları alanlardan biri de eğitim alanıdır. Eğitim, tıpkı diğer bireylerin olduğu gibi engelli bireylerin de temel haklarından biridir. Bu haktan faydalanma sürecinde yaşadıkların sorunların ortaya konması, yaşanan sorunlara çözüm üretilebilmesi açısından önemlidir. Bu araştırmada engelli öğrencilerin üniversite eğitimi sürecinde karşılaştıkları sorunların belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırmada nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden görüşme tekniği kullanılmıştır. Araştırma kapsamında Konya İlinde eğitim veren Necmettin Erbakan Üniversitesi ve Selçuk Üniversitesine kayıtlı 15 (5 görme, 5 işitme ve 5 ortopedik) engelli öğrenciye ulaşılmış ve bu öğrencilerle derinlemesine görüşmeler yapılmıştır. Bu görüşmelerde, araştırmacı tarafından hazırlanan görüşme formu kullanılmıştır. İki aşamalı olarak gerçekleştirilen görüşmede, ilk aşamada engelli öğrencilerin sosyo-demografik özelliklerini ortaya koyacak sorulara cevap aranmış ikinci aşamada ise araştırmanın amacına yönelik hazırlanan soruların cevapları aranmıştır. Yapılan bu görüşmeler yaklaşık 15-45 dakika arasında sürmüş olup her bir görüşme için öğrencilerin izni doğrultusunda ses kayıt cihazı ile kayıt yapılmıştır. Araştırmadan elde edilen bulgular doğrultusunda engelli üniversite öğrencilerinin eğitim süreçlerinde bir çok sorunla karşılaştıkları ve eğitim sürecindeki ihtiyaçlarının üniversiteler tarafından yeterince karşılanmadığı görülmüştür.

Mindfulness for Disabled University Students—A Sporting-Motor Activity and Meditative Workshop Aimed at Reducing Stress and Increasing Coping Resources

The data collected from disabled university students who participated in a mindfulness workshop in Italy are presented. The workshop activities are also described. These were aimed at reducing stress and improving coping skills, the sense of self and social relationships. This is the first experience of a mindfulness course with university students with varying types of disability. The initial results were positive in creating the following within the participants: a less emotional interpretation of the world; a greater acceptance of their own difficulties; reduced stress; and, at the same time, implementation of various coping methods and improved self-esteem and social interaction.

Self-employability Initiative: Developing a Practical Model of Disabled Students' Self-employment Careers

This study investigated the self-employability initiatives of disabled university students by presenting a model that would allow the concept to be explained and used easily as a framework for working with students to develop their self-employment careers. A cross-sectional survey with a quantitative method constituted the study's research design. A sample size of 254 university students was determined using the Krejcie and Morgan (1970) sample size selection model. Data were analyzed using demographic statistics, correlation analysis and the structural equation model (SEM). The results revealed that entrepreneurship education, action mechanisms and university role have a positive influence on the self-employability initiatives of disabled students. The results also indicated that action mechanisms mediate the relationship between entrepreneurship education and the self-employability initiatives of the disabled students in this study. Universities that provide enabling premises for disabled students, foster the development of networks and provide them access to coaches, mentors and research results will trigger the self-employability initiative of disabled students. This study indicates a number of implications for tertiary institutions and policymakers, particularly that entrepreneurship education and the role the university plays make significant contributions to the self-employability initiative of disabled students. Policymakers need to design entrepreneurship curricula that will be appreciated by students with disabilities.

Comparing Differences in the Necessity for Key Competencies Between Disabled College Students and the Industry

Comparing Differences in the Necessity for Key Competencies Between Disabled College Students and the Industry

Study on the relationship between disabled college students’ parental attachment and career preparation behaviors: Testing the mediating effect of acceptance of disability

Study on the relationship between disabled college students’ parental attachment and career preparation behaviors: Testing the mediating effect of acceptance of disability

Accessibility on the Move: Investigating how Students with Disabilities at the University of Manitoba Experience the Body, Self, and Physical Activity

The "ivory tower" is gradually beginning to open its doors to students with disabilities. Although scholarship on the learning experiences of students with disabilities at university is burgeoning, there is an absence of qualitative craftsmanship that has investigated the physical activity experiences of these students, most particularly in the Canadian context. Using Pierre Bourdieu's theoretical framework as a lens to consider both the bodily and social effects of disablement, I adopted a thematic analytic approach to describe the activity experiences of 12 disabled students at the University of Manitoba (UofM) in Winnipeg, Canada. The students described threatened body-self relationships. They also regarded on campus physical activity as a site of both pleasure and pain. Finally, the students explained what inclusive physical activity means within the context of higher education. By describing the movement experiences and desires of disabled university students at the UofM, this study contributes toward the ongoing struggle for inclusive higher education.

The Effects of Sandplay Therapy on Visually Disabled University Students’ Anxiety, Depression, and Psychological Well-being

University years when students’ transition from adolescence to adulthood occurs are when their psychological, physical, and cognitive development is active. In all areas of life, they are separated from the protection of their parents, become responsible for themselves as adults, and are faced with a diversity of problems in their overall life in addition to their studies (Moon, Kim & Park, 2006). During this period, they come to encounter educational and social environments different from previous years and start to contemplate their values and identity. They are apt to be under severe stress or psychologically unstable (Lim, 2007). In particular, disabled university students may feel increased anxiety and depression due to uncertainty about their present and future, weak self-control, and feelings of isolation (Jang, 2001; Kazdin, 1998; Kwon, 2000; Rutter, 1991). In addition, for the reason that they are disabled, they experience anxiety and depression resulting from discrimination in competition, a sense of alienation, low grades, difficulty in friendly relations, and anxiety over their career (Jang, 2001; Kwon & Kim, 2004; Lee, 2004). Visually disabled university students are separated from protection by their parents or teachers and cannot request help from those surrounding them in planning and realizing their personal life. Therefore, they do not actively work but face their environment in a passive way, their autonomy is restricted and as a result, they may experience a low sense of competence, be socially withdrawn, and their power of concentration may decrease. They Original Article Symbols and Sandplay Therapy 2013;4(2):51-59 http://dx.doi.org/10.12964/jsst.130007 eISSN : 2288-5188 pISSN : 2234-0556

Effects of a Dance Activity Program on the Depression Symptom in Disabled College Students

Effects of a Dance Activity Program on the Depression Symptom in Disabled College Students