Journal of Undergraduate Research
Volume 1, Issue 7 - April 2000

Evaluating Accommodations Provided to Students with Disabilities at Colleges and Universities

Elizabeth Savettiere

ABSTRACT

Many individuals look toward the future and choose to continue their education, and proceed to college. The number of students with disabilities is an increasing part of the student population at colleges and/or universities. Colleges and/or universities have been faced with the challenges of accommodating all students with disabilities. The purpose of this study is to investigate how universities and/or colleges accommodate students with disabilities. A random sampling of colleges and universities across the United States has been done and both students with disabilities and the dean of students will receive a survey. A literature review was completed. Changes and Development in legislation, Services and Recommendations on how to provide equal opportunity for students with disabilities, and the thoughts and knowledge of their professors were accumulated. Many colleges and/or universities seem to be providing equal opportunity for students with disabilities, but more needs to be accomplished. Findings indicate mixed reviews regarding accessibility and accommodations from the returns of one university.

INTRODUCTION

Individuals with disabilities have been repressed by the general population for many years. While the fight for rights for persons with disabilities has been ongoing it has been especially true of the last thirty-five years. Persons with disabilities were able to persuade the legislators to enact laws to bring an end to past discrimination. The underlying principle of all the legislation is that persons with disabilities are part of society. An important civil right that individuals with disabilities fought for was the right to an education that permitted them to attend elementary and secondary school, and if they chose, to pursue a higher education at the college or university level (Murphy, 1997).

The purpose of this study is to investigate the accommodations public and private colleges and universities are providing or not providing students with disabilities. The study will also determine if the students are satisfied with the institution. The institutions will be informed about the results of the study if they so wish. Through this study it is hoped that institutions will take a critical view of how accommodations for students with disabilities are being handled and how accessible the particular institution is from the point of views of the student with a disability.

LITERATURE REVIEW

The Congress of the United States has passed laws to end discrimination against individuals with disabilities, e.g., the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Public Law 94-142, Education for All Handicapped Children Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. Provisions of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 were brought about by the disability community to include civil rights (Woods, 1990). Section 504 specifically addressed the federal government and those entities that had contracts with the federal government. This section mandated accessibility to and accommodations at the workplace. Included in the entities covered by this section were public universities and those private universities and colleges that had entered into contracts with the federal government. This section was, and is, a major catalyst for students with disabilities in achieving higher education. Qualified students with a disability could no longer be denied admission to institutions of higher education just because they had a disability. Also, the institutions cannot demand information about the type of disability the applicant might have and they cannot include discriminatory admissions testing (Weiss, 1997). Institutions of higher education are now required by Section 504 to provide educational aids to students with disabilities. These aids could include physical accessibility assistance, adaptive equipment, instructional modifications, personal assistants, and support services.

During the same time period Public Law 94-142, the Education of All Handicapped Children Act, was passed in 1975. This law stated that all children are entitled to a public education through graduation from high school or age 21. This law resulted in an increase in students with disabilities at institutions of higher education (Jarrow, 1991).

An additional piece of legislation that improved the lives of individuals with disabilities was the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). The ADA was signed into law by President Bush in 1990. The ADA reaffirms Section 504 and focuses on groups that are not covered under Section 504. With the ADA private educational entities with more than 15 employees were now covered. Thus, every private institution is now bound by the law. (Jarrow, 1990)

The federal government requires colleges and universities, both public and private, to provided reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. An important figure in helping implement these accommodations is not only the institution, but also the instructor.

Colleges and universities have to provide sufficient services to the student no matter what the disability nor the number of handicapping conditions the person may have. Students who are deaf, who have visual impairments, who have physical impairments of all kinds and descriptions, who have learning disabilities, who have emotional and/or mental problems all have recourse to the provisions of both the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the ADA (Murphy, 1997). .Accommodations and accessibility can cost from nothing to thousands and hundreds of thousands of dollars. But, it is important to note that half of all accommodations and accessible changes cost nothing. Another 25 percent cost less than $500.00!

Computer technology has become a major source in assisting students with disabilities. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was amended by Public Law 99-506 to require that all electronic equipment purchased with federal money be accessible to individuals with disabilities. Another piece of legislation is the Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act (The Tech Act), now reformed to Public Law 103-218. The Tech Act was enacted to inform individuals with disabilities about new technological advances and to establish programs to provide this technology to individuals with disabilities. Students can now be provided with computers that can speak, Braille printers, oversized keyboards, telecommunication devices, or large print terminals. Technology is moving at an accelerated rate in today's society and allowing individuals with disabilities to become a larger part of society. (American Council on Education, nd.)

METHOD

Student participants were chosen at random from universities and colleges across the United States. States were chosen based on geographic area. Universities and colleges, public and private, were selected at random from each of those states. Dean of Students closely associated with the program for Students with Disabilities were also asked to participate. Each participant was asked to complete a survey. The student participants included male and females, ages ranging form 18 years of age and up with a variety of disabilities.

The survey, Survey of Students with Disabilities, being utilized was developed by Dr. Michael West and Dr. Shyla M. Ipsen of the Virginia Commonwealth University. The survey included four main sections: demographic information (included questions based on sex, age, academic standing, current residence, and type of disability), a section on service, a section on satisfaction, and an additional information section with open ended questions.

Current analysis is descriptive in nature only. Future analysis when all returns are in will include a correlational analysis to isolate the various demographic information with Part II, Service Utilization and with Part III, Satisfaction with Services.

RESULTS

The preliminary results collected were from a large southeastern institution. The results indicated that the average age of the student was between the ages of 18-23, with 54% males and the remainder were females. A sizeable minority, 35%, were graduate students. The data collected show that the largest single disability noted , 40%, was specific learning disability.

Notable findings from this one group of returns indicated the following. Over three-quarters (76%) of the students did not request accommodations and /or a desire to have services. Also, the data collected indicated that 75% of the students taking the survey did not need diagnostic testing and/or assessment. It was indicated that 40% used information about service availability. Fifty five percent indicated that they used flexible testing arrangements and/or exam modifications. Seventy five percent did not need or request notetakers. Another notable piece of data was 61% did not need or request tutors.

The individuals who took the survey seemed reasonably satisfied with the services provided by the institution. Twenty three percent were also reasonably satisfied with the physical accessibility of the institution. Thirty three percent of the students taking the survey indicated satisfaction with the special equipment and academic aids provided. Thirty percent of the students were reasonably satisfied with the classroom accommodations on campus. Forty-eight of the students were very satisfied with request promptness. Finally 41% of the students were very satisfied with the faulty in how they made accommodation or modifications.

DISCUSSION

Overall, the results of the study give a general idea on the accommodations provided to students with disabilities at this one university. Generally, students with learning disabilities indicated that no need for tutors and/or notetakers was necessary. This was an interesting result. The question is why when tutors and notetakers generally are accommodations to persons with learning disabilities. It could be that the students are not fully informed as to all the accommodations. It could be that some students just do not want to go through the trouble. It could be that the tutors and notetakers are not what these students need. Further analysis of these two results will have to be done. Many students did not need various accommodations listed on the survey, such as sign language interpreters, Braille writers, and speech and hearing services. Many of these services were marked as 'not needed' due, possibly to the low percent of students with visual impairments, hearing impairments, physical impairments, mental impairments, and emotional impairments. Also a large number of students did not request diagnostic testing probably due to the fact they have lived with their disability for a lengthy amount of time and already realize what their disability is and know what accommodations they need to succeed. Students requesting flexible testing arrangements was high because, possibly, of the high percentage of students with specific learning disabilities. Students with specific learning disabilities often need more time or become distracted easily and need a different environment to be tested in to perform well.

CONCLUSION

Collecting surveys and data from many institutions across the United States continues. When the returns are completed full analysis will be done as noted above. It is anticipated that further research will need to be done in this area. It is critically important that students are accorded the accommodations that they need in the quest of their higher education. It is also absolutely necessary that accessibility to all campuses is a matter of fact and not just a dream.

REFERENCES

American Council on Education. (nd). Computers, technology, and disability. Washington, DC: Author.
Jarrow, J. (1991). Disability issues on campus and the road to the ADA. Educational Record, 72, 26-31.
Murphy, D.M., & Murphy, J.T. (1997). Enabling disabled students. Thought and Action, The NEA Higher Education Journal, 13(1), 41-52.
Weiss, K.E., Repetto, J.B. (1997). Support services for students with disabilities. Community College Journal of Research and Practices, 21(8), 709-720.
Woods, P.A., Sedlacek, W.E., & Boyer, S.P. (1990). Learning disability programs in large universities. NASPA Journal, 27(3), 248-256

--top--

Back to the Journal of Undergraduate Research