Faculty and Instructor Perception of Disability Support Services and Student Communication

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe perceptions of the importance of disability support services and expectations of disability verification and student communication. Participants were 240 faculty and 119 instructional academic staff at a large midwestern research university. Specific disability support services were found to be at least somewhat important with most being at least moderately important. Formal verification of disability was found to be more important for students with learning and psychiatric disabilities than for students with physical and sensory disabilities (p < .001). Although direct communication was considered important for all students, it was more important for students with psychiatric disabilities than for those with learning (p < .001) or sensory disabilities (p =.001).Transition to postsecondary education is a complicated process for students with disabilities (Enright, Conyers, & Szymanski, 1996). More students with disabilities are attending college today than at any other time in history. Specifically, 9.2% of 1994 freshmen reported having a disability. This was in stark contrast with 2.6% in 1978 (Henderson, 1995). However, the college environment presents considerable challenges for these students as well as for students without disabilities (Brinkerhoff, 1993).Transition is part of the larger process of career development, which involves the interaction of contextual,

The Accommodation of University Students with Disabilities Inventory (AUSDI): Assessing American and Mexican Faculty Attitudes toward Students with Disabilities

“…In the past few decades, the number of students with disabilities enrolling in postsecondary education has increased significantly, not only in the United States (Beilke & Yseel, 1999; National Center for Educational Sta-tistics [NCES], 2000;Szymanski, Hewitt, Watson, & Swett, 1999), but in other countries as well (Leyser et al, 2000). In the United States alone, about 9% of college students reported having a disability in 2000 (NCES, 2002).…”

“…Although findings are inconsistent across studies, most of them reveal that faculty and administrators have, in general, a positive attitude toward students with disabilities and are willing to accommodate them (Baggett, 1994;Becker, Martin, Wajeeh, Ward, & Shern, 2002;Bourke, Strehorn, & Silver, 2000;Leyser, 1989;Scott, 1997). However, this willingness seems to depend on the type of accommodation provided (Bourke et al, 2000;Leyser et al, 2000;Nelson, Dodd, & Smith, 1990;Sweener, Kundet, May, & Quinn, 2002) and on the type of disability (Leyser, 1989;Szymanski et al, 1999).…”

Understanding the Policy Context for Supporting Students with Psychiatric Disabilities in Higher Education

“…As a whole, this body of research has documented the continuing presence of these students on college campuses despite ongoing stigma within the educational environment. Although disability support services can play a key role in helping students with disabilities access and remain in higher education (Enright et al, 1996), research indicates that even when these services are available, students with psychiatric disabilities continue to experience educational barriers (Szymanski, Hewitt, Watson, & Swett, 1999). In the largest institutional study on this topic that has been reported, we (Collins & Mowbray, 2005) conducted a survey of disability services offices in 275 colleges and universities located in 10 states.…”

The Transition to College for Students with Disabilities in New York State

“…It is a federal civil rights statute that provides no additional funds but prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities of all ages by any program receiving federal funds. Nevertheless, as another study found, college faculty perceived disability service programs to be important because these programs improve student readiness to meet the curriculum (Szymanski, Hewitt, Watson, & Swett, 1999). Colleges are not mandated to provide a free and appropriate (public) education, but with no additional funding, must ensure that all students with disabilities receive nondiscriminatory treatment.…”