Quality Disability Support for Promoting Belonging and Academic Success within the College Community.

Abstract

Positive classroom experiences in college are critical to successful inclusion of with disabilities in the campus community. For with disabilities, this includes classroom accommodations coordinated by a disability support office. In the fall of 2002, an electronic survey was sent out to at Baylor University requesting accommodations asking what was most beneficial for them. responses were overwhelmingly in favor of a caring staff and a safe environment where the struggles of college life can be addressed. This indicates to the researchers that being cognizant of an individual's spirit is more important than structure and policy. Without providing understanding, the cares, struggles, and needs of individual go untouched and success becomes untenable. Care overcomes the sense of isolation and separateness that a student with disabilities feels and gives him/herself the permission to nevertheless belong and succeed in a frightening and challenging college environment. other listed, defined, and researched accommodations are all necessary, yet they must be provided by a caring staff who not only can discern individual needs, and provide the necessary resources, but can open the doors of success opportunities by empowering through trustful regard and encouragement. ********** Positive classroom experiences in college are critical to successful inclusion of with disabilities in the campus community. Faculty relationships are known to have a pivotal effect on whether at risk students, like with disabilities, are embraced in the college environment (Chickering, 1969). The goal is to develop and use classroom teaching strategies that allow all a place where they can safely express their personal experiences, examine differences among from various backgrounds and social strata, and explore the particular issues relevant to their own cultural identity in short, a nurturing place for all students (Cuyjet, 1997). Researchers find that grade performance is influenced by level of comfort and satisfaction with the environment (Noel & Levitz, 1985). Institutional responsibility should facilitate the collaboration of universities (faculty, administration, students) to provide outreach and support aimed at meeting the disability accommodation needs of with physical, psychological, learning, and attentional disabilities. This population will reciprocate by complementing institutional initiatives and completing their degrees. Although college with disabilities may have the cognitive ability to handle the content presented in class, they lack the skills and strategies necessary for obtaining and processing the information from textbooks, readings, and lectures (Putnam, 1984). Classroom accommodations through disability support offices at the postsecondary level are the universities' method of meeting the challenges of disability and variability in learning course content. Classroom accommodations and other support mechanisms like time management and study skill counseling afford the dignity of learning with their peers (Roller, 1996). In addition, many of the stresses encountered by with disabilities are exacerbated by university staff and faculty lacking the knowledge about and intent in the special needs of disabled scholars. problem is also compounded by the students' inadequacies as independent learners and self advocates (Hartman, 1993). It is evident that a quality program of disability support needs to be in place for with disabilities to succeed and graduate from a university. Statement of Problem and Purpose of Study purpose of this study is to determine the quality of a disability support office and the most beneficial accommodations as viewed by students. tendency is not to access the support tools available in a university, because so much emphasis is given to the idea that all should navigate the college experience alone, that this is part of growing up. …

Cite this work

No public copy is stored for this record, so only the metadata is cited.

Stored only when both papers are in the corpus — 58 citations exist upstream.