Learning disabilities and the virtual college campus: A grounded theory of accessibility

Nancy Hollins

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Digital Accessibility for Disabilities Usability and User Interface Design Disability Education and Employment

Abstract

Two trends currently impacting higher education intersect in this study: (1) students with learning disabilities are enrolling in colleges and universities in increasing numbers, and (2) colleges and universities are increasingly relying on the web to provide services to students. This reliance on the "virtual campus" comes without apparent consideration of accessibility issues that may be experienced by students with learning disabilities. This study explored the experiences of 16 college students, self-identified as having learning disabilities, as they interacted with the virtual campus of one college. Consistent with the social model of disability, this study initially focused on the features of the virtual campus that were both helpful and not helpful to the informants as they performed eight tasks considered typical of those expected of a college student. Using a grounded theory methodology, the model that evolved from this data indicated that to understand the informants' experiences, consideration had to be given also to what the informants brought to the experience, including their active choice and use of helpful strategies. The results of this study suggest that web accessibility as currently conceived is too limiting. A "one-size-fits-all" approach to universal access is unrealistic as users of the virtual campus bring varied strengths and capabilities as well as varied impairments to their interaction with web-based services. While colleges and universities are encouraged to follow current usability and accessibility principles, attention should also be given to the construction of a web-human interface that can be individualized to meet a user's specific needs.

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1968The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research.1992Basics of Qualitative Research: Grounded Theory Procedures and Techniques.1978Theoretical Sensitivity: Advances in the Methodology of Grounded Theory 1992Basics of Grounded Theory Analysis: Emergence Vs. Forcing 1998Claiming disability: knowledge and identity 2003Handbook of learning disabilities 2011The Post-High School Outcomes of Young Adults with Disabilities up to 8 Years after High School: A Report from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2). NCSER 2011-3005.2007Grounded Theory in Historical Perspective: An Epistemological Account

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