by Kenyada J. McLeod
New Africa/ Shutterstock
Walking up or down a flight of stairs, being able to focus on an assignment until completion with ease, or moving through life without the worry of how a new medication may impact your mood — these are concerns that may not be on the radar of many able-bodied, neurotypical individuals. Ableism lends the privilege of moving through life in a way that takes for granted some of the limitations that others may be facing.
According to the Center for Disability Rights, ableism can be defined as “…a set of beliefs or practices that devalue and discriminate against people with physical, intellectual, or psychiatric disabilities and often rests on the assumption that disabled people need to be ‘fixed’ in one form or the other.”
Legal Protections
Section 504 of the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination against any individual with a disability by entities that receive federal financial assistance. In the K-12 sector, learners are also protected by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which requires schools to work in collaboration with parents to ensure that learners are receiving an equitable learning experience.
At the college level, learners are required to advocate for themselves. This may include accommodations via an Individualized Accommodation Plan (or IAP) that may lead to the allowance of modifications such as extended time, due date flexibility, the use of specific technology tools and more. What happens when the accommodations offered by the college are not enough? How might higher education institutions cultivate a sense of belonging and ensure equitable access to learners of all abilities?
Student Perspective
In a survey conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics, the results indicated that students “…who responded that they did have a disability while attending college, about one-third of students (37%) informed their college.” While it seems disabilities are present, there are a number of learners who may not be confident in their ability to self-advocate or may feel as if their accommodation request may be a burden to instructors.
Cultivating Access
The following are a few approaches higher education leaders might consider adopting in an effort to increase the sense of belonging within the campus community as it relates to accessibility and the disabled community.
A Campus-wide Book Reading
The college experience is much more than studying and earning a degree. It is an opportunity to engage with individuals with varying backgrounds and perspectives. Our differences and unique experiences are critical components to the learning experience.
Building a More Inclusive Campus: Strategies for Higher Education Leaders, a virtual event hosted by Texthelp, featured a number of seasoned professionals working in the area of faculty development. The panelists shared a number of ways in which they support accessibility on their respective campuses.
One panelist, Lillian Nave of Appalachian State University, shared the experience of engaging the college community through a campus-wide reading group. The reading group led to insightful campus conversations among faculty, staff, and students. The impact of these conversations was so meaningful that the college was inspired to embed components of respecting differences in the first-year seminar course required by all students. According to Nave, the year-long commitment to engaging with “Be Different” by John Elder Robison, “…showed a campus-wide commitment to inclusion that was not just lip service.” Appalachian State University is “…making strides to serve all of our students,” she said.
Faculty Learning Communities
Lifelong learning is a key characteristic of a successful educator. Many institutions typically have a department whose primary goal is to ensure excellence in teaching and learning for the institution. These campus units work to create professional learning experiences and opportunities for faculty and staff, ensure they have the tools needed to best serve students, and ensure that the campus culture is one of continuous improvement.
Dr. Liz Norell, a leader in faculty development at the University of Mississippi, was one of the other panelists. She shared that due to the wealth of resources and professional development opportunities offered in her unit, they are “… getting more requests each semester for departmental workshops or one-on-one consultations to help faculty incorporate more inclusive practices in their classrooms.” Norell is also actively “…building an employee group for staff and faculty who identify as disabled or chronically ill to gather regularly, find community on campus, and discern ways for us to push for greater inclusion.”
As the needs of those we serve evolve, so does the need to enhance instruction. Dr. Jennifer Pusateri, senior universal design consultant at the University of Kentucky, is taking notice of the “… increase in faculty-driven momentum toward making our courses more accessible.” The momentum yields record-breaking registrations and a waitlist for their upcoming Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Bootcamp. The bootcamp has become so popular that the team is also offering a version for student-facing staff members and the registration is already full.
Disability Cultural Centers
Cultural centers can be found throughout college campuses and can be loosely defined as safe spaces for those who may consider themselves to be quite different from the majority campus population. These safe spaces allow students to cultivate a sense of belonging on their respective campus despite their differences.
In an episode of the Think UDL Podcast, Carrie Ingersoll-Wood discusses the innovative approach at Syracuse University to create a Disability Cultural Center. Ingersoll-Wood describes the function of a disability cultural center as one that provides students with “…exposure to other students who have disabilities and who are perhaps struggling with some of the same issues that they are, it creates a positive identity for them.”
Ingersoll-Wood explained that the key function of the disability center is to cultivate a sense of belonging among students with disabilities, saying that “…we really look to validate identity and create a positive experience for our students.” She goes on to share “…statistics show that when students with disabilities have a sense of belonging on campus, and they have identity as a disabled person that is positive, and disability is seen as diversity…that creates that persistence to graduation.”
Next Steps
Administrators, faculty, staff, and advisors have the ability to cultivate a culture of access in a multitude of ways. Being aware of our own behaviors and ideas that align with ableism, learning about the legal supports for those with disabilities, and identifying ways to best serve those with disabilities are a few ways that those employed by higher education institutions can begin to create a safe space for all seeking an education beyond the high school level.
