College Students with Disabilities and Campus Climate: - PowerPoint Presentation

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College Students with Disabilities and Campus Climate: A Report from the NCCSD

Wendy S. Harbour and Daniel GreenbergMultiple Perspectives on Access, Inclusion and Disability ConferenceColumbus, Ohio - April 17, 2018

© NCCSD, 2018. Slides may be used with permission of the NCCSD.

Agenda For TodayIntroduction to the National Center for College Students with Disabilities (NCCSD), research briefs and “campus climate”What we know (and don’t know) about campus climate and students with disabilitiesStrategies to improve the campus climateRecommendations for further researchQ and ACopies of PowerPoint in regular and accessible formats available at:www.NCCSDonline.orgUse search box on home page to search for “Multiple Perspectives” and hidden page will come up.

NCCSD Campus Climate

Research Briefwww.NCCSDonline.org(Search for “Research Briefs”)Reports on existing literature, but not a traditional literature review; included books and anthologiesIntended audience: researchers and campus administrators, including those who may not know disability and higher edPurpose: to provide broad overview of the topic, while making practical recommendations for intended audience

“…attitudes, behaviors, and standards of faculty, staff, administrators and students concerning the level of respect for individual needs, abilities and potential”

- University of California Office of the President, 2014,

n.p

.

A sense of “friendliness” for students Evans, Broido, Brown and Wilke, 2017, p. 254Campus climate affects how it feels for individuals to be on a campus and to interact with other campus community members.- University of St. Thomas, n.d.

Defining “Campus Climate”

Students with Disabilities and Campus Climate

 Students with Disabilities Nondisabled Students

Figure 1

. Percent of students with and without disabilities who are comfortable in their classes, departments, and campuses (Rankin and Associates Consulting, as reported by Evans et al., 2017, pp. 265-268).



Students with Disabilities Nondisabled Students

Figure 1

. Percent of students with and without disabilities who are comfortable in their classes, departments, and campuses (Rankin and Associates Consulting, as reported by Evans et al., 2017, pp. 265-268).



Students with Disabilities Nondisabled Students

Figure 1

. Percent of students with and without disabilities who are comfortable in their classes, departments, and campuses (Rankin and Associates Consulting, as reported by Evans et al., 2017, pp. 265-268).

33.7% of students with disabilities in study had experienced

“exclusionary, intimidating, offensive, or hostile” experiences on campus,

compared to 17.1% of nondisabled students (n=51,452) (p. 267)

In a study of 13,844 undergraduates, rates of discrimination and bias

the same or higher for disabled students who also identified as

Asian, Hispanic, African American, multiracial, or homosexual

(Aquino,

Alhaddab

, and Kim, 2017)

Why Does this Matter?

Campus climate for one group affects all students’ developmentIndividual experiences affect student retention and academic performanceStudents cannot participate in campus if they do not have basic safety, belonging, and access needs metCampus climate affects faculty and staff, including those with disabilities

What Students with Disabilities May Need:“Points of Stability”

“Points of stability” on campus

(Tinto, 1993, p. 125)

Mentors

Welcoming student organizations, cultural centers, clubs (related or unrelated to disability)

Welcoming academic programs (related or unrelated to disability)

Acceptance of how students define themselves as “disabled” or not, or intersections of identity

Accessible spaces across campus, including virtual spaces and campus bureaucracy

Input into campus work on disability

Faculty and staff with disabilities or faculty allies (especially from under-represented groups)

Inclusive teaching practices (e.g., universal design, culturally responsive pedagogy)

Disability and Deaf culture in the curriculum (e.g., disability studies, disability courses as part of liberal arts’ diversity requirements)

Recommendation 1

Evaluate Existing Disability Practices

Use campus climate surveysInclude disability questionsAggregate results by disabilityAssess disability services and supportsInternal or external review of services, policies, budgets, and/or student satisfaction with servicesReview of existing grievances or complaintsExisting supports and access for major campus services, like tutoring, career counseling, and financial aidAssess campus accessibilityDevelop policies to regularly review work on physical accessibilityDefine “access” broadly, including virtual environmentEvaluate needs of faculty and staff with disabilities, including accessible spaces for students that are inaccessible to faculty and staff (e.g., classrooms)

Recommendation 2

Create Diverse Ways for Campus Community to Get Information about Disability

Develop faculty and staff training programsFocus on skills and knowledge, not changing attitudes (simulations particularly poor choice)Collaborate with faculty development centers or online education centersSpeakers and events can supplement trainingInclude disability in student orientation programmingMay include orientation materials, handbooks, programming, or in messages about diversityInclude nondisabled students in disability messagingCreate multiple centers of disability expertise on campusIdentify sources of disability information and resources outside of disability services providers, counseling, and health services

Recommendation 3

Support Campus-Wide Engagement with Disability

Create opportunities for disability community and engagementDevelop student organizations related to disability and Deaf cultureProvide opportunities for students to explore disability with other facets of students’ identitiesInclude faculty and staff with disabilities in recruitment and retention effortsInclude disability in “diversity” recruiting initiativesSupport disability disclosure among faculty and staffReview policies and services for faculty and staff, including job announcements, hiring procedures, and tenure review processesSet up complaint process that ensures no retaliationStreamline funding mechanisms for accommodationsRecommendation is for centralized and flexible budgets; campus as a whole is responsible for accommodationsEnsure disability services providers have training in fiscal management and budgetingEncourage inclusive pedagogiesFaculty should have information and training about disability and ableism and how these may affect student experiences and courseworkSupport instructors in implementing inclusive teaching practices for all studentsInclude disability and disability studies in course content across campus

Recommendations for Research

More large-scale data on students with disabilities and shared definitions of disability in large-scale research (see NCCSD research brief by Avellone & Scott, 2017)

Research on effects of interventions on campus climate, economics of disability and higher education, and effects of interventions (including policy changes) with disability services providers’ skills and knowledge

Better understanding of legal considerations around privacy and medical records, and how they affect collaboration

Greater involvement of students with disabilities in research about higher education

Requirements for

accessible research

Expand existing disability and higher education research whenever possible

Contact Us

National Center for College Students with Disabilities (NCCSD)

www.NCCSDonline.org, NCCSD@ahead.org,

Toll-Free 1-844-730-8048

Wendy S. Harbo

ur

wendy@ahead.org, 651-583-7499 VP, 704-707-5886 Texts Only

Daniel Greenberg

gree1961@umn.edu, 312-933-9588 Phone

Questions or Comments?