Computing Services for Disabled Students in
Institutions of Higher Education
by
Sheryl Burgstahler
A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
University of Washington
©1992
In presenting this dissertation in partial fulfillment of the requirements for
the Doctoral degree at the University of Washington, I agree that the
Library shall make its copies freely available for inspection. I further
agree that extensive copying of this dissertation is allowable only for
scholarly purposes, consistent with "fair use" as prescribed in the U. S.
copyright Law. Requests for copying or reproduction of this dissertation
may be referred to University Microfilms, 1490 Eisenhower Place, P.O.
Box 975, Ann Arbor, MI 48106, to whom the author has granted "the right
to reproduce and sell (a) copies of the manuscript in microform and/or (b)
printed copies of the manuscript made from microform."
ii
University of Washington
Abstract
Computing Services for Disabled Students in
Institutions of Higher Education
by Sheryl Burgstahler
Chairperson of Supervisory Committee:
Professor Steven Olswang
College of Education
University of Washington
Individuals with disabilities have faced substantial barriers in pursuing higher
education. Few institutions made serious efforts to be accessible until legislation
demanded nondiscrimination on the basis of handicap. Federal legislation is generally
interpreted to mean that schools must provide access to computers with appropriate
adaptive technology to students with disabilities when such access is required to pursue
academic studies. Accommodations are to be made in the most integrated setting
appropriate. However, for many disabled students, discrimination in access to computing
resources persists.
This study explores issues surrounding the provision of computing services to
disabled students in institutions of higher education. The results of a survey of schools
with enrollments of 1,000 or more students reveal that computing services for students
with disabilities are underdeveloped at many schools, with some schools providing no
services in this area. The office of disabled student services is the organizational unit
most involved in the selection, funding, and management of the services that are
provided. Two-year, public, and larger schools tend to provide a greater number of
computing services for disabled students and a greater number of types of adaptive
devices and to assign staff to specifically support disabled students than four-year,
private, and smaller schools, respectively. Access to electronic services for students with
disabilities is very limited at most schools. Those who provide some computing services
for students with disabilities tend to integrate them into facilities used by other students
and this integrated model is generally preferred by staff. Staff generally rate moderately
high both the abilities of disabled students to make productive use of computers and the
contribution computers make to the academic success of these students. They consider
funding the greatest barrier to providing computing services to students with disabilities.
iii
The results of this study may help administrators make better decisions regarding
the provision of computing services to students with disabilities and thereby better serve
these students. The results suggest that institutions must make greater efforts to assure
nondiscrimination on the basis of disability regarding access to computing services.
iv
Table of Contents
Page
List of Figures
ii
List of Tables
iii
Chapter I: Introduction
The Research Problem
The Research Question
Definition of Terms
1
Chapter II: Review of the Literature on Discrimination in Higher
Education
Treatment of Individuals with Disabilities
Treatment of Other Underrepresented Groups
Summary
6
Chapter III: Review of Research on Disabled Student Services
Analysis and Conclusions
Summary
Chapter IV: Discussion of Computing Services for Disabled Students
Adaptive Technology that Provides Computer Access
Online Services
Summary
63
81
Chapter V: Research Purpose, Methodology, and Demographics
Purpose
Methodology
Demographics
96
Chapter VI: Research Results and Discussion
Responses and Discussion
Limitations of the Study
110
Chapter VII: Conclusions and Recommendations
Survey Conclusions
Recommendations
Epilogue
154
Bibliography
172
Appendix A: Data Collection Instrument
194
v
Appendix B: Summary of Responses
199
Appendix C: Statistical Tables
241
vi
List of Figures
Number
Page
1.
Proportion of Two-Year School and Four-Year School Respondents
106
2.
Proportion of Public School and Private School Respondents
107
3.
Total Enrollment of Schools Responding to Survey
108
4.
Total Disabled Student Enrollment of Schools Responding to Survey
108
5.
Number of Respondents with Various Self-Ratings of Computer Skills
109
6.
Number of Schools with Adaptive Technology in Various Locations
135
vii
List of Tables
Number
Page
1.
Sources of Research Studies
64
2.
Characteristics of Research Studies
65
3.
Research Questions Addressed by Studies
66
4.
Number of Research Studies Published Each Decade
66
5.
Types of Disabilities Addressed in Research Studies
69
6.
Level of Involvement of Organizational Units in Selecting Computing
Services for Disabled Students
111
Level of Involvement of Organizational Units in Funding Computing
Services for Disabled Students
111
Level of Involvement of Organizational Units in Managing Computing
Services for Disabled Students
111
Level of Involvement of Organizational Units in Selecting Computing
Services for Disabled Students: Comparison of Two-Year and Four-Year
Schools
112
10. Level of Involvement of Organizational Units in Funding Computing
Services for Disabled Students: Comparison of Two-Year and Four-Year
Schools
112
11. Level of Involvement of Organizational Units in Management of Computing
Services for Disabled Students: Comparison of Two-Year and Four-Year
Schools
113
12. Level of Involvement of Organizational Units in Selecting Computing
Services for Disabled Students: Comparison of Public and Private Schools
113
13. Level of Involvement of Organizational Units in Funding Computing
Services for Disabled Students: Comparison of Public and Private Schools
113
7.
8.
9.
14. Level of Involvement of Organizational Units in Management of Computing Services for
Disabled Students: Comparison of Public and Private Schools
114
15. Level of Involvement of Organizational Units in Selecting Computing
Services for Disabled
viii
114
16. Level of Significance of Organizational Units in Funding Computing
Services for Disabled Students: Comparisons By Size of School
114
17. Level of Involvement of Organizational Units in Management of Computing Services for
Disabled: Comparisons By Size of School
115
18. Percentage of Schools with Employee(s) Assigned to Provide Computing
Support to Disabled Students
117
19. Percentage of Institutions with Employee(s) Providing Computing Support to Disabled
Students: Comparison of Two-Year and Four-Year Schools
118
20. Percentage of Institutions with Employee(s) Providing Computing Support to Disabled
Students: Comparison of Public and Private Schools
118
21. Percentage of Schools with Employee(s) Assigned to Provide Computing
Support to Disabled Students: Comparisons By Size of School
119
23. Computing Services Provided for Students with Disabilities: Comparison by Level of
Involvement of Computing Services Unit in Management
122
24. Computing Services Provided for Students with Disabilities: Comparison of Two-Year and
Four-Year Schools
123
25. Computing Services Provided for Students with Disabilities: Comparison of Public and
Private Schools
124
26. Computing Services Provided for Students with Disabilities: Comparisons By Size of
School
125
27. Adaptive Computing Equipment and Software Available to Students with Disabilities
127
28. Mean Number of Adaptive Devices: Comparison of Two-Year and
Four- Year Schools
128
29. Mean Number of Adaptive Devices: Comparison of Public and Private
Schools
128
30. Mean Number of Adaptive Devices: Comparisons By Size of School
129
31. Availability of Online Services from Computers with Adaptive Devices
130
ix
32. Availability of Online Services from Computers with Adaptive Devices:
Comparison by Level of Involvement of Computing Services Unit in
Management
130
33. Availability of Online Services from Computers with Adaptive Devices:
Comparison of Two-Year and Four-Year Schools
131
34. Availability of Online Services from Computers with Adaptive Devices:
Comparison of Public and Private Schools
132
35. Availability of Online Services from Computers with Adaptive Devices:
Comparisons By Size of School
133
36. Location of Computer Adaptive Equipment and Software Provided to
Disabled Students: Comparison of Two-Year and Four-Year Schools.
135
37. Percentage of Schools with Adaptive Technology in Specific Locations:
Comparison of Public and Private Schools
136
38. Percentage of Schools with Adaptive Technology in Specific Locations:
Comparisons By Size of School
136
39. Desirability of Various Locations for Placing Adaptive Technology
138
40. Comparison of Location Chosen for Placing Adaptive Technology and the Perceived
Desirability of that Location.
138
41. Desirability of Various Locations for Placing Adaptive Technology:
Comparison of Two-Year and Four-Year Schools
139
42. Desirability of Various Locations for Placing Adaptive Technology:
Comparison of Public and Private Schools
140
43. Desirability of Various Locations for Placing Adaptive Technology:
Comparisons By Size of School
140
44. Perceived Level of Significance of Barriers to Providing Computing
Services to Disabled Students
142
45. Perceived Level of Significance of Barriers to Providing Computing
Services to Students with Disabilities: Comparison of Two-Year and
Four-Year Schools
143
x
46. Perceived Level of Significance of Barriers to Providing Computing
Services to Students School
143
47. Perceived Level of Significance of Barriers to Providing Computing
Services to Disabled Students: Comparisons By Size of School
144
48. Perceived Abilities of Students with Disabilities to Make Productive Use
of Computers if Adaptive Equipment is Provided
145
49. Correlation Between Perceived Abilities of Students with Disabilities to
Make Productive Use of Computers and the Self-rated Respondent's Skill in Using
Computers
146
50. Perceived Abilities of Students with Disabilities to Make Productive Use
of Computers if Adaptive Equipment is Provided: Comparison of
Two-Year and Four-year Schools
147
51. Perceived Abilities of Students with Disabilities to Make Productive Use
of Computers if Adaptive Equipment is Provided: Comparison of Public
and Private Schools
147
52. Perceived Abilities of Students with Disabilities to Make Productive Use
of Computers if Adaptive Equipment is Provided: Comparisons By Size
of School
147
53. Perceived Contribution of Computer Access to the Academic Success of
Students with Disabilities
149
54. Correlation Between Perceived Contribution of Computer Access to the
Academic Success of Students with Disabilities and the Self-rated
Respondent's Skill in Using Computers
149
55. Perceived Contribution of Computer Access to the Academic Success of
Students with Disabilities: Comparison of Two-Year and Four-Year
Schools
150
56. Perceived Contribution of Computer Access to the Academic Success of
Students with Disabilities: Comparison of Public and Private Schools
150
57. Perceived Contribution of Computer Access to the Academic Success of
Students with Disabilities: Comparisons By Size of School
150
58. Multivariate Analysis of Variance - Level of Involvement of Organizational Units in the
Selection of Computing Services
241
xi
59. Multivariate Analysis of Variance - Level of Involvement of Organizational Units in
Funding Computing Services
242
60. Multivariate Analysis of Variance - Level of Involvement of Organizational Units in the
Management of Computing Services
243
61. Three-Way Analysis of Variance - Level of Involvement of Organizational Units in the
Selection of Computing Services
244
62. Three-Way Analysis of Variance - Level of Involvement of Organizational Units in Funding
Computing Services
253
63. Three-Way Analysis of Variance - Level of Involvement of Organizational Units in the
Management of Computing Services
260
64. Analysis of Variance - Mean Number of Adaptive Devices
266
65. Multivariate Analysis of Variance - Desirability of Various Locations for
Placing Adaptive Technology
267
66. Three-Way Analysis of Variance - Desirability of Various Locations for
Placing Adaptive Technology
268
67. Multivariate Analysis of Variance - Perceived Level of Significance of
Barriers to Providing Computing Services to Disabled Students
272
68. Three-way Analysis of Variance - Perceived Level of Significance of
Barriers to Providing Computing Services to Disabled Students
273
69. Multivariate Analysis of Variance: Perceived Abilities of Students with
Disabilities to Make Productive Use of Computers if Adaptive Equipment is Provided
280
70. Three-way Analysis of Variance: Perceived Abilities of Students with
Disabilities to Make Productive Use of Computers if Adaptive Equipment is Provided
281
71. Multivariate Analysis of Variance - Perceived Contribution of Computers to the Academic
Success of Students with Disabilities
285
72. Three-Way Analysis of Variance - Perceived Contribution of Computers
to the Academic Success of Students with Disabilities
xii
286
Acknowledgments
The author wishes to express sincere appreciation to Professors Stephen Kerr,
David Madsen, Percy Peckham, Steven Olswang, and Richard Yalch for serving on the
Supervisory Committee. Dr. Yalch was particularly helpful in the development of the
survey instrument and the analysis of the results. As Chairman of the Supervisory and
Reading Committees, Dr. Olswang provided support and guidance in the process of
completing the PhD requirements and in preparing this manuscript. His attention to
broad organizational issues as well as to presentation details is greatly appreciated.
xiii