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