Beyond Section 504: Satisfaction and Empowerment of Students with Disabilities in Higher Education

Abstract

College and university students with disabilities were surveyed to determine their levels ofsatisfaction with accessibility, special services, and accommodations at their schools. In addition, students were requested to identify barriers to postsecondary education, improvements in services, and otherconcems. Respondents generally expressed satisfaction with the services that they had received. However, the majority indicated that they had encountered barriers to their education, including a lack ofunderstanding and cooperation from administrators, faculty, staff, and other students; lack ofadaptive aids and other resources; and inaccessibility ofbuildings and grounds. Recommendations were made for improving the delivery of services and self-advocacy ofstudents with disabilities.

Agency and Advocacy: Disabled Students in Higher Education in Ghana and Tanzania

“…Seeing inclusive education for disabled students as the process of identifying and removing barriers is common in HE literature in developed (West et al, 1993;Fuller et al, 2004;Weedon & Fuller, 2004;Konur, 2006;Denhart, 2008) and less developed contexts (Matshedisho, 2007;Chataika, 2010). As with other structures of inequality, enrolling more disabled students in HE does not automatically lead to full participation in university life or equality.…”

Students with disabilities in post‐secondary education: the perspectives of wheelchair users

“…The better the facilities and accommodation, the more satisfied the students. The more satisfied the students, the longer they stayed in the system (West et al, 1993). According to these participants, physical accessibility to most buildings and facilities of the university was critical for their integration within the university environment, but in some settings these problems were difficult to remedy.…”

A web accessibility assessment on the Texas public school system

“…The Texas school system supports approximately 4.5 million students; among them, 486,887 (10.6%) are classified as special needs [2], a significant portion of the users for the Texas school system. Not only do Texas public schools have an ethical obligation to ensure that the students with disabilities they serve have equal access to online services, but they are also mandated by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act to ensure that all students have equal access to equitable education and programs [47]. ''No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States … shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of … any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance …'' [37].…”