The Experience of Higher Education from the Perspective of Disabled Students

Abstract

This article describes the ndings and examines the issues arising from a small-scale investigation into the experience of higher education from the perspective of disabled students at a university in the United Kingdom, and makes recommendations for policy and practice. Methodology involved semi-structured interviews with participants to reveal individual experience and analysis of relevant documentation from the university to examine the rhetoric underlying their experience.Factors that create a positive experience for disabled students, and those which effect discriminatory practice and marginalisation are identi ed. The implications of the ndings for policy and practice are discussed, and conclusions drawn including: the need for a central policy which supports the philosophy of an accessible learning environment for all students; central co-ordination to implement the policy with practical guidelines to departments; ongoing monitoring and evaluation procedures which involve disabled students; staff training and awareness; student advocacy.

Higher education provision for students with disabilities in Cyprus

“…Qualitative studies on students with disabilities in higher education conducted in other countries have also enrolled small numbers of participants (eg, Hall & Tinklin, 1998;Holloway, 2001;Shevlin, Kenny & McNeela, 2004;Goode, 2007); in some of those studies a gender imbalance was also present (Goode, 2007).…”

Lecturer perspectives on dyslexia within one Greek university: A pilot study

“…Some of the difficulties that dyslexic students encounter at university are: lack of information at the entrance of university, academic staff appeared too busy to help (Holloway, 2001), inconsistency in understanding and provision of dyslexia within and between departments and universities (Riddell & Weedon, 2006), lack of flexibility in means of assessment methods (i.e emphasis on written assessment), differences between educators' beliefs and their actual practices. In addition, many students with dyslexia are fearful of an unsympathetic attitude, feel a stigma attached to being dyslexic and choose not to declare dyslexia from the beginning of their studies or resist incorporating dyslexia into their identity (Jamieson & Morgan, 2007;Riddick, 2010).…”

Látlelet a pedagógusok befogadó neveléshez-oktatáshoz való hozzáállásáról

“…A fogyatékosokkal szembeni attitűdöt leggyakrabban attitűdskálás méréssel -pl. ATDP, ORM, SACIE -(Szegő, 2008;Forlin, Loreman, Sharma és Earle, 2007;Pető és Czeglédi, 2012) vagy kvalitatív interjús vizsgálatokkal végzik (Holloway, 2001;Fuller, Bradley és Healey, 2004).…”