Unveiling ableism and disablism in assessment: a critical analysis of disabled students’ experiences of assessment and assessment accommodations

Abstract

This study examines the underlying mechanisms of ableism and disablism in the assessment of student learning in higher education. Globally, higher education institutions rely strongly on assessment accommodations (e.g., extra time in tests) to ensure disabled students’ participation in assessment. This is also the case in Finland. Even though research on disabled students’ experiences of assessment has repeatedly shown that both assessment and assessment accommodations cause barriers for disabled students’ inclusion, critically oriented research on this topic has been scarce. In this study, the frameworks of ableism and disablism are used to unveil how assessment is predominantly designed for “the ideal, able student” and how disabled students are framed as “the Other” through assessment. This work is based on an analysis of 139 disabled students’ experiences of assessment and assessment accommodations as collected through an open-ended, institution-wide survey at a Finnish university. The findings reveal the profound role of assessment in excluding and marginalizing disabled students as unfit to take part in the testing cultures of academia. The accommodation model is shown to hold disabled people responsible for their own exclusion. Disablism is identified in students’ experiences of outright discrimination, such as teachers denying access to assessment accommodations when they are officially granted. This study offers a novel, critical means of discussing assessment from the viewpoints of diversity and inclusion. It also proposes future trajectories for anti-ableist assessment approaches that understand diversity as enriching, rather than obscuring, assessment.

“Mathematics is a battle, but I’ve learned to survive”: becoming a disabled student in university mathematics

“…The deficit view of disability overshadowed our participants' narration of their mathematical identities. This reflects the presence and pervasiveness of a strong medical discourse and the marginalisation of disabilities in the discursive spaces of higher education (Nieminen, 2022(Nieminen, , 2023 and mathematics education .…”

“…Likewise, abilities provide a watershed for knowing students in universities. Acquiring disability adjustments requires one to be labelled as "a person with a disability" through a fine-detailed and bureaucratic application process (Nieminen, 2022(Nieminen, , 2023. These categorisation processes are social, legal, medical, and material.…”

“…Three participants had a diagnosis of conditions characterised as mental health issues (e.g., depression, panic disorder). In Finnish universities, learning disabilities and mental health issues are the most common reasons for providing disability adjustments: these conditions represent typical disabilities in academic settings (Nieminen, 2023). All students majored in mathematics or mathematics education, representing both bachelor's and master's degree students.…”

Burnout through the Lenses of Equity/Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Disabled People: A Scoping Review

“…Burnout is also linked to the stress of having to constantly encounter systemic problems such as racism [7]. Disabled people face many challenges that can lead to disability/disablism burnout: in employment [20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28], including in securing employment in the first place [40,291]; as students [292][293][294][295][296][297][298][299] in all levels of education [40]; as activists [29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38]147]; and in their daily lives [40,82]. As such, our finding that the literature covered hardly engaged with the burnout of disabled people is problematic.…”

Mindshift in autism: a call to professionals in research, clinical, and educational settings

“…Within an educational setting, this means facilitating access to appropriate supports and accommodations for students in our classrooms and laboratories as well as bolstering their own self-advocacy ( 29 ). Because the process of obtaining accommodations can serve as a barrier to access for many Autistic students ( 30 , 31 ), it may also be helpful to incorporate principles from Universal Design for Learning [UDL; ( 32 , 33 )] to create a more equitable learning environment. Although more research is needed to clarify the efficacy, scope, and implementation of UDL ( 34 , 35 ), helpful strategies might include providing course materials in multiple formats, including written captions and alt text for videos and images, supplementing in-person handouts with online pdf versions, allowing for alternative participation modalities, providing written feedback at regular points throughout the semester, and including links and information related to accessibility resources within the course syllabi ( 33 , 36 ).…”