Date of Degree
2024
Degree Name
Ed.D. (Doctor of Education)
Department
Department of Counseling and Higher Education (CAHE)
Director
Hu, Xiaodan
Committee Members
Mac, Jacqueline; Hutchings, Quortne
Keywords
Disability, higher education, online course, accessibility, COVID-19, community college, disabled students, sense of belonging, equity
Abstract
ABSTRACT
A QUALITATIVE CASE STUDY OF DISABLED STUDENTS’
EXPERIENCES WITH ONLINE COURSE ACCESSIBILITY
DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Jason Altmann, Ed.D.
Department of Counseling and Higher Education
Northern Illinois University, 2024
Xiaodan Hu, Director
This dissertation presents a qualitative case study exploring the experiences of disabled students with online course accessibility during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study investigates how the abrupt shift to online learning impacted the accessibility of educational materials and support services for disabled students in a large, suburban community college.
Critical Disability Theory (CDT) framework was utilized to guide interview questions and explore the connection between the initial reaction of disabled students upon realizing an online course is inaccessible, disabled students’ interactions with the faculty, and the impact of online course accessibility on disabled students’ sense of belonging at the college. Data was analyzed using the elements of CDT as frames of inquiry. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with disabled students, focusing on their perceptions, challenges faced, and sense of belonging during this unprecedented period.
Findings underscored significant barriers encountered, including technological accessibility, need for faculty training on developing accessible online courses and materials, and need for institutional investment in creating readily accessible online courses. The study highlights the recommended measures for higher education institutions to invest in, such as implementing a policy for creating readily accessible online courses in compliance with existing disability rights laws, and offering professional development opportunities on designing accessible online courses and content for the faculty members.
Publisher
Northern Illinois University
Rights Statement
In Copyright
Rights Statement 2
NIU theses and dissertations are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors, unless otherwise indicated.
Recommended Citation
Altmann, Jason, "A QUALITATIVE CASE STUDY OF DISABLED STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCES WITH ONLINE COURSE ACCESSIBILITY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC" (2024). Dissertations of Practice. 31.
https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/allgraduate-disspractice/31
