HUMAN RIGHTS: Students with Disabilities and Post-Secondary education

1
HUMAN RIGHTSStudents with Disabilitiesand
Post-Secondary education

• Presented by
• Krystine Donato
• November 14th, 2004

2
Outline

• Background information
• Legislation
• Previous research
• My research

3
BACKGROUND HUMAN RIGHTS AND POST-SECONDARY
INSTITUTIONS

• Students were excluded from participating in
  public education
• Amended in 1989 but did not include
  post-secondary
• Choices specialized educational settings or
  entered the job market

4
UN DECLARATION

• STATES
• Everyone has a right to education.
• Education shall be directed to the full
  development of personality and to the
  strengthening of respect for human rights and
  fundamental freedoms.

5
Students with disabilitiesPrior to 1980s

• Many students with disabilities were denied
  acceptance to any post-secondary institution
• A study done in the mid-1970s showed that of
  applicant with disabilities
• 18 were blind, 27 were in wheelchairs, 22 were
  deaf

6
Statistics after the 1990s

• Conclusions are more specific to disability
  categories
• 41 had a learning disability, 19 had health
  related disabilities, 13 were either partially
  sighted or blind, 12 were hearing impaired, 9
  had physical impairments, 5 had speech
  impairments
• Additionally 22 reported having other
  disabilities

7
Legislation and social policy

• Supports the rights of students with disabilities
  
• Recognizes a students need for empowerment and
  self-determination
• the very idea of a right is that it should be
  recognized without view to inconvenience,
  competing priorities and disruptive effect
  (Gilson, 1996)

8
Canada and the United States

• Both have had several political movements to
  ensure that education is made accessible for
  students with disabilities
• Canadas disability movement has been clearly
  defined through inclusion of equality guarantees
  for people with disabilities in its constitution
  (Baker, D. 1993)

9
Early Legislation

• The early 1970s saw a focus on improving
  conditions for people with disabilities
• United States brought forth Section 504 of the
  Rehabilitation Act of 1973
• Ontario brought forth its legislation in the
  early 1980s with Bill 181 Education Act. This Act
  was revised again in 1998.

10
Legislation contd

• Section 504 directly impacted students with
  disabilities in higher education
• Outlined the responsibilities of higher
  educational institutions imposing an affirmative
  action obligation for providing equal opportunity
• Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
• Provides more accountability

11
Ontarios Bill 181

• Requires school boards to accommodate for
  students with disabilities
• Did not require post-secondary institutions to
  accommodate

12
Ontarians with DisabilitiesAct, 2001

• Was introduced in an effort to make life for
  people with disabilities more mainstreamed
• Post-secondary institutions hold a crucial role.
• Increases awareness and the quality of life for
  persons with disabilities

13
Previous Research

• Most of the literature focuses on either the
  student with a disability, faculty members or
  administration.
• We see a trend of pointing fingers
• Research tends to focus on areas of concern
  rather than what actually works

14
My Research

• The proposed research will explore perceptions of
  barriers and experience with accommodations with
  students with disabilities and faculty members at
  one Ontario University.
• When looking at the barriers students with
  disabilities face in post secondary institutions
  issues range from physical access to
  institutional policy.
• My thesis will shed light on some of the issues
  from the perspective of students with
  disabilities and faculty members using parallel
  data collection formats.

15
Goals of Proposed Research

• To provide a description of the experiences and
  anticipated needs of a group of post secondary
  students with disabilities
• To provide a description of the experiences and
  challenges of faculty who are attempting to
  accommodate the needs of students with
  disabilities

16
Anticipated Outcomes of Proposed Research

• To assist academic administrators in developing
  policies that support accommodations of students
  with disabilities
• To inform faculty about the needs of students
  with disabilities to assist them to be more
  effective in their instructional accommodations
• To inform students about the challenges faced by
  faculty as they attempt to accommodate the needs
  of students with disabilities so they can be more
  effective self-advocates.