The purpose of the current study was to evaluate student perceptions of the impact of a course developed to assist students with learning disorders, both learning disabilities and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD), transition and adjust to a university environment. Students' perceptions of the impact of the course over time were…

The responses of 81 Canadian junior and community college students with disabilities were used to develop and evaluate the Scale of Adaptive Information Technology Accessibility for Postsecondary Students with Disabilities (SAITAPSD). This is an 18-item self-administered tool that evaluates computing accessibility for and by students with various…

In 1999, "AHEAD" formally approved its first set of Program Standards. The Standards spelled out the services considered essential for ensuring equal access to education for students with disabilities. In addition, the Standards were intended to establish the parameters of what practitioners do as well as assert the credibility and uniqueness of…

The development and dissemination of Program Standards and Performance Indicators for disability services in higher education provides research-based direction for postsecondary institutions, consumers and governmental agencies with respect to the services necessary to provide equal access for college students with disabilities. Twenty-eight…

While experiential education has been part of higher education for a long time, access for students with disabilities is an emerging topic, broadening the scope of work for disability service providers. Participation in career-focused experiential education, such as internships and cooperative education, is an especially important learning…

The purpose of this study was to (a) examine the employment concerns of postsecondary students with disabilities and (b) develop strategies for improving their post-graduation employment outcomes. Utilizing an established methodology grounded in the ideals of participatory action research, the researchers surveyed a 208 students with various…

A mailed survey compared the experiences of distance-learning students with print disabilities who were supported by audio recordings of materials, the experiences of students with print disabilities who were supported by an electronic system that permitted more effective access to the same materials, and the experiences of students with no…

One cause of the underrepresentation of students with disabilities in postsecondary education may be a lack of appropriate and effective accommodations (e.g., West et al., 1993). This study hypothesized that ineffective and inappropriate accommodations result from an accommodation selection process that focuses on disability type rather than…

There is a lack of literature on the transition to career for college graduates with learning disabilities (LD). The present study presents the results of 170 college graduates' written, open-ended responses related to how the transition to career may be improved. Responses focused upon two main categories, Suggestions for Programs and Suggestions…

This study explored how undergraduate students diagnosed with AD/HD remain in college. Using a qualitative research design from a grounded theory perspective, the researchers captured the personal stories of 10 college students from two universities similar in location, size, and liberal arts tradition. The findings included themes related to…

The term universal design (UD) is becoming a more widely used term by AHEAD members, community agencies, architects, design faculties, and offices for students with disabilities in higher education As the term gains popularity, there is a growing sense of excitement when among those who are committed to practicing and living by the principles of…

Universal design for instruction (UDI) represents the systematic application of universal design, the construct from architecture and product development, to instructional practices in higher education. In addition to a description of the deliberative process by which UDI was developed, this article provides confirmatory evidence of the validity…

Authored by the teaching staff of T-560: Meeting the Challenge of Individual Differences at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, this article reflects on potential applications of universal design for learning (UDL) in university courses, illustrating major points with examples from T-560. The article explains the roots of UDL in cognitive…

Both learner-centered education (LCE) and universal design (UD) require an instructor to be constantly reflective and flexible. But although both focus on the needs of different types of learners, until now LCE has not explicitly included students with disabilities within the array of learners it seeks to serve. And the UD movement, while it…

Because of recent legislative mandates, students with disabilities have unprecedented opportunities to attend institutions of higher education. Access to instruction and assessment is provided through the use of reasonable accommodations. However, such accommodations are legally and procedurally complex. This article addresses the legal and…