Research That Matters (January 17 - 20, 2008)

Background: About nine percent of all undergraduates in institutions of postsecondary education report having a disability, a number that has tripled in the last two decades. Twenty-six percent of students with disabilities attend public four year institutions similar to the University used in this study. Student and faculty attitudes towards students with disabilities create an academic culture that leads to barriers to the successful implantation of accommodations for students with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to asses the attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge of University students and faculty on disability-related issues.

Method: Interviewers intercepted students at a variety of locations on campus in March 2006 and administered a survey to a total of 881 undergraduate students (191 freshmen, 258 sophomores, 241 juniors, and 191 seniors). The margin of error for a sample of this size is a maximum of + 3.3% at the 95% confidence interval.

The faculty and graduate student survey was an internet survey in January 2007. A total of 2,056 faculty and graduate students completed the survey. The participants were reached via the Internet. Emails were sent out to all faculty and graduate students at the University, including the Health Center, Law School, and the regional locations. This survey has a sample error of no more than 1.65 percentage points in either direction with a 95% level of confidence.

Results: Results indicate that individuals with disabilities are viewed positively, are generally admired, and report that inclusion on campus is beneficial. While many students and faculty know and work regularly with individuals with disabilities, the majority sometimes feels awkward, embarrassed or pity in these interactions. Students and faculty report that there needs to be improvement in promoting disability awareness such as greater communication about the University's Academic Accommodations Policy or classroom discussions.

Inside the classroom, the majority of faculty members (65%) and graduate students (51%) that teach report that they have provided accommodations for students with disabilities with little extra time, effort, or inconvenience. In the undergraduate student survey about one-third of students polled had no professors this semester who asked if students with disabilities needed to meet to discuss accommodations (either through announcements or syllabus information).

According to the majority of faculty members (65%) and graduate students (65%) who teach, they do not include disability-related topics into their classroom discussions because they feel it is not relevant to their topics.

Implications: Findings indicate that more needs to be done to promote the awareness of students with disabilities on campus, including more interactions with students with disabilities to assist individuals to feel more comfortable working together. Training for faculty and graduate students is needed including accommodations and incorporating disability issues into course materials. The study results will be discussed to guide Universities and social work educators to make their campus environments more hospitable for all students, particularly those with disabilities. In addition findings will assist disability advocates and social work faculty to increase their knowledge of the prevailing attitudes and areas for improvement on campuses.