Ellen Broido, Bowling Green State University

Kirsten Brown, The University of Wisconsin - Madison

Edlyn Peña, California Lutheran University

Susan Rankin, Penn State (retired)

Lissa Stapleton, The University of Southern Mississippi

Katherine Stygles, Bowling Green State University

Understanding and Researching Disability in Higher Education: Emerging

Perspectives

ACPA 2015

Discuss techniques for inclusive assessment and research

Examine positionality

Interrogate assumptions

Consider implications

Explore challenges

In this program we will:

• Institution• Position

Who are you?

What do you hope to learn today?

Checking in

11% of college students have a disability; numbers growing

Number of disabled/faculty and staff/with disabilities also presumed to be rising

Inadequate information about the experiences of disabled/people/with disabilities

Why Research Disability?

Disability Percent of Students

Learning disabilities 31%

ADD/ADHD 18%

Mental illness, psychological or psychiatric 15%

Heath & chronic conditions 11%

Mobility or orthopedic 7%

Hearing 4%

Seeing 3%

Cognitive or intellectual 3%

Brain injury 2%

Autism 2%

Speaking 1%

Kinds of Disabilities

(Raue & Lewis, 2011)

Disability Percent of Students

Learning disabilities 31%

ADD/ADHD 18%

Mental illness, psychological or psychiatric 15%

Heath & chronic conditions 11%

Mobility or orthopedic 7%

“Other” 15%

Kinds of Disabilities

(Raue & Lewis, 2011)

Learning disabilities

; 31%

ADD/ADHD; 18%Mental illness, psycho-

logical or psychi-

atric; 15%

Heath & chronic

conditions; 11%

Mobility & Ortho-pedic, 7%

Kinds of Disabilities

Identify methodological considerations

Describe challenges, suggest strategies, and

propose solutions

Purpose

A mix of disabled and temporarily-able bodied women

scholars

• campus climate,

• activism, • and identity

who have studied

regarding disability within higher education.

We Are…

How would you develop a survey or interview protocol that was inclusive of people with disabilities?

Discussion Question

Empirical research is scarce

Disability studies is typically theoretical

Methodological issues are not given much attention

Negative consequences

Methodological Issues in Disability Studies Research

Medical ModelMinority ModelSocial Constructionist

Social Justice

Divergent Theoretical Paradigms

Positionality

Language & Labels

Accessing Participants

HSRB

Four Methodological Concerns

Biases, values, and experiences

Own and participants’ social identities

Power or privilege

Lived experience

Intersectionality

Researcher’s Positionality

People-first Identity-firstParticipants’

preferred language

Language and Labeling

For collective references, disabled/people/with disabilities

Cultivating participants’ trust

Gatekeepers

Rapport

Accessing Participants

Vulnerable populationsScope and focus

Reputational recruiting

Human Subjects Review Boards

Research Design Considerations: Qualitative

Data Collection

Synchronous Asynchronous

Trustworthiness

Operational definitions

Survey Accessibility

Design

Assistive Technology

Data Cleaning

Research Design Considerations: Quantitative

Universal Research Design

•Respects participants•Involves participants•Is fully accessible•Considers privilege and oppression

• Has meaningful practical outcomes

Explore identity intersections and influence of researcher positionality

Recommendations:

Small Group Work

Group 1

• Practitioners• Assessment

Group 2

• Faculty/ Graduate students

• Research

Small Group Questions

How could you use these concepts to shape your assessment or research efforts?

What challenges are you facing/do you anticipate facing as you conduct your research/assessment?

Which model presented is useful in your work with people with disabilities?  What are the strengths and limitations?

What questions remain for you?

Report Back

Summarize your study

Common themes across studies

Areas for improvement

Questions

Access our PowerPoint, articles, and resources at:

https://disabilityresearchinhighereducation.wordpress.com/

For Further Information

Ellen Broido, Bowling Green State

University

ebroido@bgsu.edu

Kirsten Brown, University of

Wisconsin – Madison

krbrown7@wisc.edu

Edlyn Peña, California Lutheran

University epena@callutheran.edu

Susan Rankin, Penn State (retired)

sxr2@psu.edu

Lissa Stapleton, University of

Southern Mississippilissa.stapleton@msu.edu

Katherine Stygles, Bowling

Green State University

kstygle@bgsu.edu

https://disabilityresearchinhighereducation.wordpress.com/