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Defining Reasonable Accommodations in Higher Education for Adult Students with Disabili PDF

231 Pages·2017·1.87 MB·English
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Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2016 A National Mixed Methods Research Study: Defining Reasonable Accommodations in Higher Education for Adult Students with Disabilities Anita Schwartz Walden University Follow this and additional works at:https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations Part of theHigher Education Administration Commons,Higher Education and Teaching Commons, and theLaw Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please [email protected]. Walden University College of Social and Behavioral Sciences This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Anita Schwartz has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Sandra Mahoney, Committee Chairperson, Psychology Faculty Dr. Linda Whinghter, Committee Member, Psychology Faculty Dr. Richard Thompson, University Reviewer, Psychology Faculty Chief Academic Officer Eric Riedel, Ph.D. Walden University 2016 Abstract A National Mixed Methods Research Study: Defining Reasonable Accommodations in Higher Education for Adult Students with Disabilities by Anita Schwartz MSW, Fordham University, 2005 BS, Mercy College, 2002 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Organizational Psychology Walden University October 2016 Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions that differ among university personnel and students with disabilities regarding the vagueness in the legal definition of the term reasonable accommodations. The theoretical framework that guided this study was the social model of disability. Using a sequential mixed-method design, the first strand surveyed 98 students and 93 personnel; then 10% of each group participated in an interview or focus group. The main research questions explored the different accommodations offered by university personnel versus those that were used by students and the different perceptions of the term reasonable accommodations in accordance with ADA law. A chi-square test was used to analyze yes/no survey data and a t test was used for the Likert scale question. In the first strand there were statistically significant findings in distribution and perception of 35 specific accommodations, including advocacy and counseling. Both focus group and interview data were analyzed and themes emerged, such as specific accommodations. An important finding from the qualitative strand was that more than half the students thought they were not receiving reasonable accommodations while the majority of university personnel thought they provided reasonable accommodations. The key result was the lack of a clear consensus between students with disabilities and university personnel in definitions of reasonable accommodations. Disseminating the results of this research study can create positive social change in the legislative and academic arenas by creating a better understanding of the impact of the current standard of reasonable accommodations. One recommendation is the creation of federal and state level commissions to administer, manage, and maintain policies for colleges. Defining Reasonable Accommodations in Higher Education for Adult Students with Disabilities by Anita Schwartz MSW, Fordham University, 2005 BS, Mercy College, 2002 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Organizational Psychology Walden University October 2016 Table of Contents List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... vi Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study ....................................................................................1 Background ....................................................................................................................2 Problem Statement .........................................................................................................4 Purpose of the Study ......................................................................................................4 Research Questions and Hypotheses .............................................................................5 Theoretical Foundation ..................................................................................................8 Nature of Study ..............................................................................................................9 Operational Definitions ..................................................................................................9 Assumptions and Limitations ......................................................................................14 Scope and Delimitations ..............................................................................................14 Limitations ...................................................................................................................15 Significance of the Study .............................................................................................16 Summary ......................................................................................................................16 Chapter 2: Literature Review .............................................................................................18 Content and Organization of the Literature Review ....................................................18 Issues Related to Higher Education and ADA Law.....................................................20 Review of the Literature ..............................................................................................21 Court Cases Pertaining to ADA .............................................................................22 Problematic Issues .................................................................................................24 Aspects of Social Change ............................................................................................26 Current Changes in the Law ..................................................................................28 i The Amendments ...................................................................................................29 Current Status of ADA and Recommendations .....................................................29 Outcomes of Court Cases Pertaining to ADA .......................................................33 Court Cases Pertaining to ADA Regarding Higher Education ..............................37 Research Studies Regarding ADA Accommodations ............................................42 Why Study Accommodations? ..............................................................................49 Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................50 Theories Related to Topic ......................................................................................50 Theories Related to Methodology ..........................................................................53 The Need for a Concrete Theory ...........................................................................55 Design Protocol ............................................................................................................55 Summary ......................................................................................................................58 Chapter 3: Research Method ..............................................................................................60 Introduction ..................................................................................................................60 Methodology of the Study: Quantitative and Qualitative Data ...................................60 Methodological Rationale ............................................................................................61 Research Design and Approach ...................................................................................64 Role of the Researcher .................................................................................................67 Context of the Study ....................................................................................................67 Ethical Considerations and Procedures ........................................................................69 Protection of Human Participants ................................................................................70 Setting and Sample ......................................................................................................70 Participant Sample .......................................................................................................71 ii Data Collection and Analysis.......................................................................................72 Procedures ....................................................................................................................72 Selection of Participants ........................................................................................72 Instrumentation and Materials ...............................................................................76 Data-Collection Techniques ...................................................................................79 Data-Analysis Techniques .....................................................................................81 Descriptive Statistics, Parametric, and Nonparametric Testing .............................82 Data Mixing ...........................................................................................................83 Dissemination of Findings ...........................................................................................88 Summary ......................................................................................................................89 Chapter 4: Results ..............................................................................................................90 Introduction ..................................................................................................................90 Setting ..........................................................................................................................92 Demographics ..............................................................................................................92 Data Collection ............................................................................................................92 Data Analysis ...............................................................................................................93 Results ..........................................................................................................................94 Quantitative Components.......................................................................................94 Statistical Analysis—Categorical Data ..................................................................97 Statistical Analysis—Numeric Data ......................................................................99 Qualitative Components.......................................................................................107 Focus Groups .......................................................................................................109 Member Checking ................................................................................................122 iii Interviews ...................................................................................................................122 Mixing Data ...............................................................................................................140 Evidence of Trustworthiness ......................................................................................146 Credibility ............................................................................................................146 Transferability ......................................................................................................146 Summary ....................................................................................................................146 Chapter 5: Conclusion......................................................................................................148 Introduction ................................................................................................................148 Background ..........................................................................................................148 Nature of Study ....................................................................................................148 Interpretation of the Findings...............................................................................148 Quantitative Data .................................................................................................149 Qualitative Data ...................................................................................................150 Mixing Data .........................................................................................................157 Limitations of the Study.............................................................................................161 Recommendations ......................................................................................................162 Implications................................................................................................................164 Positive Social Change in Policy on the Individual’s Level ................................165 Conclusion .................................................................................................................166 References ........................................................................................................................167 Appendix A: List of Accommodations ............................................................................191 Appendix B: Letter to Editors of National Newspapers ..................................................193 Appendix C: Letter to Disability Service Centers ...........................................................194 iv Appendix D: Facebook.com Page, General Information .................................................195 Appendix E: NIH Certificate of Completion ...................................................................197 Appendix F: Survey .........................................................................................................198 Appendix G: Permission Letter to Utilize Public Domain Survey ..................................214 Appendix H: Total Themes ..............................................................................................217 Appendix I: University Personnel of How They View Accommodations ......................218 Appendix J: Syllabus From University Personnel Given in an Interview .......................219 v

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