Universal Design for Instruction for Students with Disabilities at the Postsecondary Level

In recent years there has been a considerable increase in the number of students with disabilities enrolling for postsecondary education. However, graduation rates for students with disabilities have not been commensurate with their enrollment rate at postsecondary institutions. Some factors for low graduation rate among students with disabilities are lack of proper educational support and services, lack of academic skills and readiness, inadequate transitional support, and lack of awareness and knowledge among faculty regarding students with disabilities and the accommodations they need. One way to address the factors leading to low graduation rate is to incorporate the concept and principles of Universal Design for Instruction (UDI) in teaching practices at the postsecondary level. UDI is an educational approach that is inclusive in nature and affords equal opportunities to all students, including students with disabilities. The purpose of this mixed methods study was (i) to uncover the extent to which students with disabilities perceived that faculty members at University of Arkansas, Fayetteville (UFA) were incorporating the principles and practices of UDI while teaching (ii) to investigate the perception of faculty members at UAF regarding the extent of usage of principles and practices of UDI and (iii) to investigate the perception of students with disabilities regarding the teaching practices of instructors that can help them succeed in their classes at UAF. Surveys and semi-structured interviews were used to achieve the purpose of this study. The findings of the study showed that according to student report and faculty self-report faculty members were more likely to use certain principles of UDI as compared to other principles. The discipline, year of college, rank, gender and experience teaching students with disabilities had an effect on how respondents responded to certain survey items compared to other items. Results from semi-structured interviews showed that students with disabilities can benefit if principles of UDI are incorporated in teaching practices at the postsecondary level. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]