Building More-Inclusive Institutional Research for Disabled Populations in the Campus Community. The AIR Professional File, Summer 2024. Article 174

Traditional institutional research systems may limit who is counted and how they are counted because of limitations associated with disability classification, self-disclosure of disability status, and accessibility limitations inherent within some data-collection methods. As postsecondary institutions work toward improving access for disabled groups, the ways in which they collect and report information related to this population becomes even more important. The purpose of this article is therefore to explore current issues faced by institutional research offices when conducting research that includes or is about disabled people, and to propose questions for institutional research professionals to consider. After providing an overview of disabled subpopulations on campus, we focus on four areas: (1) identifying and discussing or defining disabled individuals, (2) ensuring the ethical and equitable treatment of disabled individuals, (3) using accessible methods of data collection, and (4) reporting on disabled populations and disseminating results. We provide a supplementary resource for institutional research professionals in an appendix. This appendix includes questions to consider during the planning and research development phases, as well as the data analysis and dissemination phases.