Strategies to Increase Online Student Success for Students with Disabilities

Authors

  • Kristen Betts Armstrong Atlantic State University 11935 Abercorn Street Savannah, GA 31419
  • Alex Cohen Alex Cohen is currently a Ph.D. student in marketing at the LeBow College of Business at Drexel University where his research focuses on accessibility marketing. Prior to beginning his doctoral program, Alex taught courses as an adjunct professor in Drexel University’s School of Hospitality Management. He has over 15 years of experience in the hospitality industry holding positions such as director of sales & marketing, general manager, and senior VP of operations. As a non-traditional student, Alex completed his Master’s degree in hospitality management in an on-line program at Drexel University. Diagnosed at age 20, Alex has a degenerative retinal disease known as Retinitis Pigmentosa which has robbed him of most of his vision. Alex lives in downtown Philadelphia with his wife and two young sons.
  • Daniel Veit Texas School for the Deaf
  • Henry C. Alphin Drexel University
  • Chanel Broadus Camden County College

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v17i3.324

Keywords:

Online education, distance education, access, accessibility, disability, engagement, retention, attrition, student success, program development, faculty development

Abstract

Online education provides extensive opportunities for individuals with disabilities to enroll in degree and certificate programs. However, accessibility must be a key component of online program development since this can have a profound affect on student engagement in and outside of the online classroom, academic performance, and completion rates. This article provides a unique perspective on accessibility in online education. One current online student and three alumni of online programs provide video self-introductions, an overview of their online experience., and strategies for increasing student success in online courses and programs for students with disabilities. Strategies are also shared for integrating accessibility as a critical component within faculty development to ensure accessibility goes beyond the Office of Disability Services and becomes an integral part of online teaching, learning, and assessment.

Author Biographies

Kristen Betts, Armstrong Atlantic State University 11935 Abercorn Street Savannah, GA 31419

Dr. Kristen Betts is the Director of Online & Blended Learning at Armstrong Atlantic State University. In this position, Dr. Betts is leading innovative initiatives with Academic Affairs, Information Technology Services, and the University System of Georgia to develop new online and blended programs including certificates and undergraduate/graduate degrees. Prior to Armstrong, Dr. Betts served as the Senior Director for eLearning at Drexel University. In this position, she led innovative online and blended program initiatives across 13 colleges and schools and the Center for Graduate Studies in Sacramento, CA which included over 90 online and blended programs. Dr. Betts was actively involved in leading programs and campus initiatives that received distinguished national and international awards including: 2008 Best Practices Award in Distance Learning Programming from the United States Distance Learning Association; 2010 Sloan-C Excellence in Institution-Wide Online Education; Grand Bronze Medal Award and Gold Award for the 2011 NASPA Excellence Awards; and 2011 Blackboard Collaborate™ Hall of Fame Award for Excellence in Collaboration. Dr. Betts has over 15 years of experience as an administrator, program director, associate clinical professor, and adjunct instructor with private and public institutions. Dr. Betts publishes and presents nationally and internationally on online and blended education, student/faculty recruitment and retention, Online Human Touch, Online First-Year Experience, eAdvising, eStudent Affairs, branding, dashboards, neuroplasticity, accessibility, adult learning, cooperative education/work integrated learning, and faculty development.

Daniel Veit, Texas School for the Deaf

Daniel P. Veit is currently a Transition Specialist at Texas School for the Deaf in Austin, and provides a variety of support to students and teachers to address the issues related to transition from high school to life after graduation. Prior to working at Texas School for the Deaf, Daniel worked as a Career Consultant for six years at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. Daniel is currently a graduate student at Drexel University, pursuing his Master of Science degree in Higher Education, and working on a thesis related to deaf and hard of hearing students taking online classes, focusing on their accessibility issues and experiences.

Henry C. Alphin, Drexel University

Henry C. Alphin Jr., MS, is a higher education administrator and research affiliate at Drexel University, and a higher education consultant. His research efforts on higher education include: the history and future of global accreditation; philosophy of higher education; economic impact, development and analysis in higher education; e-learning accessibility and disability theory; virtual worlds and higher education; and strategic management. Mr. Alphin holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Drexel’s Bennett S. LeBow College of Business, a Master of Science in Higher Education (MSHE) from Drexel’s School of Education, and he is a Master of Business Administration (MBA) student at the Warwick Business School of Warwick University.

Chanel Broadus, Camden County College

Chanel Broadus is an alumnus of the Master of Science in Higher Education Administration program at Drexel University, where she completed her degree in December, 2010 with a 4.0 G.P.A. She possesses a Bachelor of Science degree in Legal Studies from Saint Joseph’s University, and an Associate in Applied Science in Paralegal Studies from the Community College of Philadelphia, from which she graduated with a 4.0 G.P.A. and as a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. Ms. Broadus has over ten years of professional experience of administration in higher education, the legal profession, information technology, and human resources. Ms. Broadus’ higher education experience was rooted in the Community College of Philadelphia, at which she was employed for three years in the Office of Academic Advising. During her time in this position, Ms. Broadus was directly responsible for the redesign of the departmental operations to ensure its daily success. This involved complicated analysis and interpretation of union contracts that governed the responsibilities, payment determinations, and the evaluation methods of both the faculty and staff, and union contractual grievance procedures. During her tenure at Community College of Philadelphia, Ms. Broadus was crucial to the training and professional development of both paid and faculty advisors, and she devised an advising departmental manual that was used by all of the College’s campuses. She further coordinated the functional specifications requirements of new software that was later developed and implemented to assist with the management of the complex advising system. Additionally, Ms. Broadus was a member of the Joint Curriculum Advising Committee, the Paralegal Advisory Board, the Student Appeals Committee, the Judicial Hearing Committee, and served as a Student Appeals Advisor.

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Published

2013-09-30

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 3 (2013)

Section

Integrating Accessibility into Online Higher Education

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