Assistive technology management by disabilities services managers in higher education: A phenomenological study.

摘要

Disabilities services offices at higher education institutions support disabled students in their access to schools, classrooms, assistive technology, and coursework. Few studies exist covering the higher education level to examine the experiences of disabilities services staff in providing access and this restricts sharing of knowledge and best practices between those who hold these positions. This study examined the lived experiences of disabilities services managers who manage assistive technology in higher education in the Pacific Northwest, using data gathered from firsthand accounts. A purposive sample of 10 disabilities services managers was interviewed to explore what experiences they have had in the increasingly technological position of AT manager or coordinator. The phenomenological study discovered three major themes from these managers' or coordinators' experiences that reveal their lived experiences. Disabilities services managers disclosed that disabled students struggle with higher education regardless of age or disability, that there is a lack of support for disabilities services on many campuses, and that there are multifaceted burdens that exist within disabilities services that make access more difficult for these students. Moreover, disabilities services managers shared that accommodations vary greatly between similarly disabled students at the same school, further increasing the work on disabilities services managers to provide sufficient access. Further complicating this experience is that the academic preparation and training for the disabilities services management positions varies greatly. Further research would be advised and valuable to determine the degree to which these themes exist on a national or international level, and if there are better support models that exist, can be inferred and/or created for disabilities services offices at higher education institutions.