A whole-campus approach to technology and inclusion of students with disabilities in higher education in Ireland

Abstract

The increasing demand for equitable higher education necessitates changes in how to consider and develop inclusive university settings. Using a systems-thinking lens, this article examines the whole-campus approach to technology and inclusion of college students with disabilities in Ireland. In-depth interviews with students with disabilities and other stakeholders representing higher education, non-profit organizations, and government bodies uncovered critical areas and dynamics for understanding and building institution-wide capacity for overcoming barriers to technology and access, and creating a systemic culture of inclusion in higher education. Five themes were identified: equity of technology-based access; shared responsibility and accountability; staff knowledge development; institutional commitment and management; and student partnership. The study indicated that embedding guidance, recognition and expectations for universal design, technology-inclusive practice, and meaningful input of students with disabilities across all areas of university life would help to cultivate more equitable higher education for all.

Points of interest

• The whole-campus approach to technology and inclusion recommends that all aspects of university life are fully accessible and inclusive to all.

• Creating settings across institutions that can be accessed and used by all, to the greatest extent possible, and developing staff’s responsibility and skills for technology and practices that include students with disabilities are important areas for further action.

• Greater recognition of teaching and professional development for inclusive education is required.

• Promoting assistive technologies and teaching and learning approaches for inclusion in terms of their wide-reaching benefits and diversity, rather than focusing exclusively on disability, may be a promising step towards making inclusion mainstream.

• Fully including students with disabilities in making decisions on matters that affect their experiences and technology in college is necessary to support inclusion across university campuses.

Keywords:

• Disability
• technology
• inclusion
• higher education
• whole-campus approach
• universal design

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the research participants for sharing their experiences and insights. They also thank the Irish Research Council Government of Ireland for funding this research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research is funded by the Irish Research Council Government of Ireland under the COALESCE Research Fund of Collaborative Alliances for Societal Challenges [COALESCE Strand: 2019/14].