Assistive technologies, educational engagement and psychosocial outcomes among students with disabilities in higher education

Abstract

Purpose

Increasing numbers of students with disabilities are accessing higher education each year, yet little is known about their assistive technology (AT) needs and its influence on relevant outcomes. The aim of this study was to examine met/unmet AT needs on educational engagement, academic self-efficacy and well-being and the impact of AT use in the areas of competence, adaptability and self-esteem for students with disabilities in higher education in Ireland.

Methods

One hundred and eleven students with disabilities completed a cross-sectional online survey comprising the College Learning Effectiveness Inventory, the Student Course Engagement Questionnaire, the Self-Efficacy for Learning Form Abridged, the Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale, and the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale.

Results

AT use was found to have a positive psychosocial impact in the areas of competence, adaptability and self-esteem. Those whose AT needs were fully met scored significantly higher on academic self-efficacy, well-being, and on 4 of the 10 educational engagement subscales compared to those who had unmet AT needs. Met/unmet AT needs were not predictive of educational engagement.

Conclusion

These findings highlight the importance of AT from both educational engagement and psychosocial perspectives for students with a wide variety of disability diagnoses. The wide-reaching benefits of AT must be considered by governmental departments when making funding allocations to disability services within higher education institutions.

Implications for rehabilitation

• Students with disabilities can face many additional challenges within the higher education environment.

• Findings from this research show that access to appropriate assistive technology can support students’ educational engagement, increase well-being and academic self-efficacy and have a positive impact in the areas of competence, adaptability and self-esteem.

• Disability and Assistive Technology Officers in higher education should be cognizant of both the educational and psychological benefits of assistive technology across diverse students with various disability diagnoses.

• Policy makers should consider the wide-reaching benefits of assistive technology when making funding allocations to higher education institutions.

Keywords:

• Assistive technology
• educational engagement
• academic self-efficacy
• well-being
• quality of life
• higher education
• disability

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Irish Research Council Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship (Project ID GOIPG/2019/2471).