Disrupting Accommodations through Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education

Authors

  • Carly Armour

Abstract

While the world grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education institutions (HEI) decided to move classes to online modules. This interruption created issues for students with disabilities (SWDs) and students who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) who had to modify their accommodations. Ensuring equitable access to course content requires communication, problem-solving, and flexibility from faculty, service providers, and administrators—yet many students find the burden placed upon them. This is concerning because when students feel they are supported by their institutions, they are more likely to persist to graduate. How can we imagine a new system that is not fully dependent on students requesting accommodations in HEIs? This chapter reviews the accommodations and experiences of SWDs & DHH students and calls for considerations to disrupt the medical model of accommodations through Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in higher education.

How to cite this chapter:

Armour, C. D. (2022). Disrupting accommodations through universal design for learning in higher education.  In  R. Ammigan, R. Y. Chan, & K. Bista, (eds), COVID-19 and higher education in the global context: Exploring contemporary issues and challenges (pp. 93-106). STAR Scholars. https://starscholars.org/product/covid-19-and-higed/

Author Biography

  • Carly Armour

    Carly D. Armour is a doctoral student in the Higher Education & Student Affairs program at the University of Iowa. She has a Social Work background and previously worked for a large research university’s disability services for over a decade before returning to school to advance her education. Her research focuses on the higher education experiences of undergraduate and graduate students with disabilities and students who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing. Email: carlyarmour@gmail.com

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Published

2021-09-26

Issue

2022: COVID-19 and Higher Education in the Global Context: Exploring Contemporary Issues and Challenges

Section

COVID-19 and Global Higher Education (Completed)

How to Cite

Disrupting Accommodations through Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education. (2021). Comparative & International Education Series, 93-106. https://ojed.org/cies/article/view/2820