Students with Disabilities & Online Learning: a National Study

Students with Disabilities & Online Learning: A National Study of Enrollment & Perceived Satisfaction with Institutional Accessibility Compliance & Services Distance education has grown significantly over the past two decades, yet accessibility compliance with regards to online learning has been slow to develop. The need to evaluate and enforce online course accessibility standards is gaining momentum among educators, students, and legislators. The purpose of this study was to determine an approximate number of students with disabilities enrolled in online courses, certifications, and degree programs since such data is not collected by any state or federal agency, private, or public. The results of the study revealed students' concerns with being successful in an online learning environment due to their disability, as well as emphasized the importance of ensuring that institutions of higher learning committed to distance education are aware of accessibility compliance. Recommendations on how institutions can take steps toward meeting all accessibility standards without sacrificing rigor and dynamic online courses are provided. Participants will learn: (a) how many students identify themselves as having a disability; (b) how many such students are currently enrolled in for-credit online courses, certifications, and degree programs; (c) what potential impact does their disability have on their ability to succeed in an online environment; (d) what has been their overall experience in their online courses with regards to disability disclosure and requests for accommodations; (e) what is the level of satisfaction in their respective institutions accessibility services with regards to online courses.