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Introduction: The environment, both natural and man-made, can influence how we learn and socialise. For some, the environment can be a challenge to overcome. The purpose of this study was to establish a student's perspective on the sensory aspects of the learning and social environments of a university. Methods: A survey design based upon Winnie Dunn's Adult/Adolescent Sensory Profile was developed specifically for this study; 150 disabled students responded to the survey, which was analysed using descriptive statistics and template analysis. Results: The final template analysis identified 3 main themes with 10 sub-themes, with each sub-theme relating to the research question as well as to the level of explanation: (a) Theme one: Barriers in the environment described noise, poor lighting, crowding and lack of visual cues that created difficulties for the respondents to this survey. The sub-themes were obstacles to learning in the library, obstacles to learning in lectures, obstacles to learning in exams and ventilation in learning spaces. (b) Theme two: Reactions to barriers, included how respondents react to sensory overload and uncertainty in the environment. The sub-themes encompassed problems when schedules change regularly, and reactions when overwhelmed in college. (c) Theme three: Improving the environment refers to suggestions that respondents made to improving the environment for all students to enable engagement and participation within college. The sub-themes compromised of developing a safe space for managing sensory needs, seeking natural elements across campus, seeking awareness, as well as adaptions and strategies for transitions. Conclusion: Respondents identified how individuals have varied responses to sensory stimuli thereby increasing our understanding. They pointed to a way forward for institutes of higher education to design spaces that are more inclusive by putting forward suggestions for greater use of green space, better furnishings and minimisation of distractions, thereby increasing the health and welfare for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to examine rates of college students’ housing insecurity from September to November 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on whether there are differences in disabled and nondisabled students’ housing insecurity controlling for additional demographic variables and pandemic- related experiences. Using a large sample of 70,210 students enrolled at 130 community and technical colleges and 72 four-year colleges, we discovered that students with chronic illnesses, physical disabilities, psychological disorders, and multiple disabilities had significantly greater odds of experiencing housing insecurity compared to their peers. Students with cognitive, learning, or neurological disorders or disabilities and those who had no disabilities or medical conditions had significantly lower odds of experiencing housing insecurity compared to other students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spanish universities are mostly designed to accommodate normal students who do not have any kind of disability. This is evident not only in the physical structures, but also in the curricular designs, in the methodologies used and in the absence of training for lectures and administrative staff. In this context, the purpose of this paper is to present the objectives and measures of the student support service policy of a Spanish university. To this end, we will firstly describe and analyze the objectives and actions within the program, and then carry out a first qualitative evaluation and assessment based on semi-structured interviews with disabled students who are the beneficiaries of the program. The initial results show low satisfaction on the part of the beneficiary students and a perception of the need to take into account the educational requirements of students with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to identify the impact of e-Learning on the development of academic and social interaction skills among students with learning disabilities in Jordan from the perspective of their teachers. The study sample consisted of teachers of disabled students in Amman, Jordan, using the descriptive approach. The results showed that social interaction was on high level, and the academic skills were on the medium level among the second and the third grades from the teacher's perspective. Also, the result showed that there are statistically significant differences in the social interaction according to the grade and the variance was in favor of the third grade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The University education is a very important step in the process of growth of each person. During this period we acquire a specific professional preparation and also have many opportunities to develop skills that are essential for adult life. In recent years the access opportunities for disabled persons to academic education in Italy have greatly increased, thanks to some legislative initiatives that supported the implementation of important measures to protect the right to study. The article sets out some reflections on the services and opportunities offered by the Italian University system. The Centre for Inclusion of Students with Disability and Dyslexia of Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan is presented as an example case. Further areas for research and policy development are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Lithuania, research on disabled students' experiences in seeking higher education began a decade ago. During their studies in high school disabled students face problems related to a negative attitude, in adaptating to the learning and information environment, a lack of special services and other obstacles. This article involves a scientific discussion between researchers and practitioners about the types of emancipatory and inclusive research. It further offers a scientific review of research with disabled students in higher education performed in Lithuania. Furthermore, the analysis features the elements of emancipatory and inclusive research that equate with enhancing the experiences of disabled people seeking higher education in Lithuania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rationale for using a simulated teaching environment to train pre-service teacher candidates is presented, followed by the key components of the simSchool dynamic simulator created to accomplish this task. Results of analyses of two sets of data, for the areas of pedagogical practices and teaching skills, are used to illustrate that changes in pre-service educators can be assessed as a direct outcome of activities completed within the simulated environment. Major outcomes to date indicate that teacher candidates gain a sense of instructional self-efficacy (confidence in their competence) more rapidly using the simulator, compared to traditional teacher preparation classes and related activities. This outcome is true for pre-service candidates working with simulated students spanning the normal range of personality attributes and sensory abilities, as well as pre-service teacher candidates working with simulated students with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of students with disabilities in UK higher education institutions increases every year. Delivering education online is becoming increasingly challenging as institutions encounter some disabilities requiring adjustments of learning environments. The law requires that people with disabilities be given equivalent learning experiences to their non-disabled peers through "reasonable adjustments". Educational institutions have thus utilised assistive technologies to assist disabled students in their learning, but some of these technologies are incompatible with some learning environments, hence excluding some disabled students and resulting in a disability divide. To solve this problem, amongst other solutions, e-learning personalisation has been used and more recently, this is also achieved using Semantic Web technologies such as ontologies. Nevertheless, as ontologies are incorporated into learning environments little seems to be done to personalise learning for some disabled students. This study, in order to bridge the gap, proposes a personalisation approach based on a disability ontology containing information on various disabilities encountered in higher education, which can be used to present disabled students with learning resources relevant and suitable for their specific needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our work deals with inclusion of disabled students at university. Our premise is that young people are most likely to empathize towards disabled people. We have focused on attitude of students at university, trying to identifying those variables which would make them more liable to assist disabled people and to facilitate their integration. In order to answer our question, we based our research on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). We've made an enquiry to university students and we've developed the model for young peoples' perceptions of disability. Our findings are hopeful in the way to inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The student self-advocacy literature commonly claims that although self-advocacy is a vital skill that disabled students require to succeed in postsecondary education, many of these students experience a significant 'skills-deficit' in this area. This paper seeks to intervene in this literature by proposing opportunities to 'politicize' self-advocacy and move away from its individual, deficit-focused approach. To do so, the paper reports findings from a qualitative study at a research-intensive Canadian university. Interviews with 11 disabled students revealed a perception that there is an institutionally endorsed 'right way' to self-advocate that included expectations to: (1) register for formal accommodations; (2) embody visible/physical disability; (3) perform less disabled; and (4) make others comfortable. Rooted in ableism, these harmful expectations adopt misconceptions of disability as predictable and visible, and burden students with demands that they make their self-advocacy convenient for those to whom they are self-advocating. As a form of resistance to these ableist expectations, students described their own 'better way' of negotiating self-advocacy and disability on campus. This 'better way' offers opportunities for 'politicizing' self-advocacy by recognizing ableism and the harms of the self-advocacy model, affirming disabled student knowledge and community, and enacting their visions for institutional change. Vital to this politicization is a move away from staff and nondisabled-led initiatives like self-advocacy training to address a perceived skills-deficit in individual students. Politicizing self-advocacy moves instead towards disabled students as full partners in conducting research and informing student services and staff training based on their collective lived expertise and strategic practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]