A Rural University Instructors' Perceptions about Students with Disabilities and Their Willingness to Accommodate Instructions and Assessments

Research highlights the importance of faculty awareness regarding the varying needs of students with disabilities and the ways in which these students may better be supported within the postsecondary educational setting. However, there is a dearth of research regarding how instructional and assessment accommodations are offered in a rural university context. The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which rural instructors (faculty, adjunct faculty, and graduate teaching assistants) demonstrated willingness to accommodate instruction and assessments to meet the needs of students with disabilities. A survey questionnaire was designed to collect data (N=309) at a university in the Rocky Mountain region. Results showed that instructors were largely willing to accommodate many aspects of their instructional practices, even in areas that faculty were known to be unwilling in previous research findings. Likewise, while instructors were in strong favor of providing assessment accommodations in many areas, they were neutral or unwilling to accommodate other key areas of their assessment practices. Chi-square tests showed significantly different degrees of willingness among varying colleges, academic positions, and years of service. Implications for practice specifically related to faculty training and the support from administrators are discussed.