Access for All? Including the Student Perspective in Measures of Campus Accessibility

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 2:30 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 4
  In Roundtable Session: Empowering Voices: Equity and Agency in Higher Education (Table 3)

Abstract

By prioritizing accessibility, higher education institutions foster an inclusive and effective learning environment for all students, especially disabled students. However, despite the recognized value of accessibility, there are few validated measures of accessibility in higher education. The current project, The Campus Accessibility Measure (CAM), addressed the need for a comprehensive measure of accessibility for students in higher education This measure consisted of two subscales, one for instructor-level and institution-level accessibility. For example, instructor-level items relate to learning experiences in the classroom, whereas institution-level items relate to the accessibility of campus systems and services. The validation process included diverse perspectives during design, survey pilot, and cognitive lab interviews. This paper reports the process and the outcomes of this measure pilot.

Authors

• Desirée Lama, University of Texas at Austin

• Ryan A. Mata, University of Minnesota

• Soren Aldaco, University of Texas at Austin

• Lily Grace Alvarez, University of Texas at Austin

• Madeline Celeste O'Grady, University of Texas at Austin

• Stephanie W. Cawthon, University of Texas at Austin