Stakeholder Perspectives: A Professor’s Canadian Experience Catherine Fichten In Collaboration With Laura King, Alice Havel, Mary Jorgensen, Alex Lussier Ed-ICT International Network Montreal Symposium May 30, 2017 Montreal, Quebec
Canada: Students with Disabilities >16% in colleges; fewer in universities ≈ ½ registered for disability-related services Students’ disabilities in rank order Learning disability and/or ADHD Mental illness Chronic health problem Sensory and mobility impairments Fichten, C. S., Heiman, T., Havel, A., Jorgensen, M., Budd, J., & King, L. (2016). Sustainability of disability-related services in Canada - Israel: Will the real universal design please stand up? Exceptionality Education International, 26(1), 19-35.
Actual Stakeholders Involved: A Professor’s Perspective Fewer than Dr. Beaver specified… Typical campus Students Professors Campus disability service providers Access technologists Learning specialists Others: on an “as needed” basis Perspectives of stakeholders differ Asuncion, J. V., Fichten, C. S., Ferraro, V., Barile, M., Nguyen, M. N., & Wolforth, J. (2010). Multiple perspectives on the accessibility of eLearning in Canadian colleges and universities. Assistive Technology Journal, 22(4), 187-199.
Desired, Reluctant & Invisible Stakeholders Senior management IT specialists & webmasters Audiovisual specialists Government Librarians Parents Rehabilitation centers Distance education specialists Textbook publishers Course/learning management specialists Students not registered for disability services
Challenges Effective strategies Buy-in at the top Information Adaptech Research Network Buy-in at the top Digital accessibility not anyone's specific mandate Information Learning re new initiatives after implementation Being proactive, not retroactive Money and time
Next Steps Learn more as the symposium progresses