Report by Zoë Meleo-Erwin, Betty Kollia, Joe Fera, Alyssa Jahren and Corey Basch. Vol. 14, Issue 1. Disability and Health Journal.
October 8, 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a rapid shift to remote instruction. This may have caused particular challenges for students with disabilities. We aimed to describe the availability of remote instruction and counseling resources on the disability/accessibility websites of colleges and universities in the greater New York City area. At the time this study was conducted, this region was the global COVID-19 epicenter.
17% of the colleges/universities had no link to disability/accessibility services on their websites. Of the remaining 127 institutions, few made the aforementioned resources available on the disability/accessibility page. The most prevalent resource observed was providing students with remote instruction assistance. The association between school size and the aforementioned resources was not statistically significant. Making information available to students with disabilities is a fundamental part of accessibility in higher education. Doing so is all the more necessary given the challenges wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, challenges which are likely to continue for years to come.
Highlights:
- Students with disabilities face continued barriers in higher education.
- COVID-19 necessitated a swift shift to remote instruction.
- The accessibility pages of colleges/universities in the NY/NJ/CT area were examined for remote instruction and counseling resources.
- Most institutions lacked ways to make a counseling appointment or remote instruction resources on accessibility pages.
- Providing accessible counseling and instruction information is fundamental part of equity and vital during a pandemic.