Date of Award
2004
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
Gail Johnson
Committee Member
Jeremiah Ryan
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Keywords
academic accommodations, accessibility, Americans with Disabilities Act, assistive technology, barrier-free environment, College of Aeronautics, colleges, compliance, development plans, disabilities, disabled students, facilities evaluation, facility improvements, financing, higher education, institutional compliance, learning facilities, standards compliance, student services, universal access
Abstract
The nature of the problem in this applied dissertation is that the College of Aeronautics (COA) is not disabled student friendly. The purpose of the study was to do an evaluation of the disabled facilities and a Development Plan at the COA, compare the facilities with the Americans With Disabilities Act (1990), and develop a campus-wide plan to implement the necessary changes.
The evaluation and developmental research methodologies were appropriate for this study. The procedures followed in included the establishment of criteria based on the ADA. Formative and summative committees were organized with experts to review and validate the criteria. There were six research questions: First, What are the ADA mandates for disabled student facilities? Second, How have other institutions become compliant with ADA? Third, What are the criteria for compliance with ADA in institutions of higher education? Fourth, What disabled students’ learning facilities currently exist at the COA? Fifth, What improvements in facilities must be made to bring the COA into full compliance with ADA? and Sixth, What are the costs of bringing the COA into full compliance with ADA and how might these facility changes be financed?
The conclusion of this study determined that the facilities were not in compliance with the ADA nor did they meet ADA standards. Finances must be raised to pay for improvements. The study recommended that the gap between the present disabled facilities and ADA standards must be closed. The study also resulted in answers to the six research questions and a change in the disabled facilities at the COA.