Online ISSN: 2325-7466
2006
Triannual
National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET)
United States

Articles

Student Voices: A Qualitative Self-Awareness Study of College Students with Disabilities

Chen-Ya Juan, Ph.D., Penny L. Cantley, Ph.D., James Martin, Ph.D., Brad Mays, Ph.D.
  • Chen-Ya Juan, Ph.D. (Author) Hsin Sheng College of Medical Care and Management image/svg+xml
    Chen-Ya Juan, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Special Education in the Department of Early Childhood Care and Education at Hsin Sheng College of Medical Management in Taiwan, R.O. C. Dr. Juan had taught secondary special education for 10 years. She has also trained and supervised pre- and in-services special education teachers in local schools. Dr. Juan assists teachers to develop positive behavior plans and successfully solve behavioral problems of students with disabilities. She also developed a transition education curriculum based on TSA (Transition Success Assessment) to help secondary educators teach transition and self-determination skills to students with disabilities. Dr. Juan has presented locally, nationally, and internationally in special education.
  • Penny L. Cantley, Ph.D. (Author) Oklahoma State University image/svg+xml
    Penny Cantley, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Special Education in the School of Teaching, Learning and Educational Sciences at Oklahoma State University. Dr. Cantley taught elementary and secondary special education for the Department of Defense Dependents Schools and the Oklahoma public school system. She was the lead writer on ME!, a curriculum developed to help educators teach transition skills to students with disabilities. Dr. Cantley has presented locally, nationally, and internationally on topics related to transition and her primary research interests include transition supports and services for secondary students with disabilities and postsecondary opportunities and outcomes for adults with disabilities.
  • James Martin, Ph.D. (Author) University of Oklahoma image/svg+xml
    James Martin, Ph.D. is an Emeritus Zarrow Family Professor from the Department of Educational Psychology's Special Education Program at the University of Oklahoma. Dr. Martin earned his Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of Illinois with a focus on secondary transition. His professional interests focus upon the transition of youth with disabilities from high school into postsecondary education and the workforce, and facilitating success in high school and postsecondary environments. He examines identifying, assessing, and teaching secondary-aged youth and adults with disabilities generalizable self-determination and other skills that when learned will increase the likelihood of desired educational and employment outcomes. Dr. Martin has authored several books, numerous chapters for edited books, journal articles, several curriculum lesson packages, and instructional assessments. Most recently he and colleagues co-authored the on-line Transition Assessment and Goal Generator (TAGG) and wrote supporting materials, which a research grant from IES’ National Center on Special Education Research supported.
  • Brad Mays, Ph.D. (Author) Independent Researcher and Disability Advocate
    Bradley Mays, Ph.D. is currently an independent researcher and disability advocate. Dr. Mays earned in Ph.D. in Adult & Higher Education from the University of Oklahoma with a focus on student affairs. His research interests focus on disability issues in higher education. Dr. Mays served as a graduate assistant at the University of Oklahoma’s Accessibility and Disability Resource Center and the Office of University Community. Dr. Mays provided mentoring for the student organization, Disability Inclusion and Awareness. He organized and facilitated the Office of University Community Student Advisory Board monthly meeting regarding campus climate. Dr. Mays served as a liaison between the Office of University Community and student organizations at the University of Oklahoma. Previously, Dr. Mays worked as a graduate assistant for the University of Oklahoma’s Zarrow Center for Learning Enrichment where he provided technical assistance to the Oklahoma Transition Institute including: workshop presentations, troubleshooting via electronic correspondence, and data collection.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.424
Abstract
Requesting accommodations in postsecondary settings requires students to understand their disabilities and needs and describe those needs to higher education faculty and staff. Young adults often have limited accurate knowledge and understanding of their abilities and disabilities. This qualitative study used in-depth semi-structured interviews to gain insight into the disability awareness process and development of six university students with disabilities. The six themes that emerged during this study include: (a) self-awareness, (b) disability awareness, (c) strengths and weaknesses, (d) identity and attitude, (e) differences and similarities, and (f) postsecondary experiences. Findings inform K-12 and higher education professionals about critical skills that might increase the abilities of students with disabilities to successfully advocate for accommodations in postsecondary settings.
Keywords
Academic Accommodations (Disabilities), Barriers, College Students, Coping, Educational Legislation, Equal Education
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How to Cite
Juan, C.-Y., Cantley, P. L., Martin, J., & Mays, B. (2020). Student Voices: A Qualitative Self-Awareness Study of College Students with Disabilities. Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals, 15(2), 41-58. https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.424

Spring/Summer 2020

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  • Article Type Articles
  • Submitted May 20, 2020
  • Published June 15, 2020
  • Issue Spring/Summer 2020
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