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ERIC Number: EJ854033
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2004
Pages: 9
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1528-5324
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Web-Based Information and Prospective Students with Disabilities: A Study of Liberal Arts Colleges
Irwin, Marilyn M.; Gerke, Jennifer D.
EDUCAUSE Quarterly, v27 n4 p51-59 2004
According to data from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, funded every four years by the National Center for Education Statistics, increasing numbers of students with disabilities are seeking postsecondary educational opportunities. During the 1999-2000 academic year, approximately 9% of undergraduates self-reported having a disability, an increase from 6% in 1995-1996. At the same time, prospective students are using the Web in greater numbers to find information about colleges. More than 65% of college-bound students reported that using the Web is more valuable than print resources to determine where they would like to go for postsecondary education. The purpose of this study was to determine what prospective students with disabilities would find if they viewed the Web sites of the top four-year liberal arts colleges in the country. The specific questions asked were whether prospective students with disabilities could access the home page, whether they could find information about services that might be provided to them, and whether they could determine who to contact if they had additional questions. Data from this study indicate that in general the needs of students with disabilities do not appear to be considered in the design of Web pages or the organization of content. The majority of the home pages included in the study were not developed with accessibility standards in mind, and information about disability services was difficult or impossible to locate from several of the Web sites. Recommendations on how colleges can address these Web accessibility issues are provided. (Contains 3 tables, 2 figures and 21 endnotes.)
EDUCAUSE. 4772 Walnut Street Suite 206, Boulder, CO 80301-2538. Tel: 303-449-4430; Fax: 303-440-0461; e-mail: info@educause.edu; Web site: http://www.educause.edu
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: Rehabilitation Act Amendments 1998
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A