Disabled Student Coaching:

A Student-Led, Collaborative Approach to Accessibility in Higher Education

Ryan A. Mata, Ana Guadalupe Vielma, Desiree Lama, Eric Ge, Soren Aldaco, Echo Yan, Stephanie W. Cawthon

Disabled student experiences are at the core of both student and faculty learning about accessibility.

SWC_MicrosoftCollab_icons_v2_black_Disability.png
SWC_MicrosoftCollab_icons_v2_black_amplifiers-allies.png
SWC_MicrosoftCollab_icons_v2_black_Advising Team.png
SWC_MicrosoftCollab_icons_v2_black_Faculty .png
SWC_MicrosoftCollab_icons_v2_black_Student Coaches.png
SWC_MicrosoftCollab_icons_v2_all copy.png_BW.png

Community Learning Model

Over 1 Semester

Student Coach + Faculty Meetings discussing strategies towards:

  • Syllabus Design

  • Content Delivery

  • Small Group Assignments

  • Independent Assignments/Exams

  • Supporting Mental Health

From learning to acting

Each student coach & faculty partner developed an Action plan addressing access in 1 key area of the FP’s class:

  • Syllabus Design

  • Content Delivery

  • Small Group Assignments

  • Independent Assignments/Exams

  • Supporting Mental Health

Key Findings

  1. “Coaching” instructors on accessible course design redefined the power dynamic between disabled students and faculty members (for the better)

  2. Two-way street: Mindset shifts in both faculty and student coaches

  3. Collaboration “learns” students into advocates

  4. Collaboration leads to improvements not just for participants, but for the wider student body

Interested in learning more?

Previous

ASHE 2023 Annual Meeting
Next

First-Gen CORE: Cultivating Opportunities, Resources, & Equity