===Introduction===
Distance education provides postsecondary educational opportunities that may not be present at conventional universities for students with disabilities (Moisy, 2004, p.74). The reason is that distance learning via computer networks increases the chance of learning because it bypasses the physical difficulties some students may have in navigating campus and the “extra equipment that may need to be separately housed on campus�? (Parfitt and Nguyen, 1998). Often students with disability suffer from lack of motivation and require much more time to accomplish the task (Parfitt and Nguyen, 1998). However, developments in computer technology offer potential solutions for these issues. For instance, a variety of adaptive devices can be attached to an individual computer to overcome a specific disability. Microsoft, Apple, and IBM have made vast investments in designing accessible software and hardware and have incorporated an accessibility feature into their customary products (Fichten, Asuncion, Barile and Simone, 2000). For example, blind students can use software that reads online text aloud or produces Braille messages (Carnevale, 1999, p.69). In addition, students who have difficulties moving their arms would be able to use adaptive equipment to operate the computer with other parts of their bodies (Carnevale, 1999, p.70).
===Case Study: Athabasca University in Canada===
Athabasca University established their service for students with disabilities in 1998 after they prepared numerous reports and made presentations regarding the provision of services to students with disabilities (Athabasca, 2005). Currently, staffed with a coordinator and student advisor, the office for Access to Students with Disabilities (ASD) provides support services to students with physical, sensory, learning, emotional, and other disabilities (Moisy, 2004, p.75). Their aim is to provide those students with an equal opportunity to access and success in Athabasca University courses and program (Moisy, 2004, p.75). Students would receive variety of services according to their condition. Those services include assistance and/or referral for funding and services, “support with study skills and organisational strategies�?, extension of course contract dates and alternative methods for writing exams (Moisy, 2004, p.74).
===Case study Athabasca University: Characteristics, course enrolment and completion===
The study shows that students with a disability enrolled in courses at a much higher rate than that of non-disabled students (Cunningham, 1998). The study conducted by Moisy (2004) at Athabasca University reported that a total of 604 students with disabilities enrolled in undergraduate courses between the period 1998 and 2001. In addition, students have enrolled in an average of approximately four courses. More than half (52%) had a physical disability, 20% had a learning disability, 20% had a psychological disability, 4% had some form of visual impairment, and 3% had a hearing impairment (Moisy, 2004, p.73).Overall course completion rate was 45.9 % which is lower than that of the general university completion (Moisy, 2004, p.73).
===University institution offering Distance Education for students with special needs===
SNOW: Special Needs Opportunity Windows (http://snow.utoronto.ca/)
Washington State University (http://distance.wsu.edu/prospective/support.asp)
Athabasca University (http://www.athabascau.ca/)
===Further Information===
See Also:
• Distance Education
• Distance Education - Models
• Distance Education - Students perspective
• Distance Education - Quality
• Distance Education - Australia
===Reference===
Athabasca University (2005) Canada’s Open University, retrieved Ocyober 25, 2005, from http://www.athabascau.ca/
Carnevale, D. (1999) “Colleges strive to give disabled students access to on-line courses,�? The Chronicle of Higher Education vol.46, no.10. pp.69-70.
Carnevale, D. (2003) “Congress May Boost Online Programs That Aid Students Who Have Disabilities,�? The Chronicle of Higher Education vol.50, no.14, p.34.
Cunningham, C: national centre for education statistics issues report on disability in higher education (1998) “Students with disabilities in postsecondary education: a profile of preparation, participation, and Outcomes,�? retrieved October 25, 2005, from http://www.rit.edu/~easi/itd/itdv06n3/highered.htm
Distance Degree Programs (2005) Washington State University, retrieved October 25, 2005, from http://distance.wsu.edu/prospective/support.asp
Fichten, C., Asuncion, J., Barile, M and de Simone, C.: Access to Educational and Instructional Computer Technologies for Postsecondary Students with Disabilities (2000) �?Lessons from Three Empirical Studies,�? retrieved October 13, 2005 from http://socserv2.socsci.mcmaster.ca/srnet/workingpapers/jemdis.htm
Moisey, D, S. (2004) “Students with Disabilities in Distance Education: Characteristics, Course Enrollment and Completion, and Support Services,�? Journal of Distance Education vol.19, no.1, pp. 73-91.
Parfitt, L., Jo, J., and Nguyen, A. (1998) “Multimedia in Distance Learning for Tertiary Students with Special Needs,�? retrieved October 10, 2005 from
http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/wollongong98/asc98-pdf/parfittjonguyen.pdf
SNOW (2005) Special Needs Opportunity Windows, retrieved October 25, 2005, from http://snow.utoronto.ca/
Tschang, F.T and Senta, T.D (2001) Access to knowledge New information technologies and the Emergence of the Virtual University, Oxford: Pergamon.
ISBN 0080436706
===Contributors to this entry include:===
Rie Comaroff 23:12, 27 Oct 2005 (EST)
