Faculty Members’ Perceptions and Experiences of Working with Online Students with Disabilities

Limited attention has been given to faculty members’ perceptions and experiences relating to working with online students with disabilities, even though they are the ones with whom students must interact most to access knowledge and have fair opportunities to demonstrate their learning; therefore, this study was guided by two research questions: What are the perceptions of faculty members relating to working with online students with disabilities? What are the experiences of faculty members relating to working with online students with disabilities? One hundred thirty faculty members (81 part-time, 49 full-time) at a private, not-for-profit, online university that primarily granted graduate degrees participated in a survey, responding to closed- and open-ended questions. A generic qualitative design and thematic analysis were employed. Most faculty members reportedly wanted to be helpful to students with disabilities but were unwilling to do anything differently and/or did not always know how or feel equipped to do so. They expressed a need for more information about both each student’s unique needs and evidence-based practices to support these students’ success. Confirming those of previous researchers, these findings suggest that faculty members should be given the necessary means and opportunities to focus their professional development efforts and resources on adjusting their instructional, engagement, and assessment strategies to be more inclusive of online students with disabilities. Moreover, they should be supported by their institutions and encouraged to engage proactively with online students with disabilities, collaborating with professionals in the disability services office to determine how to support these students effectively.