AQPC

Results based on the Scale of Adaptive Information Technology Accessibility for Postsecondary Students with Disabilities (SAITAPSD): student version

Authors:
Mai N. Nguyen, Université de Montréal and Réseau de Recherche Adaptech
Catherine S. Fichten, Dawson College, McGill University, Jewish General Hospital and Réseau de Recherche Adaptech

Maria Barile, Réseau de Recherch Adaptech

This article present the results of a study on the satisfaction of disabled CEGEP students with regard to adapted technologies.  The authors began their research by developing a measuring instrument, the SAITAPSD: student version, which they administered to a sample of participants from 22 different CEGEPs.  Based on the the students’ own viewpoints, this scale assesses the accessibility to technology in CEGEPs, provides empirical data for making institutional decisions  regarding ICTs, and identifies strong points as well as aspects to be improved.  The study deals specifically with the popularity of the information technologies used and the accessibility to computer resources. The authors also describe the different types of computer technologies adapted by students, based on the type of disability or difficulty.  Finally, they sketch a general portrait of the accessibility to computer resources in both francophone and anglophone CEGEPs.  In concluding, they describe the advantages of their measuring instrument, propose concrete solutions to offset the weaknesses brought up by the students themselves and underscore how important accessibility to computer technologies is for the success of disabled students.