Summary
A look back at the National Disability Center’s first year of accomplishments and impact, along with progress updates on its exploratory research, groundbreaking insights, and exciting plans for Year Two of the federally funded IES grant award.
Building a research center from the ground up is never an easy job. But the National Disability Center for Student Success did just that while starting essential work on five of the 10 research studies it has planned for the life of the five-year award.
Led by Principal Investigator and Executive Director Stephanie W. Cawthon, PhD, the National Disability Center launched on August 1, 2023, and concluded its inaugural year of operation on July 31, 2024 — on track to meet all the objectives in its goals for Year One of its IES Cooperative Agreement.
Establishing a Research Foundation
The National Disability Center’s principal goal is to conduct exploratory research that will contribute to a better understanding of the experiences and outcomes of postsecondary students with disabilities — as well as policies, programs, and practices that are intended to help them adjust to and persist and succeed in postsecondary education.
Primary research activities — conducted by members of the Leadership Team, Faculty Cadre, Student Fellows, national partners, and the data team from Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk, led by Co-PI Dr. Greg Roberts — are organized into 10 separate studies that focus on accessibility, student success initiatives, disclosure, instructor mindset and practices, transition experiences, and institutional leadership.
In the Center’s first 12 months, progress was made on five of its 10 study sets, and significant advancement was made in Study Set 2 — the Campus Accessibility Measure (CAM).
CAM development afforded the research teams the opportunity to conceptually anchor their work both in understanding disability and accessibility of campus environments. The project engaged all Center team members and was the centerpiece of bi-weekly mentorship and monthly All Hands meetings.
“What cannot be underestimated is the way Study Set 2 and developing CAM has provided a platform for intense discussion around the meaning of ‘disability’ and ‘accessibility’ and how they are measured in the context of postsecondary student success,” said Dr. Cawthon.
In the pilot, the CAM survey yielded valuable insights, in particular about the lack of understanding about disability, the lack of disclosure to faculty and instructors, and the low number of disabled students who had or used accommodations in high school.
“When I first came to college, I did not know that my mental health disorder was considered a disability,” a student commented in the survey. “I also had no idea that I was able to qualify for accommodations. The accommodations have helped me out tremendously with my coursework.”
Using CAM components, national data partner CCSSE created a condensed, 15-item Accessibility Module for use in the 2025 administration of their student engagement surveys, including brand-new questions related to disability that were not present in the previous measures. The Center will separately publish the expanded Accessibility Measure and Disability Demographic items and make them available to the research community.
Revealing Accessibility Opportunities for All
The National Disability Center was founded because of a lack of research data and evidence.
During Year One, it became clear that higher education institutions are also in the early stages when it comes to implementing accessibility strategies for disabled students — from enrollment through retention to graduation — and how they can benefit everyone on campus.
Study Sets 3 and 4, the Design Studies, was intended to focus on institutional programs and their efforts to support students with disabilities during their postsecondary education journey — to assist leaders from these programs in the design of data collection activities to better understand the experiences of disabled students to inform later iterations of program initiatives.
However, the bulk of the work in Year One was identifying key issues and problem-solving towards future programmatic solutions.
To capture and amplify these efforts, the Center instead created a Campus Accessibility Spotlight Series, using case examples to highlight current issues, engage with administrators across the country, and spark other institutions to consider where they are in their own trajectories.
Building Research Capacity
Another key goal achieved in Year One is providing national leadership and capacity building by training and mentoring doctoral students and early career investigators.
It implemented an innovative, collaborative mentorship model that is at the heart of the Center — guiding undergraduate and graduate students and their hands-on participation in research, national leadership activities, and immersion in the Center’s initiatives and decision-making.
It’s a model that’s proven successful with both Student Fellows and their Faculty Cadre mentor-partners.
“I’ve been mentoring a student throughout the year in my role with [the Center]. I’ve been able to ask questions of someone experiencing what it’s like to be neurodivergent in higher ed and, as a result, learned about different ways to create assignments that are more accessible to all. It’s been a wonderful experience. I’ve learned so much,” said one Faculty Cadre member.
Ensuring Iterative Evaluation
When the Center’s Leadership Team convened the first week of August to set priorities and map out goals for Year One, a major outcome of the meeting was a shared value of transparency and knowing what parameters to follow in this new venture. They agreed that developing a logic model was a key first step — and a significant milestone — for Year One.
Led by the internal evaluation team at the Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk, the logic model reflects dialog and collaboration with every aspect of the Center. It is both a guide for Center work and an example for other research organizations seeking to clarify how they, too, are working towards improved outcomes for disabled people — an example of iterative evaluation, collaborative execution, and a proactive approach to capacity-building.
Gathering Stakeholders
Year One also marked the Center’s first national Townhall on April 25, 2024. Most attendees (42%) were higher education staff members or administrators. In a post-event survey, 86% agreed or strongly agreed that the Townhall was meaningful, 83% agreed that the Townhall provided information on topics of interest, and 64% felt that the Townhall panel helped them to understand the role of the Center and issues affecting disabled students.
The Communications Network was also established and continues to grow with like-minded organizations and colleges nationwide.
Looking Ahead to Year Two
The second year of the five-year IES grant will move the National Disability Center from launch mode to full iteration and expansion of its research and dissemination.
New and continuing research will include:
- Campus Accessibility Measure (Study Set 2)
- CCSSE Data Partnership (Study Set 1)
- Instructor Accessibility Survey (Study Set 5)
- Design Studies and Case Spotlights (Study Sets 3 and 4)
- Literature Synthesis Project (Study Set 9) of online technologies and their impact on postsecondary outcomes for students with disabilities
Online learning will launch with webcasts scheduled for Fall 2024 and Spring 2025, as part of a robust online Learning Hub that will include research reviews, higher education case spotlights, and practical strategies.
On the people front, the Center will be recruiting two new Student Fellows (who will then be matched with two Faculty Cadre members for mentorship), building out the Communications and Advisory Networks, and engaging a team of computer science students to conduct user experience (UX) testing on the website.
The Center also plans for two national Townhalls in Year Two — the first on September 26, 2024, and the second on February 20, 2025 — to engage stakeholders in research deep dives and opportunities for feedback that will continue to expand outreach and impact.
To stay in touch with all National Disability Center research and activities, subscribe to its newsletter — an information-packed update each month that highlights all aspects of the Center’s progress.
