by David Anderson

Fellow Hawks, here is some food for thought: We need fundamental restructuring of remote-learning curriculum to ensure disability rights and success; and greater success for all students.

The way more students are learning is evolving. Millions of students are taking advantage of the evolution of remote-learning, or E-Learning, opportunities as they advance their lives as contributing citizens. I am one of them. As a returning student. I am also disabled. (I didn’t use to be.)

My disability relates to physical limitations, which occurred later in life, following fifty-plus years of complete physical capability. During those productive years I fully exploited my body’s capabilities as a tool’. My exploitation was demonstrated in my livelihood as a tradesman and in my other fulfilling activities that were also physically reliant, like rock climbing and Martial Arts. My mind was not excluded as an exploited tool either. I also pursued higher education, two separate times, via both the traditional classroom format during the mid-late 1980s and the remote-learning, online format in the late 2000s. Both of those pursuits had certain physical demands too, but they were prior to my disability.

So, once I became disabled, realizing I was not capable in the same way, I knew continued education would allow me the opportunity to remain productive, bringing us to the present day. I am again pursuing higher education, and again, through a remote-learning format.  Although, this time I am negotiating the added challenges that arise when disabled. To my surprise, my disability revealed the shortcoming of disability rights regarding the remote-learning curriculum structure that has been adapted from the traditional classroom structure.

My new perspective has unveiled that when a disability is a factor, traditional curriculum structuring is not supportive of disability rights when adapted to remote-learning programs, which are typically condensed. As a couple of my instructors put it, the courses are virtually twice the material in half the time. This prompts a re-evaluation of curriculum structure to match the evolution of how we learn, thus ensuring not just disability rights, but equally important, success, and for all remote learning students too.

This is not just a personal concern but, on a greater scale, a social concern to support the success of disabled, and all other remote, students. To empower everyone to become actively participating informed citizens we are given the right to education. To empower those with a disability we have also established a protected right to equal access to education without taking greater risk to personal health, as established by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Rehabilitation Act, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). So, why is this a social concern, you might ask?

The number of students this issue impacts is staggering. According to an article published by Forbes, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), reports the number of students enrolled in at least one online course, as of 2021, is up 75 percent, which has seen annual growth since before the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak in 2018. The reported numbers are as follows:

• Public colleges enrolled about 8.5 million online students.
• Another 2.7 million remote learners attended private schools.
• 1.9 million at nonprofit institutions,
• And nearly 800,000 at for-profit schools.

Now factor the number of disabled students, which is suggestive of greater numbers than reported because students with disabilities, in data gathered by the NCES in 2022, “among students who responded that they did have a disability while attending college, (out of those roughly 14 million enrollees) only about one-third of students (37 percent) informed their college,” That means that at least 5.1 million disabled students are enrolled in an online program. Indicating that many disabled students are not recognized to begin with, and/or not being provided appropriate consideration of disability challenges.

These kinds of numbers confirm that this is a social concern. And heaven forbid, perhaps your concern as a disabled student one day. Because life happens!

Reluctancy to reform remote learning because of financial resources should not be a concern for institutions. Latest studies indicate that the E-learning market is projected to hit $848 billion by 2030. That should appeal to the bean-counters.

This social concern beckons the values of Catholic Social Teaching and Hilbert’s Franciscan mission to act in earnest compassion to ensure the dignity and success of vulnerable disabled students. In adherence to these values of compassion and service, strong advocacy of the Mentoring to Succeed Act of 2023, reform to communication policies regarding asynchronous instruction, a disclosure of available financial resources and options prior to, and throughout, enrollment, expanded inclusion of assistive/adaptive technology with mentored instruction, and course material alternatives like video and audio are warranted.

I present this food for thought because, despite my challenges, through personal dedication, I have still managed to accomplish academic success. I garnered induction into Delta Alpha Pi International Honor Society, albeit at great risk to my personal health and well-being because of the current structure. This is my reason for bringing reform of current remote-learning format to attention. If the curriculum is reverse engineered to ensure the rights of disabled remote students, then it can be applied to traditional students, so all students have a better chance at success.

With consideration to my experience in both traditional and remote learning programs, and my insight into disability needs and rights, a re-evaluation of remote learning restructuring is worthy of everyone’s consideration. As a community, we can exemplify Catholic Social Teaching and Hilbert’s Franciscan mission, which I am humbly proud to represent, we can promote the rights and success of all students – forget the labels.

*Let’s face it, “successful learners are successful citizens!” [me, 2023]