| Marginalized groups, including those with disabilities, have traditionally been viewed by mainstream society as nonproductive. Despite efforts at accommodation and inclusion, significant barriers continue to exist in many institutions, including education. The effects of one specific type of accommodation, computer assistive technology, on the educational outcomes of five adults with disabilities were examined. The research question was: How does the relationship between environmental and social elements, unique experiences of the individual user, self-directed learning strategies, and specific characteristics of the assistive technology influence an individual's educational participation and outcomes?; At an adult learning center in a large town in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States, five individuals were identified for participation. I engaged in semi-structured interviews with them over a period of several weeks as well as classroom observations and interviews with professional service providers. I utilized a cross case synthesis method of analysis that positioned me to engage in a three step procedure in which I coded, classified and categorized individual pieces of data.; Through the findings which resulted from this analytical process, several conclusions emerged from my interpretations and were based on each of the four parts of the research question. First, social situations and their associated environments often required opposing knowledge, skills, and understandings for the participants. This created difficulty for individuals with disabilities to fully participate across situations as they were often forced to choose between previously negotiated social groups and those desired in an effort to gain economic stature. Unique experiences had by the participants often excluded them from social situations within these coveted environments and stimulated self doubt about their ability and capability. In addition, self determination and advocacy was not facilitated by professional staff within the educational process. As a result, self directed learning opportunities necessary for a successful educational experience did not occur. Finally, individual needs for assistive technology and other accommodations was not seen as an on-going process, thus any success based on limited experience with assistive technology did not necessarily translate into success in other situations. |
