“A little bit challenging, a little bit exhausting and a lot disheartening”: Barriers to Accessible Online Learning for Students with Mental-Health-Related Disabilities

Abstract

Thirty-one percent of first-year university students self-declare as having a disability. Among those, mental-health-related disabilities are the most common. Each year, more students with disabilities and with mental-health issues enroll in post-secondary institutions; due to stigma and systemic barriers, many do not disclose their disability and seek support and accommodations from the post-secondary institution. At the same time, more students in Canada are taking online courses. These increases pose issues for students and educators because common symptoms of mental-health-related disabilities can affect academic performance. Additionally, instructional design and institutional accommodation and accessibility policies influence learning. Instructors play a critical role because their attitudes toward students and about disability directly affect student success. Student support professionals provide essential assistance to students in post-secondary and therefore, play a key part in health and resilience promoting strategies. Despite the increasing prevalence of students with mental-health-related disabilities in online courses and programs, limited Canadian research has examined factors affecting learning for this population. The main goal of this descriptive qualitative study was to explore influences on learning for post-secondary students with mental-health-related disabilities taking online courses. Including students, instructors, and support staff allowed for a unique exploration of the factors influencing learning within an institutional context. Data from interviews with 14 university students, 15 instructors, and seven student support staff members from one mid-sized university in Western Canada indicate that the accommodation model and online learning design elements influence learning for students with mental-health-related disabilities. In Canada, everyone has an equal right to education that meets their needs, and postsecondary institutions are legally obligated to ensure that all students can access their programs and services. Adopting a universal accessibility approach has the potential to improve learning for all students, particularly those who have mental-health-related challenges and who are studying online.