ABSTRACT
This research analyzes the announcements issued by Spanish universities during the COVID-19 pandemic relating to students with special needs, to offer a new vision, complementary to existing audits conducted on university websites about technical accessibility compliance. The study approaches the evaluation of accessibility from the point of view of organizational support. The identified measures are mapped onto Universal Design Learning guidelines to give them context and to analyze their coverage. The research shows a landscape with an uncoordinated and uncollaborative approach, with negative consequences in the tackling of remote emergency teaching.. © 2022 ACM.
ABSTRACT
The aim of this research is to summarise thoughts, feelings and demands of lecturers, students and support staff in relation to special needs education, within the context of a legal framework with stated compromises and legal duties. The research is contextualized in the COVID-19 pandemics online or hybrid teaching, and it compares the statements of stakeholders with the recommendations issued by universities during this period and with existing best practices. The article aims to give an answer to the following questions: Which are the most important measures for students with special needs in this situation? Which are the most important for lecturers? How can we get ready for similar emergency situations? The methodology consisted in a review of the legal and standard framework, and a thematic analysis of 45 semi-structured interviews to students (27), lecturers (10), and support staff (8). The most problematic areas for students,lecturers and support staff are the inaccessibility of online teaching, virtual classrooms, teaching material, exams and assessment exercises. Students also emphasize the need for emotional/social support and the lack of it. © 2021 University of Barcelona. All Rights Reserved.