Exploring the perceptions of academic staff on accessibility and universal design principles and practice at the University of Malta

Abstract

Background. Around 15% of the world’s population includes persons with some form of disability (WHO, 2019), which highlights the importance of exploring disability issues that exist in society. Local and international research have looked into students with disabilities’ perceptions and experiences regarding accessibility in Higher Education (HE). Internationally, studies have also investigated lecturers’ perceptions regarding Universal Design (UD) principles in HE, through quantitative methods. This identified the need for exploring academic staff’s perceptions, regarding accessibility and UD practices at the University of Malta (UM), and, through them, identify the enablers and barriers for inclusive HE in Malta. Aim. Having identified the research gap in existing literature, this research explored academic staff’s knowledge and awareness regarding accessibility and UD at UM. Methodology. The research study adopted a mixed-methods approach, whereby a survey was adapted from the work of Lombardi & Murray (2011) and Papadakaki et al. (2022), that included a combination of close-ended and open-ended questions. Using convenience sampling, 121 participants completed the online survey. The data obtained was analysed through descriptive statistics, conceptual qualitative content analysis, and thematic analysis. Findings. Five overarching themes emerged, regarding staff’s knowledge and experience supporting students with disabilities at UM. These are: Awareness, Accessibility, Support, Equity, and Barriers to inclusive practices. Resources and support services at UM were identified as enablers to inclusion. Participants also gave their recommendations regarding the way forward for inclusion at UM. Discussion. This research study concluded that academic staff at UM are generally willing to support students through providing Access Arrangements (AAs)/accommodations, however, they lack the sufficient knowledge, awareness, and confidence to implement such practices within their learning environments. In this regard, more awareness, training and support is required for academic staff at UM. This includes knowledge regarding disability-related issues in HE, the resources which can assist students with disabilities to engage in curriculum, and services at UM that support staff and students. This includes Occupational Therapy (OT) services to support staff in implementing UD and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) strategies and facilitating student-lecturer communication, to improve inclusion at UM. More awareness among academic staff is required regarding OT services at university, to guide lecturers in implementing tools (such as assistive technology), and UDL strategies to accommodate all types of learners, and thereby facilitating participation of all students in HE.