Affiliations: National Center for the Study of Postsecondary
Educational Supports, Center on Disability Studies, College of Education,
University of Hawai'i at Manoa, 1776 University Avenue, UA 4-6, Honolulu, HI
96822, USA. Tel.: +1 808 352 3296; Fax: +1 808 956 7878; E-mail:
tom.christ@cds.hawaii.edu; WEB: www.rrtc.hawaii.edu
Note: [] Corresponding author
Abstract: Legislation [1,8] and a competitive labor market have resulted
in a significant increase in the number of students with disabilities enrolled
in postsecondary education [17]. Nevertheless, the provision of supports
and accommodations is primarily limited by financial constraints. With
financial supports in decline at postsecondary institutions, it is critical to
determine the factors that contribute to services that are effective,
appropriate, and proven to foster success. Unfortunately, few studies have done
this. Further, it is unknown if supports commonly utilized in postsecondary
programs are effective. This study utilized exploratory factor analysis of
repeatedly administered surveys (1999–2001) to determine: (a) if the survey
items grouped into meaningful constructs that represent services provided to
students with disabilities, (b) if the constructs exhibited a significant
difference between two and four-year institutions, and (c) if the constructs
changed over time. The analysis revealed that the 34 survey items grouped well
into four constructs titled Strategies, Assistive Technology, Accommodations,
and Vocation/Work Support. Some of the constructs exhibited significant
differences between two-year and four-year institutions and over time. Further,
this analysis indicates that constructs of appropriately grouped survey items
are a more reliable and efficient measure of support services than individual
item analysis commonly used in survey research.
Keywords: postsecondary education, educational support services, higher education, students with disabilities, survey, supports, accommodations
