Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Scholarly Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD)

Department

Occupational Therapy

First Advisor

Sarah Nielsen

Second Advisor

Sara Kaiser

Abstract

As of the 2020-2021 academic year, 1 in 5 undergraduate students reported having a disability (National Center for Education Statistics, n.d.). College students with disabilities (CSWD) face social and physical environmental barriers to higher education due to exclusive policies, procedures, and designs. In turn, occupational engagement is decreased, inhibiting participation in education. A college education can support career opportunities, financial stability, and personal development (Plotner & May, 2019). Therefore, it is essential that CSWD have equitable access. Despite efforts from college campuses to become more accessible, gaps remain that require CSWD to be self-advocates. The purpose of this project was to develop resources in the occupational therapy scope of practice that promote self-advocacy in CSWD, for faculty to embrace universal design features, and to enhance sense of belonging on college campuses for CSWD. In collaboration with the University of North Dakota’s Student Disability Resources Office, a program development project was undertaken. First, a literature review was completed to identify best practice occupational therapy interventions for CSWD skill development in the essential self-advocacy skills of assertive communication, problem solving, self-awareness, viii and knowledge of resources. Next, an on-site needs assessment was conducted to understand supports and barriers for CSWD and faculty at UND. Next, the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO) was applied to best-practice interventions to develop tools to support CSWD in accessing higher education. These were piloted with students and formative feedback was obtained to make modifications to the product. Preliminary results of the project include a series of group interventions to promote self-advocacy skills, one-to-one interventions, a universal design resource guide for faculty, online education for student success skill-development, and campus belonging resources. It is anticipated that implementation of these resources will facilitate self-advocacy behaviors that in turn promote academic and personal success, emotional well-being, and equity in academic settings for CSWD.

Download

Share

COinS