PRESENTED BY DR. SISLENA LEDBETTER- CO-PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR, DR. WENDY HARBOUR- CO- PRINCIPAL

INVESTIGATOR AND DENIZE STANTON-WILLIAMS- PROJECT DIRECTOR

HBCU DISABILITY CONSORTIUM

History of Historically BlackColleges and Universities (HBCUs)

There are 105 historically black universities and colleges.

The majority were created after the Civil War. They were defined by the Higher Education

Act of 1965 as any college or university established prior to 1964 whose main mission was (and is) to educate Black Americans and were accredited-or made strides towards being accredited-by nationally recognized agencies.

Overview of Project

The HBCU Disability Consortium focuses on matriculation, retention, and graduation rates for Black and African American students with disabilities and addresses gaps in research on this population.

This project is a collaboration including Syracuse University (primary grantee), The University of the District of Columbia (base) and Howard University (advisor).

Project Goals

1. Create an online consortium of disability providers at Historically Black colleges and Universities and Predominately Black Colleges and Universities to promote dialogue and exchange best practices

2. Conduct research with Black and African- American students with disabilities and DS providers at HBCUs to discover best practices that can be modeled or replicated at other schools

Project Goals cont.

3. Create and pilot a website that promotes culturally relevant, universally-designed transition and college materials.

Research Methods

Surveys conducted: Disability service providers (inviting all 105 HBCUs) through

project list serve -N=42 Students with disabilities through their Disability Service

providers (incentives offered)Focus groups conducted:

HBCU’s by self selection/geographic location, public or private status (incentives offered); 5 completed

In-Depth interviews: Disability Service providers Students

Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis (SPSS and Nvivo)Team/Co-PIs-PD-Graduate Student

Preliminary DSP Survey FindingsType of Campus

53% Urban – located in a large city33% Suburban or small town14% Rural – not located near a major city

76% 4-year university19% 4-year college not offering graduate

degrees5% 2-year college offering associates degrees

Preliminary DSP Survey FindingsDemographics

78% Female22% Male

85% Have no disability 11% Have one, prefer not to say

89% Black; 8% White

Preliminary DSP Survey Findings cont.

Where does your office fit within the institutional organization?

• 70% student affairs• 27% Academic affairs• 3% Human Resources

Preliminary DSP Survey Findings cont.

What other types of jobs have you had?

43% College Administrator 39% Counselors etc. 39% professors or instructors 17% Business or Corporate

Preliminary DSP Survey Findings cont.

How many students do you serve with the following disabilities? Top 4

Mean N47% Learning Disabilities n=1,16420% ADHD n=53619% Health med. n=47215% Psychiatric illness n=297

Preliminary StudentFocus Group Findings

• Self Advocacy is reinforced and received by many, but not all students

• Wanted to attend college• Had a family member who attended• Know what they intend to do after college

(i.e. music, education, government policy)• Limited participation/excessive participation• Most proud to share disability/some guarded• Extremely limited resources at most schools,

although minimums met

Opportunities

Focus on research that drives resources to schoolsResearch on students with disabilities at HBCU’s

and Predominantly White Institutions (PWI’s)Research on how students respond to culture

sensitivity (both disability and racial)Research on best practices in disability services

regardless of type of institutionResearch on existing and potential partnershipsCreate Cultural Model of Disability Service delivery