In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden die elektronischen Diensten und Beständen der SLUB auf informationstechnologische Barrieren untersucht. Das Gesamtkonzept der Diplomarbeit ist auf die Entwicklung von praxisnahen Lösungen ausgerichtet. Neben ausführlichen Analysen steht die Erarbeitung von Empfehlungen im Mittelpunkt, damit die SLUB sehr zeitnah zu brauchbaren Ergebnissen bei der Beseitigung von Barrieren kommt. Zudem sollen die Anregungen für weiterführende Maßnahmen einen Prozess angestoßen werden, der sich auf kurz oder lang auf alle Dienste und Bestände der SLUB auswirkt.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, 2009. / Title from screen (viewed on January 13, 2010). School of Nursing, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Advisor(s): Marsha L. Ellet, Rebecca S. Sloan, Lynne A. Sturm, Melinda M. Swenson. Includes vitae. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 104-123).

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1983.

Across grade levels, students with learning disabilities (LD) experience challenges with aspects of their academic learning in terms of reading and writing. In many cases, these challenges can be addressed by utilizing assistive technology (AT) applications as a potential solution. According to the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 2004, AT should be "considered" in the development of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) to meet the requirement of providing a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) and to assist students in accessing the general education curriculum. The law requires IEP teams to consider AT to determine whether AT devices and services are necessary; therefore, IEP team members play an important role for considering AT and how AT should be specified in the IEP (Golden, 1998). The IEP team members include school administrators, teachers, and professionals who are responsible for developing, reviewing, and revising the IEP for students with disabilities. Thus, the IEP team members should have essential knowledge to inform AT decisionmaking (Bowser, 2003). The Technology and Media Division (TAM) of the Council of Exceptional Children (CEC) lists standards and teacher competencies regarding knowledge and skills of AT for practitioners and related professionals to follow. The standards include obtaining knowledge about AT legal foundations, students' characteristics, instructional content, technology applications, and related services for providing technology. In order to know whether IEP team members possess knowledge for considering AT for students with LD, the purpose of this study was to examine IEP team members' knowledge regarding characteristics of students with LD, AT legislation, AT devices, and AT services for considering assistive technology in the IEP development for 3rd grade to 5th grade students who have been identified as having learning disabilities in reading and writing. Participants (N=1050) including school administrators, general education teachers, special education teachers, diagnosticians, and speech/language pathologists from three school districts in a southern state were surveyed. Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was used to analyze the data. The results showed that participants were somewhat knowledgeable about the characteristics of students with LD, AT legislation, AT devices, and AT services when considering AT in the IEP development. Training in terms of quality and quantity was suggested by researchers to provide IEP team members who are serving students with LD better preparing for considering AT in the IEP team meetings. Future research should focus on conducting a similar study with different IEP team members and with different disability groups rather than just learning disability.

This is a study of an implementation process, which means it is a study of the gray area somewhere between policy and program. The policy created in 1983 opened the door of the college to non-traditional learners. Sweeping changes in the social discourse of disability supported the development of the 1983 policy. A review of the literature revealed four factors that were likely to influence the process: the policy, the implementing agency, external influences and power, politics and negotiation. The purpose of the study was to compare a framework, established from the literature, to a framework that evolved from the research. The project concluded that the four factors were adequate to describe the situation however, the preconceived framework was inadequate to describe the relationship among the factors for this site. Data collected from documents and interviews revealed that some factors have a stronger influence on the process than others. In this case, power, politics and negotiation and the implementing agency are strong considerations, while the policy and external factors play a weaker role. The result was a reconstructed framework that portrayed the implementation process for this site.

Toilet grab bars were intended to facilitate independent and safe toilet transfer for people with different abilities. However, standard grab bars require too much effort from older adults who typically transfer to the toilet in a standing position rather than a sitting position. Among existing grab bars, grab bars on both sides of the toilet worked best for older adults because they allowed older adults to use both arms to get on and off the toilet. However, based on our observation, these grab bars were not effective to assist older adults to get in and out of the wheelchair. Additionally, these grab bars are too far apart that older adults have to use their shoulders rather than arms, which arise problems because shoulder are typically weaker than arms. This study intends to solve this problem by developing a new grab bar which would be safer, easier and more comfortable to use. Based on the literature review, analysis of existing grab bars and observation, a new concept of grab bars was generated and a functional prototype was constructed for user testing. The prototype was proved to be safe, easy and comfortable to use in the entire transfer process and it reduced the use of wheelchairs as well.

This thesis explores representations of Paralympians within media and advertising. Scholarly research on disability is extremely limited, with current research focusing on print media, and few studies going as far as to perform a discourse analysis. Media representations play a prevalent role in constructing “disability” and have the power to define what it means to be a disabled person. Using a poststructural theoretical framework, I undertake a critical discourse analysis of television advertisements produced by Nike and Visa to uncover what narratives regarding disability are circulating with regularity. I find these advertisements featuring Paralympians serve to reproduce the myth of the “supercrip”, failing to acknowledge the complexity of individual experiences of those living with disabilities. Further, the simultaneous celebration and marginalization of Paralympians, a key dialectic found within these advertisements is indicative of a larger polemics circulating with regularity regarding people with disabilities within our increasingly neoliberal society. / v, 117 leaves ; 29 cm

Legislation mandates that older adults, who receive Title III-C assistance should be provided with nutrition education, nutrition counseling, and other nutrition services, as appropriate, based on the needs of individuals. The amount and content of nutrition education, however, is subject to variation of state guidelines. The purpose of this study is to measure the type and amount of nutrition education being provided to congregate meal site and home delivered meal participants and to identify if special accommodations are being made for those participants with visual and hearing impairments in the states of Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota (Region V). The nutrition representatives for congregate meal site and home delivered meal programs within the six states were sent an e-mail questionnaire. Results showed that while majority of the states are meeting their own state guidelines, having uniformity amongst the states could strengthen the nutrition education program for older adults receiving congregate or home delivered nutrition services within Region V. / Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

This study reported responses regarding factors which influenced the initial involvement and retention in sport by athletes with visual impairments competing at national and international levels. Fifty-five (55) athletes with visual impairments (40 male and 15 female) in attendance at five of the 1992 United States Association for Blind Athletes (USABA) national championships were interviewed. The championships included: judo, track & field (divided into two separate competitions; sprinters and field events; and distance runners), swimming, and goal ball. Athletes who were selected for and did participate in the Paralympics in Barcelona numbered 24. Biographic and demographic information were gathered in addition to 43 descriptive and open-ended questions in hour-long interviews.In general, the athletes interviewed were successful in their early contacts with sport, did not think of themselves as handicapped, disabled, or physically challenged, preferred to be referred to as visually impaired, and came from very supportive families who did not hinder their progress in sport. The positive factors perceived to influence involvement in sport were quality of life issues. Factors mentioned included: fun, health and fitness, friendships, and competition. Other comments of interest not falling into the above categories included: "high level of success", "satisfaction", "challenge", "enjoyment", "increased self-esteem", "self-confidence", "puts life in perspective", "I have a better outlook", "it balances my life", and "keeps my life normal".For a person with a visual impairment, sport seems to have some unique contributing qualities. Participation in sport was an important part of the lives of these athletes and contributed greatly to improved confidence and self-esteem, and to their efforts to be accepted by society in general. Sport was the means to an end and not the end itself as evidenced in the relatively small number of responses (nine out of 55) relating 'winning' as reason for involvement. Failure did not mean losing as defined by the score at the end of a competition. At this time in the history of sport for athletes with visual impairments, it appears that involvement in sport is a great asset to personal life satisfaction. / Department of Educational Leadership

As of 2007, according to the Census Bureau, there were more than 37 million people over the age of 65 and 38.22 million people with disabilities (5 years and older). In 2008, the National Response Framework (NRF) replaced the National Response Plan (NRP). One of the criticisms that lead to this change in policy is that during Hurricane Katrina, response to a number of vulnerable populations was not effective as should have been. This thesis addresses the concern for vulnerable populations in regards to planning and preparing for emergencies by assessing their inclusion in the state emergency plans of FEMA Region IV. Vulnerable populations is defined (in this paper) as individuals living with a disability, individuals 65 years or older and individuals with combination of the two. This research is based upon the assumption that there is a need for emergency management at all levels of government for all residents. In order to assess the inclusion of specific vulnerable populations in state emergency plans this thesis will look at the policy change made in the national plans. Using a content analysis, comparative analysis of national plans and an overall analysis of FEMA Region IV States, a standard of measurement is identified and significant influences affecting state emergency management are found. The Region IV states being compared are Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The claim is that the inclusiveness of state emergency plans in regards to response to vulnerable populations does not match that of the NRF. This research also suggests there are issues with the guiding documents for state emergency plans. The findings of this analysis can lead to a number of future research endeavors related to how states improve emergency preparedness and response.