Purpose: This is a pilot study to investigate gaze strategies for coping with glare when performing a simple visual task under intense contra light viewing conditions. Method: Twenty-four normally sighted participants were recruited for this study. They consisted of a young subgroup (n=12), aged 21-29 (mean = 25.3 ± 2.5), and an older subgroup (n=12), aged 51-71 (mean = 57.3 ± 6.1). Visual acuity (VA) and Brightness Acuity testing (BAT) were used to assess central vision. Participants were required to locate and approach (from 15m) a small platform that was contra lit by a powerful light source. Upon arrival at the platform, participants were required to insert a small ball into a similarly sized receptacle. An ASL Mobile Eye (Bedford, MA) eye tracker was used to monitor gaze position throughout until the task was completed. Scene and pupil videos were recorded for each participant and analyzed frame by frame to locate the participant’s eye movements. Results: Two participants (one from each subgroup) adopted aversion gaze strategies wherein they avoided looking at the contra lit task for more than 50% of the task completion time. For the remainder of the experimental trial, these two participants were either looking toward the glare source or blinking. The other twenty-two participants opted to endure the contra light condition by gazing directly into the glare for the majority of the task completion time. An individual t-test between the younger iv subgroup’s BA scores vs. the older subgroup’s BA scores was statistically significant (p<0.05). Significantly poorer BAT scores were found in the older subgroup, however, individual participant’s BAT scores did not necessarily predict the ability to cope with a contra lit glare source. Although, statistically significant differences were not found between the two subgroups when examining their VA and length of time to complete the course, a trend was found, as the older subgroup consistently had poorer VA scores and took longer to complete the course. Further research must be completed with a larger sample size to fully understand the glare aversion strategies one must elicit when dealing with a contra lit glare source within the built environment, and to confirm the three glare strategies proposed by this pilot study.

The absence of the United Nations in the Middle East countries has resulted in the victimization and violation of human rights in prisons. People imprisoned for opposing the government are detained and tortured unlawfully. This study aims to investigate the effects of prisoners’ victimization on their physical and mental health and how it impacts their lives after their release. For this research, I applied a qualitative technique, quantitative analysis using secondary data to understand the versatile topic of prisoners’ victimization and violations of human rights patterns in the Middle East countries where these practices have remained apparent for many years. This research showed how governments in the Middle East countries are using prisons for coercive political purposes. Syria and Iraq are among the nations that appear immune to the consequences of violating human rights. Victimization undermines international law concerning promoting the rule of law and protecting human rights. Many countries in the Middle East are facing the challenge of ensuring that their prisoners are treated humanely. People with different political views from their leaders are wrongfully convicted and handed unfair prison sentences to punish them for being liberal- minded. The conditions in these prisons are also inhumane as they are crowded considering how temperatures rise in these Middle East countries. Prisoners are also neglected medically evident through the number of deaths of prisoners from chronic illnesses. Prisoners are also tortured by the guards who overstep their mandate and punish innocent prisoners. In conclusion, it has been documented those prisons in the Middle East serve as secret centers where governments torture their people to death.

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No description available.

Using universal design instruction (UDI) as a framework, this study explores the inclusive teaching practices of four award-winning humanities and social sciences faculty at a large urban Research I university located in the northeastern region of the United States. UDI, a framework used to assist teachers in creating proactively inclusive instructional design, was used as a measure of inclusivity. Using a qualitative case-study approach, the study cross-examined the pedagogy of these faculty and unpacked specific techniques and practices embedded in their pedagogy that aligned with UDI. With each faculty member considered an individual case, structured classroom observations and interviews with target faculty, their colleagues, and student focus groups were conducted. Guided by the UDI framework, a cross-case analysis was then undertaken to determine the extent to which each faculty member met UDI principles. The study yielded descriptive accounts of multidimensional teaching strategies that incorporated universal design instruction. / Urban Education

This study measured postsecondary faculty attitudes toward academic accommodations and an inclusive teaching method called Universal Design for Instruction (UDI). The purpose of the study was to help determine a readiness for change among faculty with regard to implementing UDI principles, compare differences between faculty groups, as well as add to the postsecondary UDI research agenda. UDI requires faculty instructional design and has the potential to reduce the need for individualized academic accommodations and increase the retention and graduation rates of students with disabilities. The study included an online survey e-mailed to 1,621 faculty at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC). Independent variables included: amount of teaching experience, teaching status (i.e., full-time, part-time), academic discipline, and amount of prior disability-related training. Results showed significant differences among faculty based upon amount of teaching experience, prior disability-related training, and academic discipline. Generally, faculty with more teaching experience and prior disability-related training had more favorable attitudes toward accommodations and UDI concepts. Faculty in the colleges of Applied Sciences and Arts (ASA), Education, and Mass Communication and Media Arts had more favorable attitudes toward multiple means of presentation than the colleges of Science and Liberal Arts. Faculty in the college of Education had more favorable attitudes toward providing accommodations than the college of ASA. The study effectively started a dialogue with SIUC faculty on their willingness to use UDI principles. Overall, faculty reported mostly positive attitudes toward UDI concepts and traditional academic accommodations. Results could be utilized when proceeding with targeted training for faculty on UDI in postsecondary settings.

While research on barriers to full participation for those with learning and other disabilities has focused largely on structural and institutional obstacles to work and education (Swain, French, & Cameron, 2005; Jones, 1996; Watson, 2002), the recognition of disability as a social justice issue is gaining currency (Kraus, 2008). Expensive, bureaucratic, and protracted procedures for reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities in colleges and universities may serve as institutional obstacles that can challenge notions of social justice. This study examined academic policy implementation surrounding foreign language substitution procedures and practices in five institutions of higher education. Nineteen academic administrators were interviewed to examine how and when policies are implemented, and how those responsible for decision-making around student requests for foreign language substitutions as a reasonable accommodation approach their decision-making. Additionally, content analysis of institutional material listed on websites and in documents available to students was conducted to understand in what model(s) of disability substitution requests are rooted. Finally, four students from one of the five institutions were interviewed to contextualize the findings from the institutional administrator interviews and content analysis. The framework of Strategic Ambiguity is utilized to examine how ambiguity in policy creation and implementation can negatively impact the experiences of some students with disabilities in higher education, even as it benefits administrators who can capitalize on ambiguity to align their policy decisions with individual interpretations of fairness. The framework of Universal Design is utilized to examine how diverse perspectives on the comparative importance of language and cultural study may legitimize the expansion of curricular options for all students.

Thesis advisor: Richard M. Jackson / The diversity of the student population in K-12 settings has steadily increased over the past few decades. While students who are of a racial/ethnic minority background have increased (Villegas & Lucas, 2007), teachers are increasingly young, female, and white (Goldenberg, 2008; NCES, 2013). In acknowledging these demographic discrepancies between teachers and students, many studies and reports have put forward an array of frameworks that teachers can employ in their practice to address diversity. Among these frameworks are Teaching for Social Justice (TSJ) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). This dissertation seeks to examine the potential relationship among the two frameworks as viewed by undergraduate teacher candidates as they develop their dispositions for teaching diverse learners through a 17-week course attached to a one-day-per-week pre-practicum experience. This multi-case study examined how the beliefs of 19 participants regarding TSJ and UDL changed over the course of a 6-month study within the context of a course. This study investigated how these participants connected UDL and social justice as a cohesive framework for addressing diversity in the classroom. Using daily and weekly journals, online discussion forums, and pre- and post- surveys, this study analyzed all 19 participants to identify four representative cases. Findings from this study reveal that most participants were impacted by the course to the extent that they were able to identify the importance of aspects of social justice in the practice of an educator. Fewer participants were able to identify the role of UDL in the classroom. Only one participant viewed social justice and UDL as a cohesive framework for impacting classroom practice. Analysis of the representative case studies suggests that participants at this level of development may need more time to engage in complicated abstract concepts. They may also need course-attached field placements in classrooms that align with the mission and vision of the preparation program, consistency in messaging through the duration of a preparation program, and differentiated supports based on their background experiences. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2015. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Teacher Education, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction.

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of awareness and use of selected universal design features and products in single-family housing by Oregon housing contractors. Also researched were barriers and incentives to use as well as the position and opinions of these housing contractors on the viability of universal design standards becoming part of the residential building code. This study used a self-administered, mail survey questionnaire developed by the researcher. The Dillman Total Design Method (Dillman, 1978) was used as the basis for the survey instrument and its administration. A random sample of housing contractors indicating single-family residential construction as a primary focus of business was taken from the Oregon Construction Contractors' Board list. One hundred sixty-four surveys were returned for use in analysis. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, mean, and frequency distributions. Paired sample t-tests were used to determine differences between awareness and use of universal design. Multiple regression and Pearson correlations were used to compare universal design use and selected demographic characteristics. Paired sample t-tests determined whether or not added cost to implement universal design affected use. Kendall's tau tests compared viability and mandated use of universal design as part of the building code. The MANOVA test compared current voluntary use and housing contractors' opinions about specified characteristics of universal design. These analyses found that of Oregon housing contractors surveyed, there was a greater awareness than use of universal design, which was significant. Barriers and incentives to use were important considerations in the process of adopting universal design. Cost and demand by clients were most often cited. A majority of respondents felt that incorporating universal design standards as part of the building code was a viable idea, even though they disagreed with it. Specified demographic characteristics of housing contractors did not play a significant role in either awareness or use of universal design. Added cost to implement universal design was found to be associated with its use. The more there was an indication of additional cost, the less the use of universal design. / Graduation date: 2000

Many people have disabilities and would like to have all of the amenities typical of daily life. Universal product design is important in designing for the disabled and creating user-friendly products for all people. The goal of this thesis is to develop a universal product method by understanding how user activity closely resembles product function. The research results include a twenty product pair study in which a universal and typical product were compared. An activity diagram and functional model for each product in the product pair were the design tools used for this comparison. User activities were used to cluster product function changes. In addition, design changes such as functional, morphological and parametric were identified between the universal and typical product. The result was an action-function diagram showing the clusters and design changes for all of the twenty product pairs. An interactive GUI universal product design repository detailing the information from the action-function diagrams was created and used for eventual modification of typical products to make them universal. A universal product family was created using a user-centric universal design method developed because of the universal product design repository. Furthermore, user disability ratings from the ICF helped to expand the database and make creation of a universal product family more focused on levels of disability. The useful application of the research will be in developing a universal design method for product designers and engineers. This method will be broken down into a design structure matrix representation of functions from a universal product family of household kitchen appliances. In addition, an embodied concept for a product family consisting of existing accessible dispensers will be used to validate the universal design method developed from the twenty product study. Both case studies will serve as an example of how to extend universal design principles to a wide range of consumer product categories.