This design thesis is part of CATEA's RERC workplace accommodations grant, and it adopts a human centered design methodology to research, develop, test and evaluate designs of behind-the-counter workspaces that maximize independence and participation of employees and increase their employment possibilities. Preliminary research shows that current designs of behind-the-counter workspaces do not accommodate needs of intended employees including the seated and standing users. According to the research, factors like task design and lack of ease of use have contributed to job loss and reduced employment. Through participatory research techniques and ergonomic studies, this project identified accessibility and usability needs and outlined basic and extended design guidelines for behind-the-counter workstations that would address these needs. Results from observational research, usability studies and user interviews were analysed to create design specifications for a range of workstations. The resulting workstation designs incorporate universal design guidelines and aim to expand employment opportunities for people with disabilities and older adults.

In today's world there is a need for products and services that are accessible to all individuals. Universal Design is the concept that products and environments should be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialization. There is a growing need for such products. However, many products are not accessible to all potential customers, arguably due to a lack of experience, design tools, and engineering methods for creating universally designed products. This research compares paired products to determine the differences between "Universal Design (UD)" and "Standard" Products. For each pair of products, a functional model and activity diagram were developed and analyzed. For each product pair, the identified differences in the products were recorded in a Universal Design differences database. Through systematic analysis of the Universal Design differences database and other research in Universal Design, a set of three Handheld Universal Design Tools was created. The toolset consists of the Handheld Universal Design Checklist, The Handheld Universal Design Guidelines, and the Handheld Universal Design Matrix. These three tools are designed to be used in the concept generation phase of product design or redesign. The Handheld Universal Design Tools were evaluated using a human subjects experiment. Control and test groups were asked to generate concepts for redesigning a product. The metrics of quality, universality, laterality, senior usability and inclusivity were used to evaluate the design concepts. The results of the study suggest that Handheld Universal Design Tools assist engineers in generating design concepts appropriate for Universally Designed products. As a part of the research, Universal Design was presented to first year mechanical engineering students with pre- and post- surveys on the students' perceptions of engineering. Subsequent analysis of the surveys indicated that exposure to Universal Design affects students' perceptions of engineers' overall role in society and their capacity to help others. The Handheld Universal Design Checklist, Guidelines and Matrix represent an initial step to provide engineers with tools to create Universally Designed products. / text

This qualitative study examines how principals support the implementation of the Three-Block Model of Universal Design for Learning (Katz, 2012a), a framework for inclusive school reform. The ways that principals can support inclusive practice may include the way they use systems and structures that fall under their control (Katz, 2012a). Instructional leadership also plays a crucial part in implementing inclusive school reform (Leithwood & Riehl, 2005). Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with five Manitoba principals involved in implementation of the Three-Block Model of UDL. Principals were asked about leadership and how they manage systems and structures under their control. Recommendations for practice are made, including the need for the school to be organized to support inclusive practice, for principals to make developing people a key task, and for principals to be highly involved in classroom instruction within the school.

Bakgrunn: Bygninger med universell utforming vil kunne gi økt deltakelse og aktivitet for flere. Mål: Studiet har målsetting om å vise hvordan implementering av universell utforming kan foregå i en norsk kommune og vise til hvilke implementeringskriterier som er viktig med hensyn til å oppnå universell utforming. Metode: Case study er brukt som forskningsmetode. Studiet består av fire case; to skole- og to barnehagebygg. Visning av bilder ble brukt som metode for å illustrere universell utforming og gi økt kunnskap om temaet til berørte parter. Bygningene ble kartlagt med hensyn til hvorvidt bygningsmassen tilfredstiller ytelser nedfelt i veileding til tekniske forskrifter. Videre vil utfylte kartleggingsverktøy beskrive hva som bør gjøres av tiltak med hensyn til universell utforming.Ett år etter kartleggingsarbeidet intervjuet vi seks sentrale informanter; kommunalsjef, leder av eiendomsavdelingen, politiker, avdelingsleder for barnehagene samt leder for hver av de to barnehagene. Følgende spørsmål ble stilt: Hvilke politiske beslutninger er tatt? Hvilken forståelse og kunnskap har informanten om universell utforming?  Hvordan har planprosessen forløpt i kommunen? Økonomiske betraktninger? Hva er viktig for implementering av universell utforming? Resultat: Funn fra kartleggingsarbeidet viser mangelfull universell utforming vedrørende fremkommelighet, orienterbarhet og inneklima. Ett år etter kartleggingsarbeid ble det gjennomført intervju av seks sentrale informanter. Studiet identifiserte implementerings-kriterier for å oppnå universell utforming. Det er nødvendig med politisk og administrativ forankring, felles forståelse og samhandling mellom helse – og teknisk sektor, samarbeid med brukerorganisasjoner, plassering av et pådriveransvar for universell utforming og økonomiske ressurser avsatt til arbeidet for å oppnå implementering av universell utforming. Konklusjon: kartleggingsarbeid og bruk av implementeringskriterier er viktig for å oppnå universell utforming. Det er viktig med innspill vedrørende universell utforming tidlig i planprosesser. Med fordel kan videre forskning vise sammenheng mellom universell utforming og opplevelse av helse. / Background: Buildings that implement universal design provide increased participation and activity levels for many people. Purpose: This study aimed to show how a Norwegian community could use universal design for a planned rehabilitation of school and pre-school buildings. We sought to describe the steps necessary to achieve universal design. Methods: Our case study formed the basis of our investigation regarding the potential of universal design in school buildings. To raise awareness in study participants, we showed them photographs illustrating universal design. We also mapped the buildings according to their fulfillment of the “Guidelines to technical regulations” provided by both the construction plan and building legislation. One year following the mapping exercise, we surveyed six central participants; executive officer, manager of the property department, local politicians, managers and department heads of 2 childcare units. The following questions were posed: Which political decisions have been taken? What does the participant know about universal design? Describe planning processes in the local authority? What economical considerations have been taken? Describe the important factors necessary to implement universal design? Results: Mapping revealed insufficient design regarding mobility, adaptation ability, and indoor climate. Our study identified criteria that are essential to achieving universal design, including increased knowledge and understanding of universal design; political and administrative funding of the work; common understanding and interaction between the health sector, user organizations, and the technical sector; accountability; and economic recourses. Interviews indicated that study reports aided the municipality in laying groundwork for further rehabilitation of the buildings. Conclusions: While reports and implementation criteria contribute importantly to achieving universal design, it is important to use such information and guidelines early in the planning process. Further research is required to determine a possible connection between universal design and perception of health. / <p>ISBN 978-91-85721-65-8</p>

Very little research is published on teaching music to students with learning disabilities. Nevertheless, federal law mandates that instruction of such students take place in all public schools. The purpose of this study was to investigate the lived experiences of four secondary instrumental music teachers who teach five students with learning disabilities. This study looked at the interactions between teachers and these students and examined how their experiences informed teaching practices. Phenomenological in design, this study included data collected from journals, as well as interviews, relevant artifacts, and direct observations of the teachers. My goal was to provide data for music teacher training programs and for these teachers to help each class of their students educate students with learning disabilities. Results showed that the teachers were aware of the needs of students with learning disabilities. Teachers became frustrated with occurrences of undisclosed diagnoses of such students and those with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, and that they had received little guidance from Individualized Education Programs or other documents designed to inform teachers about accommodations for those with disabilities. Successful accommodations depended on the experience or training of the teachers and the severity of the disability, as well as how much the students had previously learned to cope with their learning disabilities. Students were rarely aware of specific interventions or adaptations teachers had made to accommodate a disability. Instructors employed general teaching techniques that aligned with Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Pedagogical information given in this study would benefit music education and add more data to the sparse amount of work being done on teaching instrumental music to students with learning disabilities.

xi, 114 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / The primary purpose of this study was to develop and field test the ExCEL survey instrument, intended to measure faculty attitudes toward and perceptions about students with disabilities at four-year colleges and universities. A secondary purpose was to examine how demographic characteristics of the sample and prior disability-focused training experiences influenced these attitudes and perceptions. A cross validation study was conducted using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The exploratory factor analysis (EFA) resulted in an eight factor structure: Knowledge of Disability Law, Fairness, Invitation to Disclose, Willingness to Invest Time, Accessibility of Course Materials, Willingness to Adjust Course Assignments, Satisfaction with Campus Resources, and Willingness to Make Testing Accommodations. The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was intended to confirm the factor structure but resulted in an inadmissible solution, potentially due to model misspecification. These findings show initial reliability and validity of the ExCEL survey and suggest item development as a crucial next step in the development process. Follow-up analyses showed minimal differences between faculty according to gender but significant differences according to faculty rank (e.g., tenured, tenure-track, and non-tenure) and department. In addition, group differences emerged according to prior disability-focused training, where faculty who had previous disability-focused training had greater positive attitudes and perceptions toward students with disabilities than did faculty without such training. These results will inform the field about important constructs to consider in instrument development for measuring faculty attitudes and perceptions toward disability, including knowledge of legal mandates and accommodations and knowledge of and willingness to adjust instruction according to the tenets of Universal Design. As well, the findings will inform four-year college and university administrations when planning targeted interventions for faculty members in disability awareness training. / Committee in charge: K Brigid Flannery, Chairperson, Special Education and Clinical Sciences; Deborah Olson, Member, Special Education and Clinical Sciences; Joe Stevens, Member, Educational Methodology, Policy, and Leadership; Douglas Blandy, Outside Member, Arts and Administration

A educação inclusiva visa garantir o direito de todos os alunos de estarem juntos, aprendendo e participando do contexto escolar sem nenhuma discriminação. A presente pesquisa investigou este espaço de interação, onde os alunos, com e sem deficiência, vivenciam experiências de aprendizagem na sala de ensino regular. A pesquisa abordou a qualidade dos materiais educacionais a partir da abordagem Design para a Experiência e da teoria das Inteligências Múltiplas, visando promover as experiências dos usuários no contexto da educação inclusiva. A investigação teórica da pesquisa relata marcos históricos da educação no Brasil e o crescimento através de normas e leis para a educação de todos no pais, trazendo a base do Desenho Universal para Aprendizagem, somados a assuntos como: Design Instrucional, Inteligências Múltiplas, até chegar na Interação e Qualidade dos materiais. A fase inicial da pesquisa gerou subsídios que embasam o instrumento de coleta de dados através de um questionário, que foi conduzido a partir de entrevistas com especialistas da área da educação: professores da sala de aula regular, educador especial, e psicopedagogo a fim de verificar as diretrizes de qualidades propostas. Foram selecionados alguns materiais de aprendizagem utilizados no ensino fundamental e verificados previamente pela pesquisadora. Após, foram elencados dois materiais com os seguintes critérios: (i) aquele que se julgou mais apto a proporcionar experiências a todos os alunos e (ii) o que se julgou gerar menor experiência (segundo perspectiva da pesquisadora). A verificação foi realizada por professores, de forma voluntária, através do instrumento fornecido pela pesquisadora. Para comprovação do estudo, foi realizado uma triangulação com os dados obtidos. Por fim, alcançou-se um conjunto de diretrizes capazes de auxiliar no desenvolvimento e projeto de novos materiais educacionais com o foco na educação inclusiva. / Inclusive education aims to ensure the right of all students to be together, learning and participating in the school context without any discrimination. “This study investigated learning experiences of students with and without disabilities in a regular classroom. The study addressed the quality of educational materials from the Design approach to experience and theory of Multiple Intelligences to promote the experiences of users in the context of inclusive education. The study addressed the quality of educational materials from the Design approach to the experience and theory of Multiple Intelligences to promote the experiences of users in the context of inclusive education. The theoretical investigation reports landmarks of education in Brazil and growth through rules and laws education for everyone in the country, bringing the base of Universal Design for Learning, adding subjects like: Instructional Design, Multiple Intelligences, reaching the interaction and quality of materials. The initial theoretical investigation stage generated resources that support the data collection instrument through a survey form, which was conducted from interviews with education experts in the field: regular classroom teachers, special educators, and educational psychologists in order to verify the proposed guidelines qualities. We selected some learning materials used in elementary school and previously checked by the researcher. After two school materials with the following criteria were selected: (i) the one judged most able to provide experiences to all the students and (ii) what was judged to generate less experience (according to the researcher). The verification was performed by teachers, on a voluntary basis, through the instrument provided by the researcher. For the study verification, a triangulation with the obtained data was performed. Finally, a set of guidelines that can assist in the development and design of new educational materials with the focus on inclusive education was reached.

abstract: According to national data, there continues to be an ongoing achievement gap between students with disabilities and their non-disabled peers (USDE, n.d.b). This data is representative of a continued disparity in academic performance for students in local Arizona school districts. To address this gap, many districts have implemented inclusion models in which students with disabilities spend increasing amounts of time in general education classrooms, in some cases for the majority of or all of their school day. However, the persistence of the achievement gap suggests that general education teachers working in inclusion models may be lacking systematic instructional methods for ensuring access to the curriculum for those with disabilities and other diverse learning needs. The purpose of this action research study was to examine the impact that a series of professional development workshops had on teacher beliefs and understanding of disability, intelligence, and accessible pedagogy. The study was conducted over the course of a school semester at a kindergarten through 8th grade school in a large, semi-rural school district in southeastern Arizona. Ten teachers from a variety of grade levels and subject areas participated in the study along with a school psychologist and two school administrators. Theoretical frameworks guiding this project included critical disability theory, growth mindset, universal design for learning, and transformative learning theory. A mixed-methods action research approach was used to collect both qualitative and quantitative data in the form of surveys, interviews, and written reflections. The workshop series included five modules that began with activities fostering critical reflection of assumptions regarding disability and intelligence and ended with pedagogical strategies in the form of universal design for learning. The results indicate that the innovation was successful in reshaping participant views of disability, intelligence, and pedagogy; however, changes in classroom instruction were small. Implications for future research and practice include more extended sessions on universal design for learning and a more diverse sample of participants. Workshop sessions utilized a variety of active learning activities that were well received by participants and will be included in future professional learning plans across the district. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Leadership and Innovation 2018

Submitted by TICIANA COUTO ROQUEJANI null (ticicouto@hotmail.com) on 2018-03-19T20:16:34Z No. of bitstreams: 1 ROQUEJANI, T. C..pdf: 7927257 bytes, checksum: 561f311b35c42e47f921cc969c9a8425 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Maria Marlene Zaniboni null (zaniboni@bauru.unesp.br) on 2018-03-20T12:23:24Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 roquejani_tc_me_bauru.pdf: 7927257 bytes, checksum: 561f311b35c42e47f921cc969c9a8425 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-03-20T12:23:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 roquejani_tc_me_bauru.pdf: 7927257 bytes, checksum: 561f311b35c42e47f921cc969c9a8425 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-01-29 / O direito ao acesso, permanência e aprendizagem na escola dos estudantes com deficiência vêm sendo um campo de muitos debates. No entanto, o fato é que diversas barreiras ainda precisam ser quebradas quando se fala de uma inclusão escolar com acessibilidade e qualidade. A maneira como o professor de Geografia do Ensino Fundamental - Anos finais vem desenvolver o currículo da disciplina, frente à perspectiva da Educação Inclusiva, foi o foco desse trabalho. A existência de poucos estudos voltados ao ensino da Geografia e o Público-Alvo da Educação Especial, sobretudo, que trouxessem os princípios do Desenho Universal para Aprendizagem, impulsionou esta pesquisa a contribuir com a elaboração de práticas e métodos de ensino dos conteúdos da Geografia, que contemplassem a singularidade de cada estudante, tendo por base o Currículo do estado de São Paulo. Para isso, a partir das dificuldades elencadas pelos professores da rede pública estadual paulista de diferentes municípios, a pesquisa trouxe o apontamento por eles, de que, a Cartografia seria o conteúdo mais difícil para ser trabalhado em sala de aula inclusiva. O que veio delimitar os objetivos de: a) elaborar, descrever e analisar adequações curriculares para algumas Situações de Aprendizagem contidas nos Cadernos do Professor e do Aluno da rede estadual, referentes ao sexto e ao sétimo ano do Ensino Fundamental, envolvendo a temática da Cartografia, apontada pelos próprios professores da área, durante esta pesquisa; b) verificar a opinião do professor sobre a aplicação das adequações em sala de aula; c) construir, como produto final, um material de apoio ao professor de Geografia com as propostas de adequações para os anos indicados, como forma de auxiliar e proporcionar mais alternativas para a construção de aulas mais inclusivas. O resultado apontou que a inclusão ainda é considerada, pelo professor de Geografia, uma dificuldade, tendo em vista que não se sente preparado para receber os estudantes do Público-Alvo da Educação Especial e, muito menos, acredita estar apto para adequar o conteúdo curricular. Sobretudo, ao pensar na diversidade de uma sala inclusa, este estudo demonstrou, após aplicações das adequações, que, mudanças metodológicas são necessárias e possíveis de serem realizadas quando se considera os princípios do Desenho Universal para Aprendizagem. Considerou-se fundamental, mais pesquisas na área, pois, embora as adequações aplicadas nesta pesquisa tenham sido benéficas para a inclusão dos estudantes durante as aulas, o contexto escolar em relação ao ensino da Geografia ainda demonstra a necessidade de mudanças, no que se refere às carências na formação inicial do professor, nas orientações específicas, na estrutura física e nos materiais/recursos, além da ineficiência ou inexistência de planejamento entre profissionais do ensino comum e da Educação Especial. Por esta razão, mesmo que não garanta a melhoria da qualidade de ensino da Geografia, espera-se, ao menos, que este estudo tenha problematizado a temática, ao passo de afirmar que todos têm a capacidade para aprender quando o ensino ofertado considera as potencialidades e as características de cada um. / The right to access, retention and learning in schools for students with disabilities has been a field of many debates. However, the fact is that large barriers still need to be overcome in terms of educational inclusion with accessibility and quality. The focus of the present work is the approach used by Geography teachers in elementary schools (final years) while developing course syllabuses, facing the prospect of inclusive education. The lack of studies on Geography teaching applied to Special Education, and above all, the ones that should address the principles of Universal Design for Learning, have stimulated this research to contribute to the elaboration of practices and methods of teaching Geography contents that contemplate the singularity of each student, based on the Curriculum of the State of São Paulo. Under that purpose, based on the difficulties listed by the teachers of the São Paulo State public education network, from different municipalities, the research brought the point that Cartography would be the most difficult content to be explored in an inclusive classroom. What has come to define the objectives of: a) to elaborate, describe and analyze curricular adaptations for some Learning Situations that are part of the Teacher's and Student's Notebooks of São Paulo State educational network, involving subject of Cartography, pointed out by the teachers of that very field during the development of this research; b) verify teachers’ opinions about the application of the adjustments made in the classroom; c) build as final product a support material for the Geography teacher with proposals for curricular adaptations for the indicated grades, as a way to help and provide more alternatives to build more inclusive classes. The results pointed out that inclusion is still considered a difficulty by Geography teachers, considering that they do not feel prepared to receive the students from Special Education, much less believe that they are able to adapt the curricular content. Above all, when considering the diversity of an inclusive classroom, this study has demonstrated that, after adjustments, the methodological changes are necessary and possible to be realized when considering the principles of the Universal Design for Learning. The study has also revealed the need for more research on this topic, because although the adaptations created and applied in this research were beneficial to the inclusion of students during the classes, the educational context of Geography teaching still needs improvements in observed deficiencies in the initial training for teachers, in specific orientations, in infrastructure and in materials / resources, besides the inefficiency or lack of planning between professionals of regular teaching and the Special Education. Therefore, even if this study will not result in any improvement in the quality of Geography teaching, it is at least expected that it will have problematized the subject, while affirming that everyone has the capacity of learning when education considers the potential and characteristics of each one.

A educação inclusiva visa garantir o direito de todos os alunos de estarem juntos, aprendendo e participando do contexto escolar sem nenhuma discriminação. A presente pesquisa investigou este espaço de interação, onde os alunos, com e sem deficiência, vivenciam experiências de aprendizagem na sala de ensino regular. A pesquisa abordou a qualidade dos materiais educacionais a partir da abordagem Design para a Experiência e da teoria das Inteligências Múltiplas, visando promover as experiências dos usuários no contexto da educação inclusiva. A investigação teórica da pesquisa relata marcos históricos da educação no Brasil e o crescimento através de normas e leis para a educação de todos no pais, trazendo a base do Desenho Universal para Aprendizagem, somados a assuntos como: Design Instrucional, Inteligências Múltiplas, até chegar na Interação e Qualidade dos materiais. A fase inicial da pesquisa gerou subsídios que embasam o instrumento de coleta de dados através de um questionário, que foi conduzido a partir de entrevistas com especialistas da área da educação: professores da sala de aula regular, educador especial, e psicopedagogo a fim de verificar as diretrizes de qualidades propostas. Foram selecionados alguns materiais de aprendizagem utilizados no ensino fundamental e verificados previamente pela pesquisadora. Após, foram elencados dois materiais com os seguintes critérios: (i) aquele que se julgou mais apto a proporcionar experiências a todos os alunos e (ii) o que se julgou gerar menor experiência (segundo perspectiva da pesquisadora). A verificação foi realizada por professores, de forma voluntária, através do instrumento fornecido pela pesquisadora. Para comprovação do estudo, foi realizado uma triangulação com os dados obtidos. Por fim, alcançou-se um conjunto de diretrizes capazes de auxiliar no desenvolvimento e projeto de novos materiais educacionais com o foco na educação inclusiva. / Inclusive education aims to ensure the right of all students to be together, learning and participating in the school context without any discrimination. “This study investigated learning experiences of students with and without disabilities in a regular classroom. The study addressed the quality of educational materials from the Design approach to experience and theory of Multiple Intelligences to promote the experiences of users in the context of inclusive education. The study addressed the quality of educational materials from the Design approach to the experience and theory of Multiple Intelligences to promote the experiences of users in the context of inclusive education. The theoretical investigation reports landmarks of education in Brazil and growth through rules and laws education for everyone in the country, bringing the base of Universal Design for Learning, adding subjects like: Instructional Design, Multiple Intelligences, reaching the interaction and quality of materials. The initial theoretical investigation stage generated resources that support the data collection instrument through a survey form, which was conducted from interviews with education experts in the field: regular classroom teachers, special educators, and educational psychologists in order to verify the proposed guidelines qualities. We selected some learning materials used in elementary school and previously checked by the researcher. After two school materials with the following criteria were selected: (i) the one judged most able to provide experiences to all the students and (ii) what was judged to generate less experience (according to the researcher). The verification was performed by teachers, on a voluntary basis, through the instrument provided by the researcher. For the study verification, a triangulation with the obtained data was performed. Finally, a set of guidelines that can assist in the development and design of new educational materials with the focus on inclusive education was reached.