What government, agencies, and organizations can do to improve access to computers for postsecondary students with disabilities: recommendations based on Canadian empirical data

Computer, information and adaptive computer technologies have the potential to enhance the lives of people with disabilities but also to deny them equ ality of access to education, jobs, and community life. In a series of thre e studies we investigated the computer technology needs and concerns of app roximately 800 postsecondary students with disabilities. Our data show that the vast majority of college and university students, regardless of sex, a ge, programme of study, or type of disability, can and do use computer tech nologies to help them succeed. A variety of government and non-governmental organizations provide computer supports for postsecondary students with di sabilities. Here, we describe key aspects of our findings concerning what t hese organizations can do to improve the availability of technologies to st udents with disabilities in postsecondary education and formulate recommend ations based on an environmental barriers perspective on disability. Althou gh the research is focused on the experiences of Canadians, many of the fin dings and recommendations are relevant for other countries.