Social Media and Students with Disabilities

How are students with disabilities using social media, and how is NEADS responding?

Social media are changing the way we communicate. The Adaptech Research Network – - based at Dawson College in Montreal—and NEADS recently partnered on a study that examined the use and accessibility of various forms of social media by over 700 college and university students and recent graduates with visible and non-visible disabilities from across Canada. For the purposes of this research, social media includes: social networking sites such as Facebook, video sharing sites such as YouTube, virtual worlds such as SecondLife, podcasts, blogs, and instant messaging services. Findings from the research are being used to help guide NEADS as it looks to using social media to interact with existing members and attract new ones. The other objective is to use results to increase the awareness of colleges, universities, and those who use or develop social media so that they take into account the needs and concerns of students with disabilities. The team will present the findings of the research and discuss their implications for post-secondary students with disabilities in Canada. The presentation will also address where NEADS is today when it comes to using social media, and preview plans for the future utilization of this networking tool to grow the organization and its reach to better represent post-secondary students and graduates with disabilities. Finally, there will be an open floor discussion on what issues related to social media concern attendees.

Speakers | Catherine Fichten | Jennison Asuncion | Jillian Budd | Mai Nhu Nguyen |

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