Inclusive Higher Education: Are we giving enough consideration to the needs of disabled online education students?

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a global shift in higher education, causing higher education institutions to adapt to emergency remote teaching and learning methods to ensure continuity of access to education for students. In Ireland, this transition revealed both challenges and opportunities for disabled students enrolled in higher education. Many disabled students benefited from the flexibility of learning remotely, as discussed in the Learning from Home reports (AHEAD 2020b; 2021a), which found that features such as lecture recordings, minimal commuting, and lack of distractions from busy lecture rooms enhanced their learning experiences.

In the aftermath of the pandemic, as higher education institutions returned to campuses and a predominantly in-person learning model, much research has been produced discussing the aspects of learning online that should be retained to create inclusive learning experiences for disabled students in higher education (Gin et al., 2021; Kishira, & Sasaki, 2024; Mullins & Mitchell, 2022; Murphy, 2021). Options for creating methods of learning that incorporate the benefits learned during the pandemic include

• hybrid learning, in which a lecture is delivered online and on-campus simultaneously, and students can choose to attend through the medium most suited to them;
• blended learning, in which lectures are a mix of on-campus and online;
• dedicated online education programmes, in which all teaching and learning are delivered online with no on-campus elements.

However, addressing the challenges currently faced by disabled students in online education is critical before further expansion of online, blended, or hybrid education to ensure accessible, inclusive education that benefits disabled students rather than creating new barriers separate but just as hard to overcome as those in traditional campus-based education.

What is Online Education?

It's generally accepted that the emergency remote teaching and learning styles used during the pandemic differ from proper online education (Rice et al., 2020). As opposed to the emergency remote learning methods, which consisted of transitioning content to an online platform and delivering teaching and learning in the same fashion as face-to-face, using mediums such as Teams or Zoom, online education requires specific pedagogies to ensure student success (Archambault et al., 2022). This type of teaching and learning, which was once considered niche and had a minimal role in Higher Education Institutions, is expected to grow substantially in the coming years (Brown, 2021).

Additionally, the profile of students who enrol in dedicated online education differs from those in campus-based higher education programmes. Online education students are likely to be older, in employment, and have caring responsibilities (Farrell & Brunton, 2020; Kahu et al., 2014). Thus, for students who are balancing multiple responsibilities alongside academic life and managing the needs of a disability, an understanding of their needs and consideration of a flexible approach to education is necessary. As we have seen in the pandemic, learning online has the potential to create accessible, inclusive education, and a hybrid or blended learning approach may offer more flexibility in accessing higher education for disabled students. However, before this becomes a reality, an understanding of the needs of this unique group must be in place to ensure that barriers and challenges are considered to provide the maximum support for disabled students.

Challenges and Barriers for Disabled Online Education Students

Inaccessible support services

Despite having a completely different lifestyle, different needs, and requirements to campus-based students, those in online education are allocated the same resources, accommodations and supports as on-campus attendees (McManus et al., 2017; Reyes et al., 2023). Students juggling multiple lifestyle responsibilities may study at non-traditional times of day, when higher education supports are generally unavailable, creating difficulties accessing support and minimising feelings of belonging.

Minimal research

Research into higher education rarely includes online education students, making it difficult for disabled online education students to discuss their educational needs and difficulties to create change.

Access to technology

Many disabled students struggle with the technology aspect of learning online as the design of learning platforms is inaccessible. Multiple studies found that students with hearing or vision difficulties were adversely affected by inaccessible learning platforms, both during the pandemic and in dedicated online education spaces (Genc & Kocdar, 2020).

Financial difficulties

In Ireland, the primary funding source for academic fees and funding for all students is SUSI, which is paid for full-time and some part-time on-campus programmes. Disabled students additionally have financial supports through the DARE scheme. This scheme is only applicable to students under 23 years old (Disability Access Route to Education, 2025), excluding online education students who tend to be older (Kahu et al., 2014). The fund for students with disabilities can be a valuable source of additional support once the student has paid the fees to attend, but for those who do not have the finances to pay academic fees and with no source of academic fees assistance available, disabled online education students are excluded from higher education if they cannot attend on campus.

Cognitive difficulties

Online courses are generally asynchronous with some synchronous elements; thus, the expectation is for the student to keep up motivation and manage their learning. For some disabled students, sustaining attention through personal motivation can be difficult, and a problem can be compounded if the content is poorly structured, disorganised, or overwhelming (Terras et al., 2020; Warren & Schwitzer, 2017).

Isolation and Mental Health Concern

While online education provides flexibility, it can also create feelings of isolation among disabled students. The absence of physical interaction and limited opportunities for peer connection can exacerbate mental health issues and reduce engagement.

Supporting disabled students in online environments

The success of online education for disabled students hinges on institutional commitment to inclusivity. This includes developing policies that mandate accessibility, providing resources for students and faculty, and fostering a culture of inclusion. Key institutional practices include:

Staff support for disabled students: Access to supportive, understanding staff members is essential for disabled students in the online environment. Online accessibility staff members who can direct students to the information needed has the ability to reduce student's stress and provide an essential service.

Research and creation of policies: Research into the requirements of disabled students in online higher education, as a unique group separate from those in campus-based education, should be undertaken to explore the policies and procedures that should be implemented to offer support in an online, hybrid, or blended learning environment.

Financial support: Support to access online education for students whose disabilities make it difficult to attend campus-based programmes should be offered by the government in the same way that support is available for campus-based programmes.

Community Building: Encouraging student interaction and collaboration can alleviate feelings of isolation. Online discussion forums, virtual study groups, and accessible social events could be utilised to foster a sense of belonging and community.

Engagement with stakeholders: Collaboration with disabled students, advocacy groups, and accessibility experts can inform better practices and ensure policies align with student needs.

Conclusion

The emergency switch to remote learning during the Covid-19 pandemic brought challenges and benefits for disabled students that have the potential to create long-term flexibility in higher education. Harnessing the benefits of learning remotely and building them into higher education will create greater accessibility and inclusivity for disabled students. However, before widening access to online learning, it is critical that the needs of students currently in online education are listened to and policies, procedures, and recommendations are made to support them.

It's particularly important that access to funding is provided for disabled students who cannot attend campus-based programmes, and age limits for DARE funding are removed to create more inclusion for people who wish to pursue higher education. Research that listens to the lived experiences of current students in online education and centres on their voices is the best way to create accessible, inclusive, flexible higher education for everyone. Without understanding the unique needs of disabled online education students, the benefits of remote learning in the pandemic could quite quickly be outweighed by the barriers faced by current students.

Learning through an online platform, be it fully online or a hybrid or blended learning format, may offer an opportunity for higher education institutions in Ireland to create more inclusive, flexible options and widen access options for disabled students. It is critical that before expanding online higher education, a focus is placed on current students who, at the moment, are invisible in research, policies, and procedures to ensure that supports for disabled students meet their requirements and provide the necessary tools for success.