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Accessibility and Selected U.S. Graduate Health Education Programs (2002)
A Preliminary Survey

| Part 3, Final Project for HS 6453 Strategies in Health Education Delivery, Fall 2002 (11/25/2002) |
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Project Purpose: This is a preliminary study of a small sample (eleven, as of 11/25/2002) of selected graduate health education programs in the United States in terms of inclusion of accessibility in their curriculum. Programs were chosen from a list of programs that have current active chapters of Eta Sigma Gamma, the Health Education Honorary Society. This project will be continued to survey many more programs.

An original goal was to find and highlight selected courses within each program that were specifically special topic courses on accessibility. This goal was expanded to include selected courses in each program in which accessibility could be a major, relevant topic.

In recent years, there has been an increased focus on interdisciplinary studies (Brainard, 2002). Universities are offering interdisciplinary degree programs (Hartigan, 2001; Texas Woman's University, 2002).

Another change in the scope of this survey was to cite accessibility-related courses taught in other departments, as well as courses on the undergraduate level.

In the table below, the column labeled Accessibility Awareness attempts to provide an indication of accessibility awareness on the university campus as a whole. Results for this column were compiled for the most part from a search of the term "accessibility" on the university website. It has been gratifying to retrieve webpages for the universities' accessibility offices (yes, some even called "Accessibility" offices!), assistive or adaptive technology labs, and university accessibility awareness programs, such as diversity days. The universities' academic computing or information technology departments increasing cite a state or federally-mandated requirement to make university and university department webpages accessible (for instance, according to Section 508 guidelines ). For instance, the State University of New York [SUNY] at Cortland cites New York State Policy 99-3 http://www.cortland.edu/ir/webaccess/index.html, requiring that SUNY campuses maintain accessible websites.

This preliminary study serves as the basis for an on-going more comprehensive study, the results of which hopefully will be presented at a poster session at the SOPHE 2003 Midyear Conference in June 2003 (proposal acceptance pending).

Graduate Health Education program websites were chosen for review from a list of programs with Eta Sigma Gamma Health Education Honorary Society active chapters, at: http://www.bsu.edu/web/esg/Chapters.htm. This list is current to October 10, 2002.

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Search Process: (Results recorded in the table below)

1. Selected websites of universities with active Eta Sigma Gamma chapters were accessed. The name of the Eta Sigma Gamma chapter, as well as the date of the survey, also were recorded in column 1 of the table below.

2. A search was completed to locate the internal websites for the department[s] or college[s] offering graduate courses in health education (sometimes termed health promotion, allied health, public health ...). The name/names of relevant colleges and/or departments were recorded in Column 2 of the table below.

3. Course catalogs, course schedules, and other related materials were searched and reviewed to sample course offerings and assess if accessibility could be a relevant topic in the courses. Examples were recorded in column 3 of the table below.

4. The university website was searched to locate resources, programs, services, events on campus, etc. that relate to accessibility. Keywords utilized included disability, disabled, access, accessibility, assistive technology, diversity. Examples were recorded in column 4 of the table below.

Key to Table: A Office=Accessibility Office, ESG = Eta Sigma Gamma Honorary Society

Some Conclusions from this Preliminary Survey: [currently a top ten list, to be amended]

1. Cost-free and Low-Cost: To increase the likelihood of success, integration of accessibility into health education curricula needs to be cost-free or at low-cost to the institution. One excellent funding source, of course, is to write and be awarded grants. An excellent list of funding sources is located on the National Center for Dissemination of Disability Research website at http://www.ncddr.org/nidrrinfo/funding.html. There also are a number of inherently cost-free or low-cost approaches with which health education programs may integrate accessibility into their curricula.

2. Accessibility = a special topics course or integrated within required courses?: A specialized course on accessibility could be developed and offered, and taught by either a full-time or adjunct professor. The course most probably would be an elective and offered only in particular semesters, perhaps on an "irregular" basis. However, due to scheduling conflicts and/or the need to take other required courses to fulfill degree requirements, many students probably would miss the opportunity to enroll in the course. So the best recommended approach appears to be integration of components of accessibility into a variety of required health education courses (see below, an example of possible accessibility-related topics for graduate health education courses offered by Texas Woman's University Department of Health Studies)

3. Collaboration saves money!. Integration of accessibility into health education curricula could be facilitated through interdisciplinary collaboration. Each university is structured differently. Integration may be easier if the health education department is within a college that also includes or has reserach ties with, for example, university departments of Deaf Education, Communication Sciences, Adapted Physical Education, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Kinesiology, Special Education, and Rehabilitation Services. Also beneficial for incorporating accessibility into health education programs would be if the department of health education offers a joint degree program with one or more of these departments. For instance, Texas Woman's University offers a dual M.L.S. / M.S. Health Studies degree program. in health studies and library science. Accessibility is a key issue in the health education profession, as well being a major principle of the library and information science profession.

4. Accessibility Already Is Topic of Concern on University Campus: It may be easier to integrate accessibility into curriculum, if, for instance, the campus Information Technology Services/Academic Computing and Accessibility Offices already are providing "accessibility outreach" in their individual capacities, and if a comprehensive adaptive/assistive technology lab already is fully operational and well-funded. University information technology/academic computing offices increasingly are publishing web accessibility guidelines to utilize in the design of university webpages, guidelines often based on the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Accessibility Initiative guidelines, Section 508 standards, and/or state laws. For instance, the State University of New York [SUNY] at Cortland refers to New York State Policy 99-3 http://www.cortland.edu/ir/webaccess/index.html, requiring that SUNY campuses maintain accessible websites.

5. University AccessibIlity-Related Research Centers: The university may already have research centers, the focus of which is accessibility. Indiana University, which has both the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community and the National Center on Accessibility, is an excellent example. Collaboration with these centers, including arranging student internships and classroom experiences, would be most beneficial and low-cost. Resources already are on the campus.

6. Faculty Expertise: If the department has a faculty member who has an expertise and/or a personal interest in accessibility, it is more likely that there will be courses taught on the subject, or the subject is incorporated in that faculty member's course curricula. An example is the HHS 374 Psychosocial Aspects of Disability course taught by Dr. Barry J. Rabin, a specialist in the field, at California State University-Long Beach.

7. Free and low-cost accessibility-related materials and equipment, for instance, for demonstrations, may be available for loan, or for free, as surplus, via state accessibility resource centers (established under the Assistive Technology Act of of 1998-P.L. 105-394) or with assistance from Alliance for Technology Access centers and other state and local agencies. National Library Service libraries may be of assistance.

8. Download free demonstration software and other materials from assistive technology/accessibility vendors. See list of vendors, for instance, at: http://www.csun.edu/cod/conf/2003/exhibit/exhList.htm (CSUN) and http://www.atia.org/members.html and http://www.closingthegap.net/ctg/conf/exhibitors/ExhibitorInfo.lasso ...

9. Attend Assistive Technology conferences and experience diversity in action, The Real Oscars (CSUN 2003) [this link was not accessible 11/25/2002 11:30 pm]

10. Accessibility is a Universally Relevant Topic: For virtually every course in every field, a reference can be made to accessibility. In the Health Education field, the topic of accessibility is particularly (prominently) relevant in courses about aging, death and dying, health services to diverse populations (diversity), to name just a few. As a sample, below is a list of current graduate courses offered in the Texas Woman's University Department of Health Studies and selected possible accessibility-related topics relevant for those courses.

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Texas Woman's University Graduate Courses of Instruction in Health Studies (from TWU Graduate Catalog 2002-2004 at: http://www.twu.edu/gradcat2/02-04/healthstd.html, retrieved November 25, 2002)

HS 5003, 5006. Practicum in Health Education. Internship experiences with health-related agencies or in the development of an original contribution to teaching and learning materials. Eight or sixteen laboratory hours a week. Credit: Three or six hours. Practicum at assistive technology/accessibility research center or health care facility serving people with differabilities

HS 5013. Data Collection and Analysis. Overview of data collection and analysis in health and medical literature. Covers health education principles such as age-adjustment, relative risk, vital statistics, life tables, and health surveys. Analyzing retrospective and prospective studies, specifically in health education. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours. Collection and analysis of data concerning people with differabilities [PWDs], risks of acquiring differabilities through the life span.

HS 5023. Methods in Health Education Research. Focus on basic research skills, including library skills, the reading and interpreting of research, writing style, research planning and design, methodologies, and research reporting as they relate to health education. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours. Methods of researching PWD populations. Evaluation of research. Writing a research proposal....

HS 5053. Psychosocial Aspects of Health. Emphasis on theory, research, and application of the interrelationships of the social and psychological aspects of health and wellness, including concepts of stress management and the impact of organizational factors. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours. Social and psychological aspects of differability. Differability as disease in medical model. Differability within wellness.

HS 5063. Aging and Health. Aging as part of the life cycle; special health concerns of the elderly; current life extending research and technology for successful aging. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours. PWDs and the aging process. Assistive technology in the aging process.

HS 5073. Seminar in Health Education. Seminar in health education, professional development and scholarly activities. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

HS 5103. Principles and Methods of Teaching Health Professionals. Development of classroom and clinical teaching competencies with emphasis on identification of resources, planning and implementation of instructional units, and instructional strategies for health professionals. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours. Planning and implementation of instructional units on accessibility, assistive technology.

HS 5113. Curriculum Development for Health Professionals. Theoretical concepts of curricular design; identification and implementation of unique factors that determine health curricula. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours. Concepts of universal design that promote the widest possible accessibility...

HS 5223. Patient Education and the Computer. Basics of planning and implementing patient education programs in health care settings including: preplanning, data, instructional and delivery designs, staff training, evaluation, and issues. Emphasis will be placed on preparing materials for the computer; however, no computer experience required. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours. Accessibility in electronic media. Assistive technology. Acquiring assistive technology and instruction with assistive technology.

HS 5343. Risk Reduction. Identification and analysis of risk-taking behaviors, and application of health risk assessment theory, tools, data sources, and methodology. Use of risk assessments, demographic data, and behavior-change theories to determine appropriate health risk reduction and health enhancement strategies for various populations and settings. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours. Health enhancement strategies for people with differabilities [PWDs]. Risk reduction methodologies to promote wellness among PWDs ...

HS 5353. Epidemiology. Study of disease occurrence in human populations and the understanding of the various methods used in the study of disease. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours. Diseases and differability, for instance, rubella and congenital rubella syndrome. Impact OF rubella on society. (see for instance: http://www.a4access.org/epipaper.doc

HS 5363. Community Health. Organization, role, and structure of community health agencies with special emphasis on health education services provided. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours. Providing accessible services to the community. Differability as diversity.

HS 5383. Program Development and Coordination. Development and evaluation of community and worksite health education programs. Review of approaches to program design, criteria for content selection, writing of programs, and community resources and support. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

HS 5413. Current Issues in Health Studies. Introduction to the professions of health science and allied health: role, credentialing, ethics, journals, associations and organizations, leaders in the field, and current and future trends in health science. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

HS 5423. Ethnic and Cultural Factors in Health Decisions. Consideration of major chronic, degenerative, and communicable diseases in light of socio-cultural influences; exploration of myths and misconceptions in ethnic groups and the related health implications; alternative strategies for minorities to improve health through education. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours. Differability as diversity: the diversity of doing things differently. People with differabilities as a major and underserved minority group (>20% and growing). Differability and attitudes toward differability in various cultures and ethnic groups.

HS 5483. Evaluation in Health Education. Evaluative tools for individuals, groups, and programs in health education; focus on methods for selecting instruments and collecting data. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

HS 5563. Consumer Health. Information concerning health care products, services, and consumer protection. Strategies for effective delivery of information to the public concerning consumer health related products and problems. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours. Assistive technology, EDLs: assistive technology for every day living...

HS 5613. Worksite Health Promotion. Design and management of effective worksite health promotion programs; organizational aspects of healthy work environments; critical issues related to health behavior change and intervention programs in the workplace setting. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours. Accessibility, ergonomics, in the workplace..

Independent Research courses: ... a myriad of possibilities ...

- HS 5901, 5903. Special Topics. Concentrated study of a particular topic in health education. Credit: One or three hours. May be repeated for credit when topic varies.

- HS 5911, 5913. Individual Study. Advanced study in a selected area of health education leading to the solution of a problem of professional interest and significance. Credit: One or three hours. May be repeated for additional credit.

- HS 5953, 5956. Cooperative Education. Cooperative work-study arrangement between business, industry, or selected institutions and the university. The work experience will be health related and will involve some aspect of delivering health education. Preplanning and evaluation will be required as part of the laboratory hours per week. Credit: Three or six hours. Cooperative education experiences at business, industry, institutional sites. A project could be to assess the accessibility of the site for employees, visitors ...

- HS 5973. Professional Paper. Credit: Three hours.

- HS 5983. Thesis. Credit: Three hours.

- HS 5993. Thesis. Prerequisite: HS 5983. Credit: Three hours.

- HS 6033. Research Methods in Health Science. Advanced methodology of research in the health sciences; evaluation of research and the formulation of an individual research project. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

HS 6403. Health and Human Ecology. Basic principles of ecology as they apply to the health of human beings; analysis of modern developments in technology and science and their resultant effects on human beings; development of community efforts in establishing environmental quality. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours. Environmental quality and its relation to the presence of various differabilities in the population....

HS 6413. Contemporary International Health. Overview of health status, health-related programs, and trends in health care delivery in various countries throughout the world. Major emphasis is placed on culture and environment as they relate to health practices in various countries. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours. Attitudes toward accessibility and people with differabilities (as well as their access to health care/delivery of health care to the population) in various cultures and nations throughout the world. Comparisons among cultures, different societies. Progress in achieving equity of access in various nations....

HS 6433. History of Health and Medicine. Significant historical events with emphasis upon ideas, personalities, institutions, and cultural factors of each era as they affected the origin and development of health education. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours. History of health care for people with differabilities, and institutions serving this diverse population ...

HS 6443. Foundations of Health Science. Introduction of theories and concepts related to health science. Includes rational, psychodynamic, and behavioral theories from education, psychology, and sociology. Applications of theory to health education practice and research. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours. Theories and concepts of health science that relate to provision of and access to health care by people with differabilities ...

HS 6453. Strategies in Health Education Delivery. Identification of the various entities within the health education system which influence decisions about accepting health information and changing unhealthful lifestyles. Development of strategies for effective utilization of health information. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours. Strategies for integrating accessibility into health education ...

HS 6911, 6913. Individual Study. Individual study in health studies leading to the solution of a problem of professional interest and significance. Credit: One or three hours. May be repeated for additional credit. Many research topics possible:

HS 6953, 6956. Cooperative Education. Cooperative work-study arrangement between business, industry, or selected institutions and the university. The work experience will be health related and will involve some aspect of delivering health education. Pre-planning and evaluation will be part of the laboratory hours per week. Credit: Three or six hours.

HS 6983. Dissertation. Credit: Three hours.

HS 6993. Dissertation. Prerequisite: HS 6983. Credit: Three hours.

References:

Brainard, J. (2002, June 14). U.S. agencies look to interdisciplinary science.
      Chronicle of Higher Education, 48(40), A20-A21.
       Retrieved November 24, 2002, from Academic Search Premier database.

Hartigan, R. (2001, April 9). Smart new degrees. U.S. News and World Report,
       130(14), 60-65. Retrieved November 25, 2002, from Academic Search
      Premier database.

Texas Woman's University. Department of Health Studies. (2002). Dual degree program.
       Retrieved November 25, 2002, from http://www.twu.edu/gradcat2/02-04/healthstd.html

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This page last updated Monday, November 25, 2002, 10 pm CST.

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