The sudden shift in education received mixed criticism, but online classes were the only option whether the students or parents liked it or not. It was reported that more than 90% of institutions had a shift in education delivery due to the arrival of covid-19. The rapid transition was, at first, a little difficult for students as well as for teachers to adjust, but eventually, we got a knack for it over time. 

But what about students with disabilities? 

Online classes proved to be a challenge as well as a benefit for many disabled students, making them adjust to the fact that there can still be threats that will continue to exist even after the disappearance of the virus. 

What the experts had to say? 

A research PhD professor said that the shift is a unique and historical moment for students of all kinds. The moment when everything went online was the moment the education system turned upside down all over the world. From online classes to online homework help, students tried to or are still trying to adjust to these changes. 

But students with disabilities had a unique time with the changes because almost all of the services they need from the colleges were set up for in person-learning. So, the real question is, how did the colleges and schools manage to provide the same care to them through phone or computers? How did they translate to the online world? There is no one answer to the above questions.  

Answers through surveys- 

 A survey was conducted by the Journal of postsecondary education and disability around Mid 2020. The survey was to examine the impact of online education on college students with disabilities. The researchers surveyed more than 340 students of both high school and middle school to measure the perception of the experiences they had with online classes. 

What came as the result was a bit shocking for researchers. The researchers found that despite many drawbacks and negative criticism, the students felt supported and encouraged by their college’s disability service department. 

The college department- 

Many colleges reported that their students personally told them how they felt about the online classes, they said they find it more advantageous than the regular classes, but also think that the online environment is a little hard for them. 

The disability department of the college said that now it has become easy for students to take notes because they can now watch online lectures, again and again, this way they have plenty of time to make notes whichever way they want. The department made sure that the professors know how to handle and communicate with students with disabilities. 

What the students themselves had to say 

  • An international report was published in 2020 about every negative and positive thing that students had to say about online classes. 
  • The drawback students reported was adjusting to the family demands that impacted their learning. 
  • They noticed that they can’t focus on studying if there are too many distractions. 
  • Home isn’t the best place for them to study because of the constant noise. 
  • They felt more connected to other students during offline classes and sometimes felt safer in their regular classes. 
  • The best change students liked about online classes is the extra time they get to complete the assignments. 
  • Also, some students feel anxious talking to their teachers but online classes made the talking process calming for them. 
  • There are students with chronic health issues and how even getting up to talk was a challenge for them but being able to talk virtually within the comfort of their rooms made all the difference. 
  • Professors made sure to pause the videos whenever they feel like it’s getting too much for the students. 
  • Of course, the sudden transition was overwhelming for students with disabilities, that’s why the colleges with these students had to be extra careful while taking classes and made sure they don’t touch any sensitive topics that might be offensive to the students. 

What parents had to say? 

Parents need to take extra care of their disabled children, especially now when their schedule is completely changed. Parents noticed their children struggling with social interactions, even more after the pandemic started. Not getting the facilities they used to get in college made parents a little anxious about the education of their children. Parents of physically disabled children noticed that added screen time is negatively affecting their health. But also noticed that their children are now more excited and relaxed to attend the online classes than they were in attending the regular classes. Maybe because the children with physical disabilities can easily attend classes without having to move around a lot. 

Conclusion:  

Online classes neither affected students with disabilities to the extreme negative side nor the extremely positive side, it is somehow in between these sides. Online learning has proven to be difficult for all students, but it did bring some benefits to us. Especially, for the disabled students, where they now find the talking process easy, when the same process previously brought anxiety to them.