Dr. Vanderlee and team earn grant to aid students with disabilities
Congratulations to Dr. Rick Vanderlee, and his research colleagues on earning a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).
Dr. Vanderlee, Dean of Applied and Professional Studies, and his team were awarded $217,161 from the SSHRC Community and College Social Innovation Fund for their research project titled: Partnership for applied research to support the development and evaluation of the Post-Secondary Students with Disabilities Network (PSDNet).
Recognizing the increasingly urgent need for interventions that increase the likelihood of success for postsecondary students with disabilities, George Brown College (GBC), the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), Nipissing University, and the National Education Association of Disabled Students (NEADS) have partnered to help remove barriers and create opportunities that potentiate the success of students with disabilities in their institutions.
As part of multi-institutional research team, Dr. Vanderlee and his colleagues are investigating the PSDNet, which is a social innovation that promotes the self-determination and social development of postsecondary students with disabilities across Ontario by uniquely mobilizing the potential of online and mobile social media technology.
This partnership is designed to leverage:
- Nipissing University’s extensive experience with successful partnerships and expertise in developing and delivering distance and other innovative program models;
- George Brown College’s (as the host organization) strengths and leadership in improving access, retention, and academic success for underrepresented groups;
- UOIT’s leadership in providing unique, technology-rich teaching and learning environments and commitment to student diversity
- NEADS’ expertise and leadership as the national voice advocating for full access to education and employment for students and graduates with disabilities; and
- Researcher team members’ demonstrated success in creating a technology-mediated learning and mentorship environment (Coffey & Anyinam, 2014); expertise in disability (Zitzelsberger, 2008); and expertise in post-secondary innovation (Orchard, Reid-Haughian, & Vanderlee, 2006).
Over the next three years, this grant has the power and potential to significantly impact the experiences of post-secondary students with disabilities in Ontario and in institutions all over the world.