Date of Award

8-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Rhetorics, Communication, and Information Design

Committee Chair/Advisor

Dr. Aga Skrodzka

Committee Member

Dr. Lisa Meloçon

Committee Member

Dr. Clare Mullaney

Committee Member

Dr. Cat Mahaffey

Abstract

Traditional universities often make it difficult for students and faculty with disabilities, long-term illnesses, or caregiving duties to fully participate in college life. Right now, higher education relies on a rigid legal system of "accommodations" that forces people to constantly share their private medical histories and jump through administrative hoops just to get basic access. It treats accessibility like an afterthought—such as adding a ramp to the outside of a completed building—rather than building inclusion into the architecture itself. This research was done to change this by creating a new approach called the Collective Access Research Ethic (CARE), shifting the focus from individual survival to community support. To build and test this approach, the study first examined the history of disability rights movements to see how communities can share responsibility for access. Next, it examined official university policies and laws to see how legal language can limit real-world help. Finally, the CARE approach was tested at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte), where students and faculty shared their real, everyday experiences with physical classrooms, online tools, and the social stress of asking for help.

The study found that true accessibility is not a one-size-fits-all checklist, but rather an ongoing conversation where classmates and teachers openly talk about and meet each other's physical, mental, and digital needs. The research also showed that strict attendance rules and poorly designed online platforms act like "virtual steep stairs" that shut people out, while forcing students to beg for adjustments causes deep exhaustion and creates a lot of extra, unrecognized work for teachers. Ultimately, this study shows that  universities must stop treating accessibility as just a legal box to check. By using the CARE approach, schools can make accessibility a shared community goal where everyone looks out for one another. This research offers a practical guide to creating a more welcoming, supportive, and human college experience where no one is left behind.

Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4207-6305

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Available for download on Tuesday, August 31, 2027

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