Use and Accessibility of Social Media by College and University Students with Disabilities

The Adaptech Research Network, in partnership with the National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS), has completed a national study examining the use and accessibility of social media by college and university students with disabilities. For the purposes of this research, social media includes social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, virtual worlds such as Second Life, along with blogs, wikis and sites such as YouTube. Issues investigated included: understanding what social media tools postsecondary students with disabilities use and why; what accessibility-related issues these users face; and for those who do not use social media, why not. As postsecondary education institutions and other areas are turning to social media to reach prospective, current and graduating students, it is more important than ever to understand who is using what, and to identify and address any accessibility barriers.