Survey of Microcomputer Access and Use by Mildly Handicapped Students in Southern California

Abstract

A study was conducted to determine the accessibility of microcomputer instruction to learning handicapped (LH) students relative to their nonhandicapped peers. This was attempted through a survey of schools with special education students in which computers were available for general instructional purposes. The extent to which higher levels of school microcomputer resources increased microcomputer opportunities for LH students was also studied. Three hundred elementary schools were selected for the survey through a stratified random sampling of schools in 52 districts in Southern California. Only two-thirds of the sites with the potential for microcomputer use by resource room students allowed them access, while half of the schools with computers and special day class students provided them with instruction. Nevertheless, a significant correlation was found between computer availability at a school (the ADA/micro ratio) and the likelihood that LH students would have access to computers.