Disability, Chronic Illness and Distance Education

Abstract

Distance education may be seen as both enabling and disabling in its application to, and relationship with, people with disability and chronic illness. Cutting-edge work suggests that it can provide a suitable route to support the studies of students with disabilities and those with long-term health problems. However, it is important that this should be regarded in terms of providing choice to students rather than requiring those who are identified as having impairment/chronic illness to undertake studies at a distance. Unless well designed and evaluated, as with any technology, DE can also become disabling in its impact (Goggin & Newell, 2003; Newell & Walker, 1992).