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Research Study About ADHD and Academic Accommodations

Are you a female undergraduate at an Ontario university? Have you ever looked for or used academic accommodations for ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)? We would like to hear from you!

We are recruiting participants for a research study involving online interviews about women’s experiences seeking, receiving, and using academic accommodations in Ontario universities. Interviews will last 60-90 minutes and participants will be remunerated for their time. Participants will receive a $50 gift card for DoorDash or Amazon in appreciation of their time. For more information or to express interest, please contact us at learning.access.study@gmail.com or visit https://uwaterloo.ca/scholar/m23gibso/learning-access 

This research has been funded through a Partnership Engage Grant from the Social Studies and Humanities Research Council of Canada, grant number # 892-2023-0028.

The principal investigator is Dr. Margaret Gibson, an Associate Professor in Social Work and Social Development Studies at Renison University College, affiliated with the University of Waterloo. This study has been reviewed by, and received ethics clearance through, a University of Waterloo Research Ethics Board.

Learning Access: an investigation into female students' experiences of Attention Defiit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)-related accommodations in Ontario universities is a research study created through a partnership between DiverseMinds magazine (www.diversemindsmag.com), an online magazine created by and for neurodivergent women, and an academic research team led by Principal investigator Dr. Margaret Gibson.

While ADHD is one of the most common reasons that undergraduate students seek academic accommodations, there is little research on how accommodations practices and systems are working for female students with ADHD. The team will be interviewing 30-35 female students who have looked for, received, or used academic accommodations related to ADHD in Ontario universities. These interviews will help us learn about the supports that have been working well, and where students have encountered barriers. Our research seeks to inform university administrators, educators, and accessibility service workers in creating more equitable and supportive systems. Findings will also be shared with the community of neurodivergent women through DiverseMinds magazine, to help people in navigating systems and advocating for themselves.

This research is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Council of Canada (SSHRC) through the Partnership Engage Grant program (award 892-2023-0028). Collaborators on the project inlude Dr. Ami Tint (https://www.theredoak.ca/dr-ami-tint) and Dr. Virginie Cobigo at the University of Ottawa.