Online university ensures equal opportunity for students with disabilities

Online university ensures equal opportunity for students with disabilities

During the National Disability Employee Awareness Month Ashford University is drawing attention to another good reason for further development of online education - it serves the needs of Americans for whom disability would make it challenging to study at a traditional campus.

The school says its Disability Services Office ensures equal opportunities to special-needs students through accessible education programs. It also assigns appropriate accommodations and provides advocacy.

"We believe that everyone who is academically qualified deserves access to a high quality higher education," says Jane McAuliffe, president of Ashford University and senior vice president/chief academic officer of Bridgepoint Education.

"Online higher education brings down barriers and provides opportunity to overcome obstacles. Educating non-traditional students in the cyberspace world is becoming increasingly popular," she adds.

Studies have shown that salaries of those with college degrees consistently surpass the earnings of those without higher education. For instance, estimates from the Census Bureau for 2007 show the average earnings for men with high school education were $42,466, while those with bachelors degrees (or more) earned $88,843, which is more than twice as much.