Attitudes of University Members toward Accepting Students with Intellectual Disabilities: a systematic review study

This aim of this article is to examine the attitudes of university members towards accepting students with intellectual disabilities (ID). To gather relevant data, 12 articles were selected from a wide range of online databases using a three-step search strategy. First, the search strategy and keywords were used to shortlist 31 articles. Second, inclusion–exclusion criteria were applied from which 23 articles were shortlisted. Finally, 12 articles were selected for the article based on the criteria for quality assessment. The examination of these selected articles revealed signicant ndings regarding the positive attitude of the university members towards students with ID. In 7 of the 12 articles, common ndings included the positive attitude of teachers and university members towards accepting students with ID. Further, it can be concluded from the ndings that universities have been adopting some key measures to improve the acceptance of students with ID. These measures include teacher training, the use of technology, effective lesson planning, curriculum design, and help to enhance student skills. However, substantial challenges remain in accepting students with ID and fullling their personal and educational requirements. key themes were employed: participant prole, current practice, university goals for accepting students with ID, university requirements for accepting students with ID, comparison of the status of students with ID, and attitudes of the university members towards accepting students with ID. To address the research question, which focuses on the attitudes of university members towards accepting students with ID, the selected articles were analysed and discussed in terms of the identied themes.


Introduction
Intellectual disability (ID) is a disability characterized by signi cant limitations both in intellectual functioning (reasoning, learning, problem solving) and in adaptive behaviour, which covers a range of everyday social and practical skills. Higher education is one of the most effective factors that can enhance an individual's potential. Post-secondary education for students with intellectual disabilities (ID) has emerged as a new frontier in higher education, focusing on improving their inclusion in both education and society (Argyropoulos, 2019). The implementation of various laws in Western countries has increased the number of opportunities for people with ID to participate actively in society, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States (UNESDOC Digital Library, 2015). Within these countries, several new university programs have been developed to facilitate students with ID having access to effective and higher education. These higher education programs for students with ID have allowed universities to develop educational programs and curriculums in response to the desires and needs of both the parents and students (UNESDOC Digital Library, 2015).
However, the programs offered by the universities are non-degree or certi cate programs. Therefore, despite participating in the curriculum, activities, and courses organised at the college, students with ID are only able to earn accreditation, not a degree. The wide variation in these university programs also suggests there were signi cant challenges in their development and implementation, highlighting the need for effective support from the university and its members (Gibbons et al., 2015). Previously, there has been substantial concern regarding these programs. These concerns include an absence of consistency in the programs, differences in the levels of social inclusion, the perspectives of teachers and students regarding the inclusion of students with ID, the challenges associated with the development and maintenance of such programs, and questions over sustainability (Gibbons et al., 2015).
Previous studies in this context have also examined the challenges and issues encountered by students with ID while studying at the universities. However, an examination of the prevailing literature suggests that studies on the attitudes towards accepting students with ID displayed by university members (including administration, management, and the teaching staff) are sparse. Instead, focus is on the goals and requirements of universities for enrolling such students (Hayes and Bulat, 2017;Bouillet and Mirosevic, 2015). Additionally, there is a lack of research on accepting students with ID and their status in the various universities where programs are offered (Obiozor, Onu, and Ugwoegbu, 2010;Kabuta, 2014).
Accordingly, the aim of this article is to address the research gap and gain relevant ndings regarding how the current practices of universities can be improved to enhance the social inclusion of students with ID.

Research Question
This article aims to address the following question: 'What are the university members' attitudes toward accepting students with ID?'

Method
Aim of the Study The aim of this study was to identify the steps and requirements for accepting young people with intellectual disabilities in universities by reviewing and analyzing a group of studies and discovering the opinions of teachers, university students and the university's administrative staff towards accepting people with intellectual disability and providing them with opportunities to be included into society Design and Setting of the Study This is a qualitative study whereby the data was gathered from secondary sources including academic journals and scholarly papers. These sources were examined through a systematic review to undertake a detailed assessment of the literature then further analysed through a quantitative analysis including graphs created through Microsoft Excel software.
Reviews conducted in academic research usually employ traditional methods and only focus on examining the ndings regarding a speci c area of research evidence and claims made by academics in the examined eld. Further, the literature is only studied at face value (Boland, Cherry and Dickson, 2017). These limitations of conventional literature reviews can be overcome effectively through the application of a systematic review that incorporates explicit and credible methods of data collection, follows a standard format and sequence, and is accountable. These characteristics make it a reliable method to reach valid and authentic ndings and motivate its application to evaluating the attitudes of university members towards accepting the students with ID (Gough, Thomas, and Oliver, 2017).
Strategy to Select the Articles When selecting the articles for the systematic review, three key stages were undertaken to shortlist the most credible and appropriate articles. First, a wide range of search terms and keywords were used to search for articles across various databases, which were then employed to conduct several trial searches across the electronic databases. The search terms and keywords applied for the collection of reliable and authentic papers were as follows: Practices of universities to adopt students with intellectual disabilities OR Students with intellectual disabilities OR Persons with intellectual disabilities OR Accepting students with intellectual disabilities OR University members OR Attitudes of teachers OR Attitudes of management and administration OR University goals and requirements for accepting students with intellectual disabilities OR Status of students with intellectual disabilities in UK universities OR Status of students with intellectual disabilities in USA universities. The following databases were used: Google Scholar, Sage, Scopus, Wiley Online, and Web of Science databases. The reference lists of credible articles were also searched to explore related studies. A total of 48 articles were initially selected, which was reduced to the nal shortlist of 31 after removing duplicate papers and papers with only the abstract available.
In the second stage, the complete texts were scanned and each article was checked against brief inclusion and exclusion criteria presented in Table 1. After selecting the most relevant articles that met the inclusion criteria, the complete articles were retrieved and examined for quality assessment, which was conducted in the third stage of the search strategy. A total of 23 articles were available by the end of the second stage, which were subjected to the assessment criteria in Table 2: Based on these criteria, articles whose methodology and data analysis were assessed as high and medium were selected for the nal systematic review. At the end of the third stage of the search strategy, 12 articles were identi ed. The PRISMA framework is an evidence-based minimum set of items for reporting in systematic reviews and meta-analyses as in Figure 1 it explains the selection of the articles for the review in more detail. The findings highlight the need for increased inclusion of students with ID in education classes.

Results And Discussion
For the analysis, the following key themes were employed: participant pro le, current practice, university goals for accepting students with ID, university requirements for accepting students with ID, comparison of the status of students with ID, and attitudes of the university members towards accepting students with ID. To address the research question, which focuses on the attitudes of university members towards accepting students with ID, the selected articles were analysed and discussed in terms of the identi ed themes.

Subject
Three of the twelve studies examined for this review focused on determining the attitudes of teachers towards the acceptance of students with ID. In particular, changes in the attitudes of teachers towards students with disabilities and attitudes towards the inclusion of students with ID at colleges were examined ( , and two examined the perceptions of university students towards students with ID (Phillips, Fortney, and Swafford 2019; Alnahdi, Elhadi, and Schwab, 2020). All of the studies focused on and presented elaborate discussions on the acceptance of students with ID, as shown in Fig. 2 Participant Pro le Out of the eight studies, the participant pro les in two focused on faculty and administrative staff, two focused on pre-service teachers in secondary education, and two focused on university lecturers. One study used service teachers and three studies used college students as participants to gather data (See Fig. 2). A study by Alqazlan, Alallawi, and Totsika (2019) did not use any participants and conducted a systematic review of 22 articles. One study also used prep students with ID as participants. The ndings indicate that the majority of studies used teachers as participants, while only one study took responses from college students.

Current Practices
Of the eight examined studies, two focused on promoting the education of students with disabilities through reforms and facilities, two focused on the incorporation of disability support services and necessary assistance, and one focused on increasing the con dence of students. The right to education, teacher training, and inclusive education were each examined by two studies, as shown in Fig. 3.
According to Lane and Nagchoudhur (2015), the teaching and non-teaching staff at universities play a major role in increasing the con dence of students with disabilities. Educational institutes and universities are important components of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which the aim of ensuring and promoting the education of students with disabilities. In addition, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities also encourages disabled students by providing them with the right to education. The implementation of these governmental policies has increased the enrolment of students with disabilities and provided them with accommodating and other necessary equipment (Lane and Nagchoudhur, 2015). Alqazlan, Alallawi, and Totsika (2019) also explain that students with ID have the right to access colleges and universities; hence, these universities focus on inclusive education programs for the students with ID. The literature also revealed that universities focus on inclusive education through individualised services including technology training, tutoring, and educational coaching, which are speci cally designed using models for students with ID (Alqazlan, Alallawi, and Totsika, 2019). However, Campbell, Gilmore, and Cuskelly (2014) state that universities must focus on providing appropriate training for teaching staff and increasing their knowledge and skills. Hence, teachers can understand the needs of students and boost their con dence. The implementation of these training sessions has positively affected the attitude of teachers and university staff towards students with disabilities and improved communication between students and staff (Campbell, Gilmore and Cuskelly, 2014).
The study by Zhang et al. (2010) revealed that universities have actively taken responsibility for helping students with disabilities. Further, they have developed disability support services (DSS) o ces that can assist in the provision of adequate and timely information for staff regarding the needs of students with disabilities. These support services have helped and encouraged students with disabilities to excel in their chosen elds by developing a sense of responsibility in the minds of the university staff (Zhang et al., 2010). Costello and Boyle (2013) stated that most countries and universities are willing to make the necessary reforms in their educational standards and policies, with the intention of providing special facilities for students with disabilities (including educational and healthcare facilities at the university level). The universities and colleges understand the importance and role of the right to education; therefore, they are committed to promoting the inclusion of disabled students in their programmes and prohibiting any form of discrimination against students with ID (Costello and Boyle, 2013). According to Lane and Nagchoudhur (2015), students with disabilities are not provided with the opportunity of receiving appropriate education, which increases their unemployment rate. Therefore, universities should aim to provide good educational facilities for students with disabilities to ensure they can access adequate employment opportunities in the future (Lane and Nagchoudhur, 2015). In addition, Gri n et al. (2012) stated that awareness of the importance of post-secondary education is increasing among students with disabilities. Moreover, universities are actively participating in providing higher education to students with ID to ensure they can achieve a good social and economic lifestyle in the future (Gri n et al., 2012). Phillips, Fortney and Swafford (2019) highlighted the need for increased educational programs and awareness campaigns for students with ID, which would be helpful in targeting the prevailing stereotypes, discomfort, tenderness, and knowledge of rights and capacity. In a similar context, Zhang et al. (2010) stated that universities are trying to ensure that staff members understand the basic needs of students with ID. Further, they are working towards designing appropriate department-level administrative policies and activities that provide basic facilities and services for students with disabilities (Zhang et al., 2010).
According to Costello and Boyle (2013), the major university goals are to accommodate and provide good educational services to all types of students, irrespective of any disabilities. These goals help in providing equal education for students and in the overall social development of society wherein all students have equal opportunities and rights (Costello and Boyle, 2013)  needs of the disabled students was not su cient, because universities require a special curriculum that helps cover the major aspects of providing education to disabled students. The practical implementation of training for teachers to support and encourage disabled students requires the development of detailed courses that can help ful l the educational and accommodation needs of students with disabilities by creating a good level of understanding between them and the teachers (Forlin et al., 2011). Accordingly, it was determined that the development of appropriate training modules for teachers and other staff members and relevant courses of study are the two major requirements for universities to support students with ID. Zhang et al. (2018) proposed that universities should provide accommodating facilities (such as straightforward exam forms and feasible protocols) to implement inclusive education more effectively (Zhang et al., 2018). Phillips, Fortney, and Swafford (2019) do not explain any speci c requirements undertaken by the university for the acceptance of the students with disabilities. However, Wintle (2015) revealed that some universities focused on familiarising prep students with the university to ensure they were comfortable at the campus and happy with life at the campus. They also offered opportunities to promote self-awareness among students with ID through role playing, class discussions, and self-expression to promote participation of the students (Wintle, 2015).

Comparison of Status of Students with ID
Two studies highlighted positive attitudes towards accepting students with ID in universities in the United States and the United Kingdom (Campbell, Gilmore, and Cuskelly, 2014; Gri n et al., 2012), while another two studies highlighted inclusive educational policies (Leyser et al., 2011). One study focused on examining equal educational opportunities (Leyser et al., 2011) in US and UK universities. One study focused on increased interaction between students with and without disabilities in US universities (Phillips, Fortney, and Swafford, 2019) (See Fig. 6). According to the results of a study by Campbell, Gilmore, and Cuskelly (2014), the presence of a positive attitude towards the inclusion of students with Down syndrome has been noticed among the students and teachers in the UK. Further, the provision of appropriate staff training has signi cantly helped in shaping a positive attitude towards the students with disabilities (Campbell, Gilmore, and Cuskelly, 2014). Gri n et al. (2012) stated that a positive attitude towards students with ID was also observed among students studying in US universities. It was also noted that teachers and other students willingly communicate and interact with students with disabilities and help them to participate in university programmes (Gri n et al., 2012). Leyser et al. (2011) stated there has been a signi cant increase in the enrolment of students with disabilities at UK and US universities, implying these countries follow inclusive educational policies and promote the principle of equal educational opportunities for all students by promoting their admission. The implementation of the American Disability Act (ADA) has helped in removing the social barriers to inclusive education and provided equal access to education for all students (Leyser et al., 2011). Phillips, Fortney, and Swafford (2019) con rmed these ndings. They further stated that due to changes in legislation and social perspectives in the United States, increased inclusion and an increase in the frequency of interactions between students and students with ID had been noted. Moreover, this increasing trend is continuing. (Phillips, Fortney, and Swafford, 2019).

Attitudes of the University Members Toward Accepting Students with ID
One study focused on the lack of proper knowledge about the rights of students with disabilities (Lane and Nagchoudhur, 2015), while another focused on an unwillingness to support and encourage students with disabilities (Lane and Nagchoudhur, 2015), which signalled an attitude of unacceptance. One study focused on inadequate attitudes towards students with disabilities (Campbell,  According to Lane and Nagchoudhur (2015), almost 50% of teaching and other staff at universities do not have correct knowledge about the rights of students with disabilities, which adversely affects their attitude towards these students. Further, teachers are not adequately trained and nd it di cult to deal with students with disabilities. Moreover, teachers can be unwilling to support and encourage students with disabilities, highlighting a negative attitude among university staff (Lane and Nagchoudhur, 2015). Conversely, Campbell, Gilmore, and Cuskelly (2014) stated that while teachers mostly accept students with mild disabilities in the United States, their attitude towards students with major disabilities is poor and they refrain from admitting such students to their universities. This negative and non-encouraging attitude of teachers negatively affects the overall expectations and morale of students with disabilities, affecting their retention rate in university programmes (Campbell, Gilmore, and Cuskelly, 2014). Alnahdi, Elhadi, and Schwab (2020) reveal that the attitudes of university students from Saudi Arabia and Egypt were mostly neutral regarding students with ID. Moreover, while the attitude of pre-service teachers was found to be positive towards inclusive schooling, they were less positive regarding the daily practices of teachers or their involvement in the programs for inclusive education. The literature also highlighted the need for a closer, more meaningful, and personal contact to help overcome prejudices towards students with ID (Alnahdi, Elhadi, and Schwab, 2020). Zhang et al. (2010) stated that university faculties and other staff face many challenges in providing accommodating facilities for students with disabilities, relying on disability service institutions for information. However, many staff members have a positive attitude towards students with disabilities and believe that their inclusion in university programmes increases the overall diversity level (Zhang et al., 2010). Similarly, Costello and Boyle (2013) found that teachers play a major role in developing a healthy and encouraging environment for students. The majority of teaching and other university staff have a positive attitude towards the education of students with disabilities. Moreover, it was identi ed that appropriate teacher training positively affects their behaviour towards the inclusion of students with disabilities in an educational setting. The presence of a positive attitude among teachers motivates the students and helps in the implementation of effective inclusive strategies (Costello and Boyle, 2013 Kuyini and Mangope (2011) discovered that the attitudes of teachers and students towards inclusive educational policies and students with disabilities depended on many factors. These included con dence levels, teaching experience of the faculties, and knowledge about different laws and regulations. These factors primarily de ne the attitudes of staff members in universities. Mostly, staff members in universities are not satis ed with the implementation of inclusive education policies that adversely affect the quality of student-teacher interactions and decrease the con dence levels of students with disabilities. This dissatisfaction manifested as negative attitudes in the form of anger and frustration when dealing with students with disabilities, which was discouraging for the students (Kuyini and Mangope, 2011). Phillips, Fortney, and Swafford (2019) revealed that the overall attitudes of students towards students with ID were positive. Such positive perceptions offer hope for supporting the relevant inclusions and standards of fair play for individuals with ID and ensures greater support compared to previous generations (Phillips, Fortney, and Swafford, 2019). The study by Alqazlan, Alallawi, and Totsika (2019) stated that the majority of stakeholder groups participating in programmes that focus on post-graduation education of people with disabilities had a positive attitude regarding their experience and were very happy with their interactions. It was also claimed that postgraduation education helped students with ID to improve their skills in participation, making notes, and studying (Alqazlan, Alallawi, and Totsika, 2019).
According to Zhang et al. (2018), inclusive education faces a signi cant number of challenges, with one of the most common being attitudes of the community and teachers that hamper the growth of inclusive education. It was identi ed that while teachers and students relate emotionally to students with disabilities, they do not want to accept them as part of the university. This highlights a negative attitude of some university staff and students towards students with disabilities (Zhang et al., 2018). Conversely, Fossey et al. (2017) found that teachers show a positive attitude towards students with mental illnesses and disabilities. They posited that regular communication, good service, and accommodating environments boosted the con dence level of students and helped to develop a good environment at the university campus (Fossey et al., 2017).

Conclusion
Based on the overall ndings of this paper, it can be stated that universities conducting training sessions for teaching and other university staff has helped to create a positive impact on their attitudes towards students with disabilities. Further, this has helped to improve communication between the students and staff members. Some universities also use disability support services o cers to ensure students with disabilities receive maximum assistance. These services continually encourage students with disabilities to excel in education. The ndings also signify that universities acknowledge the importance of accepting students with disabilities and recognise their right to education; hence, they have committed themselves towards the well-being and inclusion of these students. Moreover, this has also motivated universities to provide equal opportunities for all students and to utilise technology to ensure accessible and suitable education for students with disabilities. Additionally, universities are undertaking training sessions for their teachers. This will allow them to develop pedagogy according to the needs of students with disabilities and a speci c curriculum that helps to address their special requirements and enhance their skills. The ndings also suggest that while teaching and other university staff tend to encounter substantial challenges in accepting students with ID and addressing their personal and educational requirements, there is a positive attitude regarding the acceptance of students with ID.

Declarations Funding
The authors extend their appreciation to the Deanship of Scienti c Research at Jouf University for funding this work through research grant no (DSR2020-06-3672) .

Competing interests
The authors declared no potential con icts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article Availability of supporting data -The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
-All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article.

Authors' contributions
Adel Al-Anzi is an assistant professor at Jouf University, Department of Special Education .My research interests are about students with intellectual disabilities and their transition to post-school I have published several articles focused on the employment of people with disabilities and the importance of their integration into society .Before that, I worked as a teacher for students with intellectual disability in the elementary stage for ten years in different cities in Saudi Arabia and I have many activities to facilitate their inclusion in the Saudi society, I am also a member of many associations and institutions that deal and provide assistance for people with disabilities in Saudi Arabia and the Arab world.
Ahmed Gadelmawla is an Assistant Professor of Special Education, Department of Special Education, Faculty of Education, Jouf University, he has published four books and twenty papers in the eld of special education, 12 of which were in intellectual disability. He called for Arbitration to many researches in the eld of intellectual disability, preparing and evaluating nearly 40 training programs for intellectually disabled students Ethics approval (Not applicable) Consent to participate ( Not applicable) Consent for publication I con rm that I have no objection to my research being published in Scientometrics