Accommodations in the College Setting: The Perspectives of Students Living with Disabilities

Abstract

Using a critical interpretive framework, the authors utilized semi-structured interviews to understand the experiences and perceptions of two college students living with disability concerning their use of accommodations, modifications, and adaptations in program requirements, classroom instruction, and testing. The central research questions were: “Are accommodations perceived as effective in supporting students with disabilities in their academic and social pursuits? Do students perceive that accommodations allow them maximum engagement and participation in their educational experiences?” and “To what extent are accommodations perceived by the participants as leveling the playing field for students with disabilities?” And, finally, “What do the participants perceive as the biggest obstacles to success for students with disabilities?” An understanding of the participants’ perceptions will enhance the overall awareness and appreciation for the experiences of students living with disability and will have direct implications for faculty-student interactions, student-to-student interactions as well as larger interactions within society.

Persistence in higher education for students with disabilities: A mixed systematic review.

“…A total of seven views articles examined participants’ comments regarding their self-confidence (see Table 2). Three views articles emphasized the importance of confidence or self-efficacy in supporting students’ postsecondary success, in several cases suggesting that their confidence developed through positive social interactions and as they achieved academic success (Anctil, Ishikawa, & Scott, 2008; Coriale, Larson, & Robertson, 2012; Timmerman & Mulvihill, 2015). Findings from four articles suggested that students with disabilities lacked confidence in themselves; two of these studies were those that included participants who had withdrawn from their programs prior to completion (Megivern et al, 2003; Thompson-Ebanks, 2014).…”

“…Nine views article examined how participants’ responses reflected their efforts to advocate for themselves in postsecondary settings (see Table 2). The responses of participants in three studies suggested that these self-advocacy skills may develop over the course of their postsecondary education experience (Getzel & Thoma, 2008; McCall, 2015; Timmerman & Mulvihill, 2015). One study of students who earned at least 60 credits in their postsecondary education but did not complete their programs of study indicated that at least one participant may have struggled to advocate for his learning needs with his professors (Thompson-Ebanks, 2014).…”

Disability identity and use of services among college students with psychiatric disabilities.

“…The burgeoning literature on college students’ disclosure and use of disability support services recognizes identity as an important contributing factor (Collins & Mowbray, 2005; Field, Sarver, & Shaw, 2003; Lynch & Gussel, 1996; Madaus & Shaw, 2006). Students who identify as a person with a disability are more likely to make effective use of disability services (Hadley, 2011; Marshak et al, 2010; Timmerman & Mulvihill, 2015). The current findings expand on this literature by underscoring the more complex and reciprocal relationship between students’ emerging dynamic disability identity and their use of support services.…”

“…Research also points to students’ disability identity processes as pertaining to their decisions to utilize or not utilize disability support services (Marshak et al, 2010; Megivern, 2002; NAMI, 2014; O’Shea & Meyer, 2016). For example, many students who had been recipients of disability services or special education services in high school express desire to distance themselves from the stigmatized label of their disability upon entering college, while still other students reject the integration of their disability into their emerging identities as college students (Timmerman & Mulvihill, 2015). According to Beart (2005), individuals often reject the label “disabled” because they do not have access to adequate definitions or meanings of disability as a category, or because they are deterred by the negative emotional impact of belonging to a stigmatized group.…”

Best Practices in Teaching Underserved College Student Populations

“…This occurs because of fear, feelings of failure, or low performance, and not necessarily a lack of interest in the course or subject matter. The literature notes that some faculty view the implementation of accommodations as weakening rigor and giving some students an unfair advantage (Scott & Gregg, 2000;Timmerman & Mulvihill, 2015). Students report that sharing their experiences and having a disability, including mental health needs, is difficult and negative reactions by the faculty only serve to complicate the process and demean the student (Grasgreen, 2014).…”