Disabled student experiences of Higher Education

Abstract

Disabled students remain systematically disadvantaged compared to their non-disabled peers. It is, therefore, essential that educational practitioners and policy makers appreciate the complexity of the disabled student experience. In the present study, we identified 60 online forum posts (and 31 replies to the posts) discussing personal experiences of disability and Higher Education. Online posts (and their replies) were subject to inductive thematic analysis and six themes were extracted from the data. These themes were (i) impact on education, (ii) isolation from peers, (iii) seeking advice and support, (iv) barriers to assistance and accommodations, (v) impact of accommodations, and (vi) providing guidance and support. Recommendations for practice focus on the practical and social support required to ensure that disabled students are neither marginalized nor disadvantaged. Points of interest We identified 60 online forum posts (and 31 replies to those posts) discussing personal experiences of disability and Higher Education. We searched the posts for common themes and six themes were extracted. Themes were (i) impact on education, (ii) isolation from peers, (iii) seeking advice and support, (iv) barriers to assistance and accommodations, (v) impact of accommodations, and (vi) providing guidance and support. Findings demonstrate the value of online forum data. We provide several recommendations for practice (including greater provision of both practical and social support) to ensure that disabled students are not disadvantaged.