Abstract
This article discusses ways of understanding the processes involved when disabled students negotiate accessibility in higher education. Despite legislation for universal design and political aims to increase the number of disabled students, individuals themselves have to take initiatives to obtain needed reasonable adjustments. Findings are drawn from a study of everyday lives of disabled students. Research methods employed were: time geographic diaries, in-depth interviews and focus groups. Findings include issues of disclosure and stigma management, supports provided with a twist of ambiguity, and experiences of combatting for individual accommodation. The process of negotiation is discussed in terms of traditions in higher education, the burden individual accommodation in practice place upon disabled students, and the need for changes based on universal design.
Highlights
Higher education is in itself important and strongly associated with labourmarket participation
The disability may involve a need for extensive support in studies and other everyday life activities, or just a need for extended time at exams
What was found in this study was that the process of acquiring individual accommodations frequently took the shape of negotiations, both self-negotiations and with the social environment
Summary
Higher education is in itself important and strongly associated with labourmarket participation. Norwegian research suggests that among disabled people, higher education is one of the most common facilitators for a successful transition into employment (Vedeler 2009). The issue of disabling barriers to higher education appears clearly of policy relevance. Existing literature suggests that the problem of barriers in higher education is multifaceted, varies by type of impairment, and is related to all phases of a study process (Berge 2007; Borland and James 1999; Brandt 2005, 2010; Fossestøl and Kessel 2000; Fuller, Bradley, and Healey 2004; Stamer and Nielsen 2008). Lack of information during the application process and lack of accessibility appears to
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