Students With Disabilities: Skills, Strategies, and Dispositions for Success at a Community College

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate experiences that students with disabilities have while attending a two-year commuter college, with a focus on understanding the skills, strategies, and dispositions that contribute to their academic success. A phenomenological research method was utilized for this study. Data collection method for this study involved using qualitative, open-ended, semi-structured interviews. The results of this study illustrate that students with disabilities at the community college level often face a variety of social, emotional, and academic challenges. The findings of this study suggest that students with disabilities on campus benefited from social support, family advocacy, and goal setting. Students with disabilities often have more challenges on campus experiences than their non-disabled peers. The findings of this research add to the limited research focusing on factors of success as it relates to students with disabilities. It is suggested that programs are designed and provided with the intention of supporting the emotional, social, and academic needs of students with disabilities on campus.