This qualitative case study explored barriers to seeking and obtaining academic accommodations for college students with identified learning disabilities attending a regional university in a Midwestern state in the United States of America. A biological model of inclusive education for use in higher education, developed by Hewett, Douglas, McLinden, and Keil (2016), was used as a guiding framework for the study. Semi-structured interviews, guided by a framework presented by Galleta (2013), were used to understand better the accommodation experiences of college students with identified learning disabilities. Thematic analysis was used to analyze transcribed data. Five themes emerged from the interviews conducted with the five participants (i.e., Lisa, Natalie, Kim, Andrew, and Sam). Three of the students (i.e., Lisa, Natalie, and Sam) identified as first-generation college students. Three of the identified themes were explicitly associated with the learners’ specific academic needs and characteristics which affected their educational outcomes: (1) insufficient knowledge, (2) identity issues, and (3) lack of self-sufficiency. The learner is at the center of the inclusive higher education model. Two themes dealt with barriers at the microsystem level, which are interrelated systems that surround the learner and affect how the student learns: (4) desire to avoid adverse social reactions; and (5) negative experiences with faculty.
","abstract_html":"<p>This qualitative case study explored barriers to seeking and obtaining academic accommodations for college students with identified learning disabilities attending a regional university in a Midwestern state in the United States of America. A biological model of inclusive education for use in higher education, developed by Hewett, Douglas, McLinden, and Keil (2016), was used as a guiding framework for the study. Semi-structured interviews, guided by a framework presented by Galleta (2013), were used to understand better the accommodation experiences of college students with identified learning disabilities. Thematic analysis was used to analyze transcribed data. Five themes emerged from the interviews conducted with the five participants (i.e., Lisa, Natalie, Kim, Andrew, and Sam). Three of the students (i.e., Lisa, Natalie, and Sam) identified as first-generation college students. Three of the identified themes were explicitly associated with the learners’ specific academic needs and characteristics which affected their educational outcomes: (1) insufficient knowledge, (2) identity issues, and (3) lack of self-sufficiency. The learner is at the center of the inclusive higher education model. Two themes dealt with barriers at the microsystem level, which are interrelated systems that surround the learner and affect how the student learns: (4) desire to avoid adverse social reactions; and (5) negative experiences with faculty. </p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Pinion, Clint"],"institution":"Eastern Kentucky University","degree_name":"Doctor of Education (EdD)","degree_level":"Doctoral's","degree_discipline":"Educational Leadership and Policy Studies","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2022,"date_issued":"2022-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2022-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:16:00Z","subjects":["Academic Accommodations","Barriers","Disability and Equity in Education","Higher Education"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright 2022 Clint Pinion"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/751","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Pinion, Clint"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Encompass Digital Archive, Eastern Kentucky University"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Educational Leadership and Policy Studies"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Doctoral's"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Education (EdD)"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Eastern Kentucky University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Academic Accommodations","Barriers","Disability and Equity in Education","Higher Education"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright 2022 Clint Pinion"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/751"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This qualitative case study explored barriers to seeking and obtaining academic accommodations for college students with identified learning disabilities attending a regional university in a Midwestern state in the United States of America. A biological model of inclusive education for use in higher education, developed by Hewett, Douglas, McLinden, and Keil (2016), was used as a guiding framework for the study. Semi-structured interviews, guided by a framework presented by Galleta (2013), were used to understand better the accommodation experiences of college students with identified learning disabilities. Thematic analysis was used to analyze transcribed data. Five themes emerged from the interviews conducted with the five participants (i.e., Lisa, Natalie, Kim, Andrew, and Sam). Three of the students (i.e., Lisa, Natalie, and Sam) identified as first-generation college students. Three of the identified themes were explicitly associated with the learners’ specific academic needs and characteristics which affected their educational outcomes: (1) insufficient knowledge, (2) identity issues, and (3) lack of self-sufficiency. The learner is at the center of the inclusive higher education model. Two themes dealt with barriers at the microsystem level, which are interrelated systems that surround the learner and affect how the student learns: (4) desire to avoid adverse social reactions; and (5) negative experiences with faculty.
"]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/PDF"]},{"key":"dc:source","label":"Dc Source","values":["Encompass Digital Archive: Online Theses and Dissertations"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Barriers To Seeking And Obtaining Academic Accommodations In College Classrooms"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Pinion, Clint"],"dc:description.abstract":["This qualitative case study explored barriers to seeking and obtaining academic accommodations for college students with identified learning disabilities attending a regional university in a Midwestern state in the United States of America. A biological model of inclusive education for use in higher education, developed by Hewett, Douglas, McLinden, and Keil (2016), was used as a guiding framework for the study. Semi-structured interviews, guided by a framework presented by Galleta (2013), were used to understand better the accommodation experiences of college students with identified learning disabilities. Thematic analysis was used to analyze transcribed data. Five themes emerged from the interviews conducted with the five participants (i.e., Lisa, Natalie, Kim, Andrew, and Sam). Three of the students (i.e., Lisa, Natalie, and Sam) identified as first-generation college students. Three of the identified themes were explicitly associated with the learners’ specific academic needs and characteristics which affected their educational outcomes: (1) insufficient knowledge, (2) identity issues, and (3) lack of self-sufficiency. The learner is at the center of the inclusive higher education model. Two themes dealt with barriers at the microsystem level, which are interrelated systems that surround the learner and affect how the student learns: (4) desire to avoid adverse social reactions; and (5) negative experiences with faculty.
"],"dc:format":["application/PDF"],"dc:identifier":["https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/751"],"dc:publisher":["Encompass Digital Archive, Eastern Kentucky University"],"dc:rights":["Copyright 2022 Clint Pinion"],"dc:source":["Encompass Digital Archive: Online Theses and Dissertations"],"dc:subject":["Academic Accommodations","Barriers","Disability and Equity in Education","Higher Education"],"dc:title":["Barriers To Seeking And Obtaining Academic Accommodations In College Classrooms"],"dc:type":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Educational Leadership and Policy Studies"],"thesis:degree_level":["Doctoral's"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Education (EdD)"],"thesis:institution_name":["Eastern Kentucky University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:16:00Z"}