The Disability-Diversity Disconnect: Redefining the Role of Student Disability within the Postsecondary Environment

<p>The current understanding of student disability continues to be misperceived as a form of impairment, rather than as a part of student diversity within the higher education environment. Although nearly one in ten college students have a documented disability affecting cognitive, physical, or psychological functioning, stigmatization of students with disabilities continues to occur in the postsecondary environment. The purpose of this study is to examine if there is a perceived difference in academic and social inclusion within the postsecondary environment for students with and without disabilities. Guided by the theory of intersectionality, minority group model, and social model of disability, this study also contributes the Disability-Diversity (Dis)Connect Model (DDDM), a new conceptual framework which establishes that student disability is an integrated, non-limiting identity within a student’s college experience. Data from the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:04/09) was used to investigate academic and social integration of students with and without disabilities enrolled in four-year institutions. Descriptive and inferential analyses, including independent samples t-tests and multiple regressions, were conducted to examine the following: (1) the difference, if any, in socio-academic integration for students with and without disabilities in higher education, (2) the predictive influence of demographic characteristics including disability, race/ ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status on socio-academic integration in higher education, and (3) the predictive influence of disability type, race/ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status on socio-academic integration among students with disabilities in higher education. The findings of this study indicate that disability type and gender negatively contribute to students’ ability to socially integrate. Overall, findings suggest that students with non-apparent disabilities are more likely to struggle with social integration and have a potentially impaired sense of membership in the social sphere of campus.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

PhD Higher Education Leadership, Management, Policy

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Education Leadership, Management and Policy

Year dc:date.available

2016

Author dc:creator

• Aquino, Katherine C.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Eunyoung Kim, Ph.D.
• Rong Chen, Ph.D.
• Lisa Caselli, Ph.D.

• Disability in Higher Education
• Student Diversity
• Postsecondary Education
• Accessibility
• Disability and Equity in Education
• Education
• Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research
• Educational Leadership
• Higher Education

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarship.shu.edu/dissertations/2218

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarship.shu.edu:dissertations-3278