In the summer of 2012, my life changed. I was a 20-year-old college student with a bright future. He was fearless and ready to conquer the world. All my hopes and dreams came crashing down when I began to experience what seemed like a black curtain within my field of vision in my right eye.
I went to my ophthalmologist and learned that I had a retinal detachment that required surgery. According to my doctors, there was a good chance I would go blind if left untreated. With no other option, I underwent my first retinal detachment surgery. About two years later, I had a second retinal detachment and needed another surgery, which eventually resulted in significant vision loss in my right eye. I was devastated.
After my second surgery, I took a semester off from school to recover and adjust to my new normal. My daily life had changed in many ways. I couldn't drive anymore, so my mom or dad needed to take me to school. I was self-conscious because I needed to wear sunglasses everywhere because I was very sensitive to light. I had lost my balance, which caused me to feel unbalanced and frequently drop things. And worst of all, I developed immense anxiety about losing my vision. The situation got so bad that I was afraid to leave my house, which had become my safe haven.
When I returned to university, I had to adapt to these changes among others. One of the hardest parts was that I could no longer look at a computer screen for long periods of time, which was a key element in many of my classes. When I explained this to one of my professors, his response was, “Well, you better get used to it, because that's what college is: staring at screens.” I ended up dropping that class.
I also started having social challenges. My friends, acquaintances and even some teachers treated me differently. I felt judged and like I had to prove to everyone that I was still the same person. I knew my school could provide accommodations, such as help with taking notes and recording my answers for tests and counseling services, but I worried that if I accepted this support, my classmates and teachers would view me as weak.
I continued to advance in my classes without accommodations and, although I struggled at times, I was able to complete my degree. After graduating, driven by my personal experience as a student, I decided to pursue a career in education. Today I am a doctoral candidate in the educational leadership program at Rowan University, focused on students with disabilities.
In a recent policy research course, I conducted an analysis of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a groundbreaking federal law, first passed in 1990, that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability, to examine issues associated with the self-identification process, particularly in the higher education space.
After participating in a policy review and coding a set of policy documents from disability services offices at colleges and universities across the United States, it became clear to me that I was not alone in my reluctance to seek accommodations at my college. It turns out that many higher education students with disabilities are hesitant to identify themselves and seek accommodations that can support them in their studies.
According to the most recent data According to data published by the National Center for Education Statistics, about 20 percent of undergraduate students and nearly 11 percent of graduate students have a disability. There is a discrepancy however, between the rate of students who report having a disability and those who are actually registering at their campus disability center. It turns out that many students do not report their universities of their disability and that has led to a support gapThe truth is that many college students with disabilities decide to forgo a request for accommodations they may need to be successful.
So why don't these students seek the accommodations they need? The most common reason is stigma.
Disability Stigma It is a persistent problem on college campuses, which can lead to discrimination, a hostile learning environment, and psychological stress. Research shows that students who have a disability, whether visible or invisible – are often looked down upon by other people, considered a challenge to understand, and often experience pity and avoidance. In some cases, experiencing stigma for a long period of time can lead to decreased self-esteem, depression, and suicidal ideation.
Paving a way for change
Currently, under the ADA, students must first identify themselves to receive the resources they need. That's where so many college students are stuck.
To better understand the critical question of why so many higher education students do not self-identify, I delved deeper into the research, investigating the process of self-identification and how different institutions approach it.
For a student at an institution of higher education, this process includes registering with campus disability services offices and providing documentation as evidence of your disability. After my surgeries, when I was diagnosed with a visual impairment, the last thing I wanted to do was ask for help and get documentation to prove I had a disability.
If students do not advocate for themselves, they will not be given access to the resources they need. Colleges and universities must change their tactics to support students with disabilities who are hesitant to self-identify. They need to actively work to address disability stigma, empower teachers to support students, and offer multiple avenues for students to request support. It is vital that we move beyond ADA compliance toward a more enlightened and comprehensive team-based solution to support students who are hesitant to self-identify.
While there is much work to do, there is a research body providing possible solutions to address this problem, offering higher education institutions a look at the steps they can take to improve the learning experience of students with disabilities.
A study, for example, reveals the importance of campus collaborations and outreach efforts to share information with faculty and staff about how to effectively serve students with disabilities who have not disclosed their needs. Promoting academic success begins with college and university disability services offices; However, this effort requires different departments to come together to raise awareness.
Colleges and universities can also prioritize promoting disability services for all students and Provide clarity on the process for obtaining support.. Additionally, they can help incoming students feel more comfortable disclosing their disability by beginning the information-sharing process prior to enrollment. One way to do this is to include officials and disability resource centers in the intake process, inviting them to distribute materials on self-identification and the procedures associated with requesting accommodations. This can go a long way toward increasing student awareness and destigmatizing the need for additional resources.
All students have the right to succeed. But until colleges and universities address disability stigma, not all students will have access to the support they need to do so.
