Accessing disability accommodations: the barriers that college students face when trying to even the playing field

Abstract

An increasing amount of people with disabilities have decided to attend post-secondary school. Disabilities can make schooling more difficult making it harder for students with disabilities to obtain degrees in higher education. Accommodations such as extended time on tests or receiving digital notes aid students with disabilities in achieving higher grades in class. Disability accommodations essentially even the playing field for students which is why laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) have been put in place. The Americans with Disabilities Act ensures that accommodations will be available for students. Recent studies have suggested that students with disabilities that take advantage of the accommodations that are available to them are more successful academically and have higher graduation rates. Despite the fact that accommodations are available, many students with disabilities do not choose to use them. There are many different reasons why students may not take advantage of these accommodations, all of which have the ability to alter the quality of the education experience for students with disabilities.