What Keeps Students with Disabilities from Using Accommodations in Postsecondary Education? A Qualitative Review.

Past research has shown that students with disabilities (SWD) at the postsecondary level who use accommodations demonstrate greater academic achievement and higher graduation rates. Only limited research has been conducted to identify the barriers they face in using accommodations, and that research has not sampled a population specifically identified as having faced such barriers. Through interviews with SWD identified as having faced barriers to using accommodations, this study identified six themes; four were considered complex, as they contained subthemes. The four were a desire for self-sufficiency, a desire to avoid negative social reactions, insufficient knowledge, and the quality and usefulness of disability student services and accommodations. The two straightforward themes were negative experiences with professors and fear of future ramifications. It is hoped that these findings help disability student services providers and SWD make better and more informed decisions regarding the use of effective accommodations.