Students With Disabilities Within Academia: Barriers, Obstacles, Adversity, and Empathy – A Call for Educators to Recognize Their Knowledge and Perception of Disability Identity

Introduction

It is not uncommon for college students with disabilities to face personal, social, and institutional barriers that can significantly impact their educational experience (Dolmade, 2017). It is well documented that issues of explicit and implicit bias, stereotyping by students, staff, and faculty, and the consequent feelings of invisibility are everyday occurrences for students with disabilities (Myers et al., 2014). However, this is not a new phenomenon. Students with disabilities have experienced bias, prejudice, and discrimination throughout the history of post-secondary education (Evans et al., 2017). Due to the delay in federal and state legislation in the United States (U.S.), students with disabilities have faced unique academic and social challenges (Pena et al., 2016). In 1990, the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) attempted to create equal opportunity and outcomes for persons with disabilities; yet, many institutions of higher education still continue to struggle to effectively create environments that serve this student population (Dolmade, 2017). This is not to say, education has not made progress. The introduction of Universal Design Theory, also in 1990, offered a framework for educators to consider new ways of teaching and providing support for students with disabilities which resulted in an increase of more inclusive programs and services (Burgstahler, 2015). To build on the progress made over the last 30 years, college educators must examine their role and responsibility to create more equal opportunities and outcomes for students with disabilities.

Moreover, the authors propose that all students deserve support, empathy, and compassion and assert that empathy can play a critical role in a student's ability to feel seen, heard and that their unique experiences matter. Through the lens of empathy, all educators (i.e., faculty, staff, and administration) are urged to widen their understanding of students with disabilities, by taking into consideration factors relating to (a) ableism; (b) invisibility; (d) bias, and stereotypes; (d) disability stigma; (e) disability identity and intersectionality; and (f) inclusion. Therefore, this chapter calls educators to assess their knowledge, understanding, and perception of students with disabilities and to value diverse types of abilities and all students' developing potential.

Background

The Civil Rights Act passed in 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of color, race, sex, national origin, or religion did not include disability. However, in 1990, the ADA attempted to rectify this. According to Mayerson (1992), “The underlying principle of the ADA was to extend the basic civil rights protections extended to minorities and women to people with disabilities” (para. 22). The ADA provides clear mandates and enforceable standards to ensure the federal government regulates and addresses the discrimination individuals may face based on disability status. Congress amended the original ADA, in 2008, and specified:

This amendment demonstrates the very recent progress made on behalf of persons with disabilities, acknowledging their right to fully participate in education as an aspect of society without societal or institutional barriers.