Social relationships as a critical but neglected factor in research on higher education for people with disabilities.

2011

Research articles on postsecondary students with disabilities were examined in 4 disability-focused academic journals and 5 higher education journals. The results indicated that students with disabilities are very rarely the focus of research reported in higher education journals despite the fact that they comprise an estimated 11% of the enrollment of institutions of higher education. The results also show that articles in the disability-focused literature on higher education tend to focus only on the technical issues required by disability legislation (such as classroom accommodations and assistive technology) while ignoring the socio-emotional needs of students with disabilities, despite the fact that having a supportive social network is known to be a critical factor for academic success in higher education.

higher education, transition, social relationships, students with disabilities

Conference presentations and posters presented

Consumers/Families, Professionals, Policymakers

[email protected]

N/A