This study focused on nine disabled college students' interpersonal interactions with their campus community. Study participants discussed the meaning they took from their interpersonal interactions. Critical disability studies theory and Disability Justice Principles provided a conceptual framework for this study's design.
Using narrative inquiry methodology, this study explored the following research questions: (1) How do disabled college students describe their interpersonal interactions with those in their campus community (e.g., staff, faculty members, peers)? (2) What meaning do disabled college students ascribe to their interactions with those in their campus community? (3) How do disabled college students describe their participation in, if any, student organizations at their institutions? Inductive analysis from 18 semi-structured interviews revealed five themes: lower(ed) expectations for support and connection, experiencing oppression, coping with oppression, experiencing interdependent friendships, and in-group friendships. Findings affirm the insufficiency of compliance with disability laws, disabled college students' resiliency in response to ableism, and the need for administrators to foster belonging for disabled college students. Study implications emphasize the urgent need for higher education administrators to foster a sense of belonging among disabled college students with multiple marginalized identities as well as disrupt systems of oppression within higher education institutions. / Doctor of Philosophy / Enrollment of disabled students in higher education continues to rise, but postsecondary administrators still overlook the need for full inclusion of this population in all aspects of college life. Disabled college students have a legal right under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to request accommodations and talk with campus disability service providers about their accommodation needs. It is important for college administrators to foster the social inclusion of disabled students at their institutions.
The purpose of this study was to learn about the interpersonal experiences of disabled college students with those in their campus communities. I used a narrative methodology to consider the following research questions: (1) How do disabled college students describe their interpersonal interactions with those in their campus community (e.g., staff, faculty members, peers)? (2) What meaning do disabled college students ascribe to their interactions with those in their campus community? (3) How do disabled college students describe their participation in, if any, student organizations at their institutions? After interviewing study participants, I learned they lowered their expectations for support and connection and experienced oppression. In response, participants found ways to cope with oppression, especially by forming mutual friendships with campus peers. These coping strategies confirmed the urgent need for higher education administrators to foster a sense of belonging among the disabled students on their college campuses.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/114738 |
| Date | 20 April 2023 |
| Creators | Burns, Emily Marie |
| Contributors | Higher Education, Catalano, D. Chase James, McCall, Cassandra Jo, Heflin, Ashley Shew, Robbins, Claire K. |
| Publisher | Virginia Tech |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Dissertation |
| Format | ETD, application/pdf |
| Rights | Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
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