Addressing accommodation gaps for students with disabilities entering higher education

Abstract

Regulatory support for individuals with disabilities decreases when students enter college. While in primary and secondary school students can rely on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) which ensures they receive appropriate accommodations. It also ensures staff meet students' needs as outlined in their Individualized Education Program (IEP). Upon entering higher education these policies no longer apply and institutions are often unable to provide the same level of support to which these students have grown accustomed. Research has shown that even when an institution has a disability support department, it doesn't have the power to enforce significant institutional change. What this means is that the students are being thrust into a new environment, usually alone, where they must learn to advocate for themselves and learn without the aid of policies upon which they had previously relied. In Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines the disparity between high school and college is even more apparent. Historically STEM education has had a small population of disabled students, this has led to the belief that people with disabilities cannot succeed in STEM. This also means that many programs do not have the resources or experience to handle accessibility issues. This poster will outline my research, including an extensive literature review, into the ways in which students are struggling with the transition from high school to college as well as examples of programs being implemented to make STEM more accessible.