Running head: COLLEGE ATTENDANCE AND STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

College Attendance and Students with Disabilities

Sarah Schanck
Georgia Southern University

COLLEGE ATTENDANCE AND STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Background and Institutional Characteristics

The number of students with disabilities entering postsecondary institutions continues to
increase and institutions are adapting their accessibility to accommodate this growing
demographic (Reinschmiedt, Sprong, Dallas, Buono, & Upton, 2013). Support service programs
are increasing and departments that support students regardless of disability status are examining
their procedures to be inclusive of this group. This paper will focus on students with disabilities
at a mid-sized (classified by the Institution of Education Sciences as 3,000-9,999 students) public
4-year liberal arts institution (Raue & Lewis, 2011). The student affairs functional areas of
career services and housing will be examined in regards to this population and recommendations
will be made based on current literature for practitioners in these departments to better promote
positive college impact. Implementing these recommendations would positively impact internal
entities including the division and institution as well as external initiatives such as recruitment of
students with disabilities.
Student with Disabilities Definition
According to the National Center for Education Statistics report by Raue and Lewis,
students with disabilities were reported amongst the student body in 88 percent of two year and
four year degree granting institutions (2011). Almost all public institutions report enrolling
students with a disability status: 99 percent of both two year and four year colleges (Raue &
Lewis 2011). The report classifies reported disabilities into twelve categories: difficulty hearing,
difficulty seeing, difficulty speaking or language impairment, mobility limitation/orthopedic
impairment, traumatic brain injury, specific learning disabilities, ADD or ADHD, Autism
Spectrum disorders, cognitive difficulties or intellectual disability, health impairment/condition
including chronic condition, mental illness/psychological or psychiatric condition, and other

COLLEGE ATTENDANCE AND STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

(Raue & Lewis, 2011). Raue and Lewis (2011) report that the majority of mid-sized institutions
support students with documented disabilities in every category (with the exception of other with
only 26% of institutions reporting documented disabilities in this category).
According to Izzo, Murray, Priest, and McArrell (2011) only 16% of students with
disabilities complete a baccalaureate program compared with 52% of their peers who are nondisabled. This figure underscores the need for programs and services that adequately support
students with both apparent and non-apparent disabilities. As cited in Shepler and Woosley
(2012), Getzel states, Adjusting to a college environment presents challenges for all students;
however, for students with disabilities, the responsibility of managing their accommodations
along with their academic coursework presents a set of challenges that are unique to these
students (p. 37).
Housing and Residential Services for Students with Disabilities
Shepler and Woosley (2012) cite a study by Adams and Proctor that students with
disabilities rank lower than their non-disabled peers in the areas of adaptation and college
adjustment. Housing and Residence Life can intervene at this crucial juncture to provide
services for students with disabilities to assist them in adapting to the new challenges of campus
life. Tinto created a model of student attrition published in 1993 that indicated that it is
necessary for students to integrate both academically and socially into college life; doing so will
increase their persistence toward graduation (Shepler & Woosley, 2012). Persistence through the
college experience affects retention and graduation rates and is therefore an issue needing
initiatives and attention. In addition, Shepler and Woosley (2012) highlight that a students
connection to organizations and groups relates to their overall satisfaction and institutional
experience.

COLLEGE ATTENDANCE AND STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

University of Illinois Case Study

In a reflection by Malik and Anton (2013) about an initiative by the University of Illinois
to provide housing for students with severe physical disabilities, several interesting results
should be highlighted. Malik and Anton (2013) stated that accessibility is one of the key campus
evaluation points for students with severe physical limitations when making a college choice.
However, integration into campus life is also a top consideration. The University of Illinois
created a wing of a residence hall based on the principles of Universal Design, going above and
beyond federal regulations for accessibility. Students with severe physical limitations were able
to have all of their accommodations met while at the same time integrating socially with their
non-disabled peers. Students also participated in a three tiered program including personal
assistant management and training, creation of a transitional disability management plan, and
mentorship (Malik & Anton, 2013). Since the beginnings of this program in 1994, 87.5% of
program participants were in graduate school or employed within a year of graduation (Malik &
Anton, 2013).
Recommendations for Residential Life Practitioners
According to Shepler and Woosley (2012), studies show that students with disabilities
can integrate to a similar level as their peers with the proper services and infrastructure.
Therefore, housing departments within student affairs can play a crucial role in the recruitment
and retention of these students. In addition to the University of Illinois case study (Malik &
Anton, 2013), other studies indicate the success of student learning communities especially as it
relates to students with disabilities in STEM majors (Izzo et al., 2011). Many of these student
learning communities engage students with disabilities into enrichment activities, often including
a career exploration component (Izzo et al., 2011). A strong curriculum within a student learning

COLLEGE ATTENDANCE AND STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

community or designated housing (such as the University of Illinois initiative), could provide a
unique opportunity for collaboration amongst departments in a student affairs division.
Externally, these types of opportunities for students with disabilities could be used as a
recruitment tool to show the positive impact of college attendance at that specific institution. In
the University of Illinois example, the addition of a specified residential accommodation for
students with severe physical disabilities makes them a destination college for students in this
demographic. As more and more students need these types of accommodations, it is encouraging
to see that 94% of mid-sized institutions are integrating accessibility features into new
infrastructure and renovations, often going above federally mandated minimums (Raue & Lewis,
2011).
Career Services for Students with Disabilities
As cited in Reinschmiedt, Sprong, Dallas, Buono, and Upton (2013), the 1996 U.S.
Census revealed that individuals with disabilities with less than a high school diploma were
employed at only a rate of 15.6%. Four year college students with disabilities were employed at
a contrasting rate of 50.3% (Reinschmiedt et al., 2013). It is made quite obvious through those
figures that college attendance is highly impactful in the area of employment. However, it is
incumbent upon career services practitioners to be able to adequately serve this population.
There are many recommendations in literature that outline helpful techniques for career services
personnel to utilize when advising a student with disability status including effective goal setting
(Shepler & Woosley, 2012) as well as experiential opportunities. Internships and mentoring
programs are mentioned often as particularly effective tools to allow students with disabilities to
visualize their place in a professional setting and network with potential employers (Rule,
Stefanich, Haselhuhn, & Peiffer, 2009).

COLLEGE ATTENDANCE AND STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

According to Hennessey, Roessler, Cook, Unger, and Rumrill (2006), students with
disabilities are more likely to under-explore their career options and are only one third as likely
as their non-disabled peers to engage with the career services department on their campus. This
demographic also infrequently engages in professional networking and joining professional
organizations and rarely participates in part-time employment such as federal work study
(Hennessey et al., 2006). Students with disabilities also rarely participate in co-op or internship
opportunities (Hennessey et al., 2006). Perception from students with disabilities regarding
career advising can also be a limiting factor as evidenced by this statement:
Compounding this limited engagement in career exploration activities are perceptions on
the part of students with disabilities that faculty advisors lack knowledge of disability
issues, that student disability services personnel lack expertise in employment and career
development, and that career services personnel lack expertise regarding the needs of
students with disabilities. (Hennessey et al., 2006)
Examples of Effective Tools
Career Placement Project. The Career Placement Project was an initiative designed for
community colleges to assist career services departments with providing appropriate services to
students with disabilities (Norton & Field, 1998). According to Norton and Field (1998), the
specific areas of focus included: job shadowing, career exploration, job-seeking skills, and job
readiness. Specific activities were evaluated using a pre-test and a post-test (Norton & Field,
1998). The overall goal for this project was career preparedness which Norton and Field (1998)
defined as, a state of being prepared to pursue an occupation by possessing knowledge in the
areas of career exploration, job readiness, job-seeking skills, and job shadowing or work
experience (p. 43). According to the data, the Career Placement Project was deemed successful,

COLLEGE ATTENDANCE AND STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

with the group of participants scoring as high as or higher on the post-test than the control group,
although scoring markedly lower on the pre-test (Norton & Field, 1998).
Career Assessment and Planning Approach. The methods in this approach were
created by Roessler, Hennessey, Hogan and Savickas (2009) to create a framework in which to
identify accommodation needs for students with disabilities, productivity barriers, and strengths
as well as allow for career planning discussions. Three goals are addressed including: a)
identifying limitations in addition to assets and interests, b) assisting in development of career
goals keeping interests and limitations in mind, and c) creation of strategies consistent with
possible barriers as well as goals (Roessler et al., 2009). According to Roessler et al. (2009),
The case can be made that career assessment and planning services represent the first step in
helping students create a positive vision of their own employment potential (p. 127). Three
assessment tools are used within this approach: Hollands self directed search, the Work
Experience Survey, and the Personal Capacities Questionnaire (Roessler et al., 2009).
Recommendations for Career Services Practitioners
Employment related weaknesses for students with disabilities often relate to knowledge
of laws, regulations, disclosure and accommodations (Hennessey et al., 2006). The Career
Assessment and Planning Approach provide a unique way for practitioners to prepare students
for self-advocacy of their own accommodations (Roessler et al., 2009). However, practitioners
must be well versed in appropriate and common accommodations for disabilities. This is a skill
competency that is unfortunately deficient among career services personnel. Practitioners must
increase knowledge in this area so that they can assist students with disabilities to focus on selfassessment (Career Assessment and Planning Approach) and planning strategy (Career
Placement Project). Integrating the two highlighted approaches into their methodology will give

COLLEGE ATTENDANCE AND STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

practitioners a road map to working with students with disabilities. Internally, this will allow a
student affairs division to streamline services to students with disabilities by ensuring that
students needs are met both with accommodation on campus in addition to strategizing for
accommodations in their professional life. Externally, it would aid in recruitment for a mid-sized
liberal arts institution to be able to market the job placement rates of its graduates with
disabilities. In addition, opportunities may exist to create alumni mentoring programs pairing
alumni with disabilities to current students with disabilities, thereby strengthening alumni ties to
the institution.
Conclusion
As the population of students with disabilities increases within our nations institutions
(Raue & Lewis, 2011), it is necessary for students affairs practitioners to create support programs
specifically targeted to this demographic. It is clear through a review of current literature that
college attendance is highly impactful upon the long terms outcomes of students with disabilities
particularly in the areas of employment and social integration. Career services and residential
life are two functional areas that would greatly benefit from an assessment of current services for
this demographic and strategic planning on ways to better serve this population. In doing so, the
division of student affairs will be strengthened, thereby strengthening the institution. Externally,
this will result in positive public relations to potential students with disabilities in addition to
other external stakeholders.

COLLEGE ATTENDANCE AND STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

References
Hennessey, M.L., Roessler, R., Cook, B., Unger, D., & Rumrill, P. (2006). Employment and
career development concerns of postsecondary students with disabilities: Service and
policy implications. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 19(1), 39-55.
Izzo, M.V., Murray, A., Priest, S., & McArrell, B. (2011). Using student learning communities to
recruit STEM students with disabilities. Journal of Postsecondary Education and
Disability, 24(4), 301-316.
Malik, P.B. & Anton, P.W. (2013). Supporting students with severe physical disabilities: The
Illinois model. The Journal of College and University Student Housing, 40(1), 172-185.
Norton, S.C. & Field, K.F. (1998). Career Placement Project: A career readiness program for
community college students with disabilities. Journal of Employment Counseling, 35, 4044.
Raue, K., & Lewis, L. (2011). Students with disabilities at degree-granting postsecondary
institutions. (NCES 2011-018), U.S. Department of Education, National Center for
Education Statistics. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Reinschmidt, H.J., Sprong, M.E., Dallas, B., Buono, F.D., & Upton, T.D. (2013). Post-secondary
students with disabilities receiving accommodations: A survey of satisfaction &
subjective well-being. Journal of Rehabilitation, 79(3), 3-10.
Roessler, R.T., Hennessey, M.L., Hogan, E.M., & Savickas, S. (2009). Career assessment and
planning strategies for postsecondary students with disabilities. Journal of Postsecondary
Education and Disability, 21(3), 126-137.

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Rule, A.C., Stefanich, G.P., Haselhuhn, C.W., & Peiffer, B. (2009, June). A working conference
on students with disabilities in STEM coursework and careers. Conference on Students
with Disabilities in STEM Coursework and Careers,University of Northern Iowa.
Shepler, D.K. & Woosley, S.A. (2012). Understanding the early integration experiences of
college students with disabilities. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability,
25(1), 37-50.