Barriers to College Education Denies Equality for Disabled College Students

May 28

The United States of America is home to many diverse populations, with the disabled community being one of them. However, for years, higher education was only accessible to a select few. Common barriers included lack of opportunity, low income, gender, racial/ethnic background, and disabilities (Shermer, 2022). The U.S. government has strived to make education more accessible, allowing more marginalized students to receive a college education. Roughly 25% of Americans are disabled, meaning that higher education serves many students who are part of this community (CDC, 2024). Despite this, much work needs to be done on the policy level to make college education more equitable for disabled college students. Many disabled college students rely on academic accommodations to succeed in their courses but struggle to get them. They face student-related barriers, including lack of awareness, fear of discrimination, and documentation issues. In addition, institutions impose barriers such as limited resources, faculty resistance, and lack of standardization. Barriers to accommodations deny disabled college students equal access to education, a right protected under federal law.

Student-related barriers are the broader range of obstacles that hinder academic progress and well-being (Toutain, 2019). Christopher Toutain (2019) conducted an in-depth literature review on student-related barriers to accommodations and found three of the most important concerns.. Many disabled college students are unaware of accommodations offered at their institutions. A survey conducted in Virginia found that over 86% of disabled students had disability-related barriers to their education, and many were unaware of what kind of accommodations their institutions could grant them. Another study revealed that often, disabled students are not put into contact with disability resource offices until they exhibit poor academic performance. Fear of discrimination from peers is another common student-related barrier. Researchers have found evidence of social stigma against disabilities at universities across the country, which leads to non-disabled students perpetuating ableism as a result. A study conducted in the greater U.S. found that disabled students often do not disclose their identity out of concern of being seen as weak by their peers and subsequently being treated differently. Lastly, there are documentation issues to consider. Institutions often cannot grant disabled students accommodations without specific paperwork, such as high school service records.

Institution-related barriers, on the other hand, are systemic issues that create external obstacles for disabled students. In his literature review, Christopher Toutain (2019) also examined institution-related barriers and highlighted the most detrimental to accommodation services. Disability resource offices might have limited resources due to lack of funding. A study found that many offices are understaffed, leading to delays or denials of accommodations. Furthermore, offices often have heavier caseloads than they can manage, leading to disabled students receiving inadequate support. Unfortunately, Faculty resistance is common, making it exceedingly difficult for accommodations to be honored in the classroom.. Interviews with disabled students at various institutions revealed that some professors are unwilling to honor accommodation plans, with one potential explanation being societal stigma. Lastly, a lack of federal standardization ultimately leads to unequal access to accommodations in higher education. Regulatory agencies do not hold universities to clear standards regarding the accommodations they are legally required to offer or how they determine student eligibility.

Student-related and institutional barriers cause disabled college students to struggle to get accommodations across the country. These barriers to accommodations go against the rights of disabled students. Everyone has the fundamental right to get an education. Failure to uphold laws or policies leads to current challenges disabled students face. Institutions fall short of two legal standards: international human rights law and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Adopted in 1948, the Universal Declaration on Human Rights dictates that every person, regardless of their background, has the right to receive an education (Right to Education, 2023). Given this, higher education is morally obligated to accommodate disabled students, but often does not meet this standard. The ADA prohibits discrimination towards individuals based on their disability, and sets a legal standard that college institutions must make education equitable for disabled students (DOJ, 2025). However, barriers to accommodations are inequitable and violate the rights of disabled students.

Won and Lee (2016) found that when accommodations are honored in the classroom, the average GPA of disabled students increases over a semester-long period. Accommodations are beneficial to ensuring that disabled students have an equal opportunity to succeed in the classroom. Consequently, barriers to accommodations cause adverse educational and mental outcomes for disabled college students. When accommodations are not offered, Gin and colleagues (2020) found this leads to reduced academic performance, lower graduation rates, and impacts understanding of course material. Most significantly, they found that barriers to accommodations increased the likelihood that disabled students would drop out of college. Furthermore, Christopher Toutain (2019) found evidence that barriers hinder the well-being of disabled students and their willingness to seek help from disability resource offices.

Many student-related and institutional barriers exist and hinder disabled students from receiving accommodations. Barriers to accommodations violate current laws or policies, infringing on the rights of disabled college students. Moreover, they lead to declines in GPA, higher dropout rates, and poor mental health. These barriers are unjust and do not give the disabled community equal access to educational opportunities. We should encourage others to speak up for their disabled peers and be allies. You could join a disability advocacy group or host a protest on your college campus. We should hold administrations more accountable for enforcing accommodations. We can write to our members of Congress, and give a policy recommendation, such as to increase disability services funding. The path to an equitable future starts with you.

Citations

CDC Newsroom. (2024, July 16). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/s0716-Adult-disability.html

Introduction to the Americans with Disabilities Act. (2025, April 29). The Department of Justice. https://www.ada.gov/topics/intro-to-ada/#:~:text=The%20Americans%20with%20Disabilities%20Act%20(ADA)%20is%20a%20federal%20civil,state%20and%20local%20government%20programs.

Mowreader, A. (2024, June 7). 4 barriers to accommodation for students with disabilities. Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/student-success/college-experience/2024/06/07/4-barriers-accommodation-students-disabilities

Shermer, E. T. (2022, October 15). Higher Ed’s Past is Gilded, Not Golden. History News Network. https://www.historynewsnetwork.org/article/higher-eds-past-is-gilded-not-golden

Toutain, C. (2019). Barriers to Accommodations for Students with Disabilities in Higher Education: A Literature Review. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1236832#:~:text=Barriers%20to%20accommodations%20were%20found,that%20students%20experienced%20upon%20their

Understanding education as a right. (2023). Right to Education Initiative. https://www.right-to-education.org/page/understanding-education-right#:~:text=It%20is%20a%20human%20right,fulfil%20the%20right%20to%20education