This qualitative study was able to shed light on what it means to be a college student with a physical disability, a population not well-understood. The existing and most current literature on college students with disabilities focuses on invisible disabilities, which provides a strong foundation for consideration among students with physical disabilities. This study, however, suggests that the visible nature of a physical disability is a distinct characteristic that increases the likelihood of discrimination, oppression, and marginalization among college students with mobility impairments. Interestingly enough, it is the visibility of the photographs captured through Photovoice, that provided an opportunity for participants of this study to create a
counter-narrative, which can be used to create social change. Through the use of Photovoice and focus groups, the findings of this study corroborate information found in the existing literature on college students with disabilities, yet it also highlighted ten significant additional factors that are more specific to college students with physical disabilities, including: visibility;
independence; membership in a university organization; support from the disability community; limited college options; money; health insurance; power and control; mood; and, faculty
awareness within a "disability friendly" university.
The findings of this study were narrowed down into five themes, as outlined in the previous chapter, and developed from the perspective of participants in effort to preserve the value of participatory action research. This was especially important, given the researcher’s status as an able-bodied person. This chapter, however, will focus on ten of the themes which transpired in this study and can contribute to the existing research on disabilities in higher education. The findings of this study will be analyzed in comparison with the existing literature,
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as well as the theoretical framework previously outlined in this study. Limitations and implications of this Photovoice study will also be explored in this chapter.
Examination of Findings within Context of Current Literature
As demonstrated below in Table 6.1, eight of the nine themes from the literature review emerged in this study. These themes, as discussed in the previous chapter, included: identity; self-advocacy; student skills; inclusion with peers; family support; accessibility;
accommodations; and, faculty perceptions and relationships. To maintain the authenticity of community based participatory action research, at the end of each focus group, participants provided themes which transpired. Although the terminology identified by participants for themes was not exactly the same as in the reviewed literature, the meaning behind the participants’ themes were similar in nature to those from the literature.
Table 6.1
Comparison of Themes from Literature and Themes from Study
Themes from literature found in study Themes from literature not found in study
Identity Universal Design
Self-advocacy Student skills Family support Inclusion with peers
Faculty relationships and perceptions Accessibility
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Universal Design was the one theme found in the literature review which did not emerge in the study. While the term Universal Design was not used by participants, it was certainly referenced by the majority of participants through themes such as: independence; equipment; accessibility; inclusion; and, awareness. The principles of Universal Design take into
consideration the needs of diverse persons so that individual requests for specific
accommodations are not necessary, as the original design has already taken into account such needs (Lombardi, Murray, & Gerdes, 2011; McGuire, Scott, & Shaw, 2006). The lack of
acknowledgment of Universal Design by participants may demonstrates unfamiliarity of the term within the context of higher education, as exemplified by the literature (2011). Educational laws that protect students with disabilities in primary and secondary school become null and void in post-secondary educational institutions, therefore, Universal Design cannot be enforced, and colleges and universities are able to adopt principles of Universal Design at their own discretion (Black, Weinberg, & Brodwin, 2014).
Although participants did not use the term Universal Design, the underpinnings of this concept are anything but foreign to them as college students with mobility impairments. Because the university has been known for providing services to students with physical disabilities for over 40 years, all participants agreed that the university community is more accepting of people with disabilities than their home communities and does consider the needs of individuals with physical disabilities more than society, in general. However, all participants concurred that increasing disability awareness among able-bodied individuals on campus would benefit all members of the community. If administrators and faculty were more aware of the challenges students with physical disabilities faced on a daily basis and they were trained on ways to
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incorporate Universal Design, they may be more inclined to make changes that will benefit more students (Park et al, 2012).
New Findings from Study that Can Contribute to Literature
As shown below in Table 6.2, the findings of this Photovoice study demonstrate that there are ten themes, in addition to themes from current literature, that can provide enhanced insight into the identity and experiences of college students with physical disabilities. Four of the themes (visibility, independence, membership in a university organization, and support from the disability community) play a significant role in the identity of a college student with a physical disability. The other six themes (limited college options, money, health insurance, power and control, mood, and faculty awareness in a disability friendly university) offer additional insight into the academic and social experiences of college students with physical disabilities.
Table 6.2
Findings from Study
Themes in relation to identity Themes in relation to experiences
Visibility Limited college options
Independence Money
Membership in university organization Health insurance Support from disability community Power and control
Mood
Faculty awareness within disability friendly university
Identity as a college student. With less than 1% of college students with physical
disabilities enrolled in post-secondary education, little information is known about this
vulnerable and historically oppressed population within higher education (U.S. Department of Education, 2014). Among those individuals with physical disabilities who do attend college, only one out of three actually graduate from college, causing concern as to the reason why academic
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success among students with physical disabilities is so low (Newman, et al, 2009; Wang & Dovidio, 2011). While the theme of identity arose from the literature review of students with disabilities (in general) in higher educations, research about the influence of having a physical disability on the identity of college students is non-existent. A person’s sense of identity develops from personal characteristics, group membership, and experiences (Campbell, 2008). While Nario-Redmond and colleagues (2013) point to the influence of stigma and stereotypes as negative factors of the identity of a person with a disability, this study reveals that for a college student with a physical disability, there are several additional components that contribute to one’s sense of identity, including: visibility (of one’s physical disability, meaning that one’s disability is obvious to others); independence (being able to do as much for oneself as possible); membership in a university organization; and, support from the disability community.
The influence of participants’ physical disability on their experiences in college.
Literature demonstrates that themes of identity; self-advocacy; student skills; family support; inclusion with peers; faculty relationships and perceptions; accessibility; accommodations and disclosure; and, Universal Design all contribute to the academic and social success of college students with disabilities. As mentioned previously, this study uncovered all of these themes, with the exception of Universal Design. Furthermore, this qualitative study revealed six additional themes which considerably impact the academic and social experiences of college students with mobility impairments. These themes include: limited college options; money; health insurance; power and control; mood; and, faculty awareness within a “disability friendly” university.
Relationship between Identity and Experiences. The findings of this study underscore
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well as their academic and social experiences in college. The overall findings of this study suggest that among college students with mobility impairments, a strong sense of identity is essential for positive experiences, both academic and social, that lead to success in higher education.
As participants answered research questions related to their identity as college students and the influence of their physical disability on their college experiences, a common element of confidence and security in one’s identity as a person, a member of the disability community, and as a legitimate college student surfaced as the foundation for positive academic and social experiences in college. Furthermore, positive academic and social experiences among college students with physical disabilities contribute to a more sound sense of identity, providing students with a sense of conviction in their identity as college students, and the continued belief necessary to engage and be successful in additional academic and social opportunities. The relationship between one’s identity and experiences in college as a student with a physical
disability can be seen below, in Figure 6.1, and will be further explicated using the theoretical framework of this study in the following section.
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Figure 6.1. Reciprocal relationship between identity and experience.
Figure 6.1. This figure demonstrates the ongoing relationship between identity and experiences among college students with physical disabilities. Three aspects of identity influence one’s experiences, which further influences identity, and so forth.
Analysis within Context of Theoretical Framework
The tenets of Critical Race Theory, Intersectionality, and Self-Efficacy Theory surfaced through photographs, written captions of photographs, as well as through both of the focus group interviews. Critical Race Theory seeks to shift the burden of socially constructed deficits of persons with disabilities to the institutional level (Delgado & Stefancic, 2017). This includes: able-bodied students, faculty, staff, and administrators, as well as policies and programming within the university. Intersectionality focuses on the overlapping identity markers, which yield either privilege or oppression (Collins & Bilge, 2016). Participants unanimously voiced the need to be seen as more than students with mobility impairments. As one participant stated, “We are all people.”. As participants shared their trials and tribulations as college students, it was evident that each person’s identity (as a person, a member of the disability community, and as a
Identity as a: 1. person 2. member of disability community 3. legitimate college student Experiences (academic and social) in college
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legitimate college student) plays a compelling role in their academic and social experiences within college.
While the interconnections of CRT, Intersectionality, and Self-Efficacy Theory derived from existing literature, additional themes revealed by this study provide essential knowledge that can further contribute to this theoretical framework to understand the specific needs of college students with physical disabilities. Figure 6.1, above, demonstrates the continuous cyclical relationship of identity and experiences, as it provides a visual representation that provides the groundwork for understanding how CRT and Intersectionality play a role in the identity of a college student with a mobility impairment, as well as their academic and social experiences. Figure 6.2, found below, will be explored in relation to Figure 6.1, above, to demonstrate how the theoretical framework of this study can be used to explicate identity and experiences of college students with mobility impairments to answer the overarching research question: What does it mean to be a college student with a physical disability?
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Figure 6.2. Theoretical Framework in Relation to Identity and Experiences.
[(CRT → INTERSECTIONALITY) → Identity] [(CRT → INTERSECTIONALITY) → Experiences]
Figure 6.2. This figure is an expansion of Figure 6.1, which demonstrates the theoretical framework of this study. CRT and Intersectionality can influence identity and experiences of college students with physical disabilities, which plays a role in their self-efficacy.
The influence of Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality on the Identity of a College Student with a Physical Disability. This section will explicate the first part of the
equation, found above in Figure 6.2, [(CRT → Intersectionality) → Identity]. Critical Race Theory (CRT) provides the foundation to understand how individuals with physical disabilities experience minority status in society (Nishida & Fine, 2014). Those who are able-bodied are viewed as superior in society and thus have more power and control over their own lives and the lives of those who are not able-bodied (Ferguson & Nusbaum, 2012). As a result, persons with physical disabilities are placed in an inferior social status, and experience discrimination, oppression, and marginalization, which have a profound impact on their sense of identity within society (Hosking, 2008). Despite claims of college campuses’ desires to embrace diversity, university communities are not immune to the stigma and stereotypes that perpetuate the subordinate status of students with physical disabilities (Campbell, 2008). Among college