Institutional construction of disabled students

Abstract

This paper reports on the selected findings of a recent research project centred on one new university in England (Charles et al., 2007). The project aimed to explore the experiences of 44 disabled students who fell into one of two distinct groups: those in local further education eligible to apply to higher education (HE), and those who were already in the HE system. A number of themes emerged from the group interview data, but here the focus is on personal identity and how the institution has an impact upon individuals' sense of self through its management of disability.

Keywords:

• disability
• higher education
• identity