Disabled student experiences of Higher Education

Abstract

Disabled students remain systematically disadvantaged compared to their non-disabled peers. It is, therefore, essential that educational practitioners and policy makers appreciate the complexity of the disabled student experience. In the present study, we identified 60 online forum posts (and 31 replies to the posts) discussing personal experiences of disability and Higher Education. Online posts (and their replies) were subject to inductive thematic analysis and six themes were extracted from the data. These themes were (i) impact on education, (ii) isolation from peers, (iii) seeking advice and support, (iv) barriers to assistance and accommodations, (v) impact of accommodations, and (vi) providing guidance and support. Recommendations for practice focus on the practical and social support required to ensure that disabled students are neither marginalized nor disadvantaged.

Points of interest

• We identified 60 online forum posts (and 31 replies to those posts) discussing personal experiences of disability and Higher Education.

• We searched the posts for common themes and six themes were extracted.

• Themes were (i) impact on education, (ii) isolation from peers, (iii) seeking advice and support, (iv) barriers to assistance and accommodations, (v) impact of accommodations, and (vi) providing guidance and support.

• Findings demonstrate the value of online forum data.

• We provide several recommendations for practice (including greater provision of both practical and social support) to ensure that disabled students are not disadvantaged.

Keywords:

• Accessibility
• Higher Education
• online forums
• student experience
• university

Introduction

In recent years, Higher Education has placed greater emphasis on Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion. Despite an apparent commitment to creating an inclusive and accessible environment, disabled students remain systematically disadvantaged compared to their non-disabled peers. For example, it may be more difficult for disabled students to access information during lectures (e.g. taking notes), participate in class activities (e.g. group-work), and complete assessments (e.g. oral presentations, written examinations) compared to non-disabled peers (Fuller, Bradley, and Healey 2004; Nieminen 2023). These barriers to learning occur both on and off-campus and when accessing resources (e.g. libraries, IT Services) (Fuller et al. 2004). Further, for some programmes, professional body requirements (e.g. attendance, fitness to practice) may place additional demands on disabled students.

Disabled students may be entitled to a range of accommodations (e.g. assistive technology, additional time for examinations) to support their learning. Previous research demonstrates the positive impact of these accommodations on the student experience (e.g. Dong and Lucas 2016). However, to access accommodations, students may be required to disclose a disability, engage with disability services, or request external support such as a disabled students’ allowance. This process can be confronting, stressful, and require a degree of time and energy that is problematic for many disabled students (Goode 2007; Grimes et al. 2019). Further, disabled students may be concerned that a request for accommodations makes them ‘extravisible’ (Goode 2007) in an environment where disabled students are more likely to experience isolation, self-consciousness, fear of stigmatization, bullying, and rejection (Shaw and Anderson 2018). It is, therefore, essential that educational practitioners and policy makers appreciate the complexity of the disabled student experience.

National and institution specific data are available documenting disabled student experiences of Higher Education (e.g. enrolment, performance, and admissions data). Such data are limited, however, and may fail to capture the lived experiences of many disabled students. Qualitative reports may examine disabled student experiences of Higher Education in more detail. These studies are, however, typically limited by a focus on individual institutions (e.g. Rodriguez Herrero, Izuzquiza, and Cabrera Garcia 2021), subject disciplines (e.g. Shaw and Anderson 2018), or a focus on specific areas of inquiry such as disclosure (e.g. Thompson-Ebanks and Jarman 2018). Whilst informative, such studies may provide limited insight into the issues that students find most problematic, whether experiences are shared across institutions or disciplines, and the potential shared nature of the disabled student experience.

Therefore, the present study investigates disabled student experiences of Higher Education through analysis of online forum posts. Online platforms provide insight into the experiences, concerns, and shared advice of disabled people (e.g. Song et al. 2021) that can guide recommendations for education policy and practice. Importantly, this approach identifies the issues that disabled people themselves perceive to be important rather than following an agenda pre-determined by the researcher.

Research process

Data for the present study were collected through the social media platform Reddit. Reddit is an online community containing user-generated ‘sub-reddits’ where users can discuss and comment on similar interests and experiences. The Reddit platform provides an opportunity for users to discuss a range of potentially stigmatising subjects openly and anonymously including personal experience of mental (e.g. Brewer et al. 2022; Park, Conway, and Chen 2018) and physical (Brewer and Stratton 2020; Foufi et al. 2019; Garcia-Rudolph et al. 2020) health conditions. As a consequence, Reddit forums provide access to high quality data from a diverse sample (Jamnik and Lane 2017). Importantly, anonymous discussion forums allow researchers to explore sensitive subject areas in a manner that focuses on the issues that disabled people themselves perceive to be important rather than following an agenda pre-determined by the researcher (e.g. Lyons et al. 2023).

The current study used Reddit forums to collect data on the experiences of disabled students in Higher Education. We searched Reddit for subreddits related to the experiences of the target population using relevant search terms including ‘disability’ ‘disabled’ and ‘chronic illness’. We identified multiple subreddits each with thousands of members. We then searched within the subreddits using terms such as ‘university’ and ‘college’ to identify posts that fit the inclusion criteria. In particular, posts were required to discuss personal experiences of disability and Higher Education and not the experiences of others. Data were collected between November and December 2022 and the posts had been published between January 2020 and December 2022. We recorded the original post title, and where possible, the age, gender, disability, and location of the poster.

Data analysis

Three researchers independently analysed the data using inductive thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke 2006). Inductive analysis has previously been used in the context of discussion forum data (e.g. Gage et al. 2022; Newberry 2017), and was deemed to be the most appropriate method for understanding personal experiences of disability in Higher Education. The researchers read the forum posts several times and established initial codes independently from one another, utilizing separate word files. There was then a discussion of the proposed codes before any duplicates or similar codes were removed. After agreeing upon a coding system, codes were organized into broader themes to establish a thematic framework. Final themes were then identified and agreed upon after checking for discrepancies in analytical interpretations and agreement that data saturation had been reached after analysis of the posts.

To assess the trustworthiness of our findings we applied Leininger’s (1994) six criteria, intended for use with qualitative data. Credibility: Due to the nature of the research, there was a lack of direct involvement from participants. Nevertheless, it is important to recognize that posts (and their replies) were created without prompts from researchers and, as a consequence, posts may be more credible than other methodological approaches. Conformability: We were unable to confirm experiences or meaning with participants and such a process could have been useful in clarifying subsequent themes. However, the posts are believed to be accurate, meaningful reflections of the individual students’ experiences. Meaning in context: We recognize that our interpretations of the posts have meaning for the specific context (Higher Education) considered only. Recurrent patterning: Posts often shared similar personal experiences or difficulties (e.g. facing barriers to useful accommodations). As a result, we felt the data included recurring experiences across multiple posters. We have included the number of posts (and replies) containing content relevant to each theme. Saturation: The researchers agreed that after analysis of 60 posts (and their replies), data saturation was reached, with no new themes or experiences apparent. Transferability. The themes identified in this study may inform our understanding of other disabled student experiences in Higher Education. This information should be used to inform Higher Education Institutions on how best to provide support to their disabled students.

Ethical issues

All posts collated for the present study were publicly available without registration or log in. Therefore, formal review and approval from the Institutional Review Board was not required. Nevertheless, when designing and conducting this study and reporting the results, the researchers consulted relevant ethical guidelines specific to discussion forum research (e.g. Smedley and Coulson 2021). There was a particular focus on the public or private nature of all information shared, the potential for benefit or harm, and how feasible it would be to obtain informed consent (Eysenbach and Till 2001; Roberts 2015). Recognizing that the posts analysed contain sensitive personal information and recount personal experiences, we adopted several measures to protect and maintain the anonymity of posters. Specifically, we do not report usernames or the names of subreddits searched and the wording of each quote has been slightly altered and entered into both the Google search engine and the Reddit search tool to ensure that the quotation does not lead back to the original post.

Results

We identified six themes relating to disabled students’ experiences of Higher Education. Forum posts also often detailed the specific nature of the disability, frequently referring to more than one condition and complex health issues. This content is not included here if it was not discussed in relation to experiences of Higher Education. The six themes extracted from the data were (i) impact on education (67% of original posts, 23% of responses), (ii) isolation from peers (18% of original posts, 3% of responses), (iii) seeking advice and support (62% of original posts, 0% of responses), (iv) barriers to assistance and accommodations (47% of original posts, 16% of responses), (v) impact of accommodations (23% of original posts, 29% of responses), and (vi) providing guidance and support (0% of original posts, 81% of responses). We indicate the percentage of both original posts and responses to those posts featuring each theme to allow readers to understand how posters used the Reddit platform. For example, whilst some responses included a description of their own isolation from peers (3%) or the impact of their own accommodations (29%) in the reply, responses to original posts typically focused on providing guidance and support (81%) to the original poster.

Impact on education

Students feared falling behind in their studies and were aware of the impact that disability had on their grades, for example, ‘It completely messed up my grades’ (Post 8) and ‘My grades are really suffering’ (Post 48). It was clear that Higher Education placed substantial demands on students. In particular, students reported that all their available energy was used for academic studies, for example ‘I feel as if I’m dying. I’m hardly submitting anything because all of my energy goes into just keeping myself alive.’ (Post 2) and ‘I’m burnt out by the end of the day, I hardly have energy for anything’ (Post 53). In addition to disability impacting on academic performance and social life (see isolation from peers theme), this situation also had financial consequences for some students. As explained by one student,

I study full time and I can’t go to school and work… I’m behind with my studies right now because of my disability and I need to fully focus on it. But I need money to live … eat… rent … I am drowning in debt and so frightened (Post 1)

As a consequence, several posts described suspension or a reduction in the number of classes taken. Comments included ‘I have had to go part time this semester and drop all but two of my classes because I’m overwhelmed.’ (Post 12), ‘I have been struggling with school, I even had to drop a class’ (Post 40), and ‘I dropped a class in the first week because reading for the class was close to impossible’ (Post 58).

The impact of disability on student grades continued even after accommodations had been secured, for example with earlier grades listed on academic transcripts. As noted by one student ‘How can I get earlier grades removed from my transcript? It is not my fault that they refused to provide accommodations and I’ve done far better since they added the accommodation.’ (Post 8). Students were aware of the additional challenges they experienced compared to their non-disabled peers. In particular, disabled students were aware that they needed to work harder than non-disabled students and were often underestimated or dismissed. Comments included ‘My whole life I felt as if I had to work harder than others especially when it came to studying’ (Post 7), ‘I only asked for accommodations, but apparently to them chronic illness also means I have an intellectual disability’ (Post 20), and ‘It became more difficult for me to get into some classes and other things because they were “sure I was going to fail”’ (Post 44). Perhaps unsurprisingly, students also expressed their concerns for their future employment. For example, ‘I recognised that most of the higher paying jobs are for able-bodied graduates’ (Post 7) and ‘I often wonder about the point of going to college if I’m going to be too sick to work after I graduate anyway’ (Post 38).

Isolation from peers

Posts described isolation from peers. In part, this reflected avoidance and othering from non-disabled peers, for example, ‘Basically people do not respond to me. They often roll their eyes or ignore me. Students in my class don’t even talk to me’ (Post 12). This was exacerbated by a lack of understanding displayed by non-disabled peers, for example, ‘Able-bodied people will never be able to understand what it’s like to be disabled because this world is made for people without disabilities’ (Post 7). Isolation was also a consequence of the challenges posed by disability, especially in relation to the limited energy and time available to disabled students. Comments included ‘I had to sacrifice my own social life and limit the number of societies I join in order to stay on top of my work and manage my condition’ (Response to Post 22), ‘My health can leave me more isolated when I need to spend the weekend recovering or I’m just not well enough to socialise… Managing my health feels like a part time job’ (Post 37), and,

Just holding a conversation is incredibly exhausting and I’m not really in the mood when things hurt and it can be irritating and take up all my energy. I have to retreat and save that energy for other tasks like assignments or paying attention to class. (Post 52)

This isolation likely contributed to the frustration and distress reported by disabled students. For example, ‘I feel as if I am always going to have this joke of human life. There is nothing I can do and no one who cares’ (Post 6), ‘I feel so hopeless right now and even though I’ve been ill for a while I’m still coming to terms with being disabled’ (Post 21), and ‘I am totally miserable’ (Post 53).

Seeking advice and support

Posts often requested guidance from other forum users. This included requests for guidance on a range of issues. Examples include ‘What can I do to improve things?’ (Post 14) and ‘Does anyone have any advice on how to get through college with health problems, I would really appreciate it’ (Post 19). Students were especially interested in advice related to engaging with disability services. For example, ‘I feel like disability services would be a useful place to start, but should I just talk to my lecturer directly instead’ (Post 4) and ‘I have been thinking of trying to get accommodations through the university, but I’m not sure if can do anything that will help me. If anyone has any advice I would really appreciate it’ (Post 33). A lack of information specific to advocating for disability accommodations or the types of accommodations available was evident. Comments included ‘Can anyone educate me about my options? I am not trying to act ignorant or helpless I just don’t know what to do’ (Post 34) and ‘I have prepared an email, but would that be enough or should I go to their office hours and talk with them in person? I’m really inexperienced with it and so it’s stressing me out.’ (Post 39). Advice was especially valued from those in similar circumstances or with relevant experience. For example, ‘I am trying to find somewhere people might understand where I’m coming from’ (Post 27), ‘Is there any advice from people who have experienced the same thing?’ (Post 37), ‘Is anyone else dealing with something similar? If you are, how are you dealing with it’ (Post 38), ‘Has anyone else had a similar experience with this kind of thing?’ (Post 44), and ‘Any guidance or anything you would like to share if you are in or have been in a similar position would be much appreciated’ (Post 49).

Barriers to assistance and accommodations

The challenges experienced by students seeking assistance and accommodations were clear. For example, posts outlined the length of time required to arrange accommodations and denial of appropriate support. Comments included ‘They told me that it [form] would take four months, but instead I still don’t have it 18 months later. I have now dropped out because they said they can’t provide the accommodations unless I have it’ (Post 3) and ‘The university refused my request for 50% additional time and to leave the room if needed for the bathroom or to take medication’ (Post 8). Accommodations were sometimes denied on the basis that academics could not or would not support the adjustments. For example, ‘They are refusing to do it, saying that professors don’t want to and that the classes aren’t set up like that’ (Post 30) and ‘They said that if they did it for me, then they would have to do it for others, and that the professors wouldn’t have the time to do it. Then I was told that “life won’t always accommodate you”’ (Post 43). In addition, academics also directly refused to provide accommodations, for example, ‘My professor isn’t allowing me to use the assistive technology during an exam’ (Post 11).

Some students were unsure what accommodations were available. For example, ‘I don’t know what accommodations are available and what might actually be helpful.’ (Post 5) and ‘I don’t know what accommodations are available’ (Post 18). It could be especially confusing where accommodations were not consistent with prior experience. As stated by one student ‘I emailed to ask to for extra time for assignments, and she said “being allowed to submit late assignments is not a college accommodation.” I don’t understand why I had that in High School and now it’s taken away’ (Post 57). Where accommodations had been provided, some students reported a reluctance to use them. This reluctance reflected a range of issues including concerns that they were not ‘disabled enough’, needed to limit their use of accommodations, or that they would be perceived ‘differently’ to their non-disabled peers by academics. For example, ‘I’m not sure if it’s reasonable to ask for anything else, My confidence about what I’m allowed to ask for is also gone because of the low visibility of my disabilities’ (Post 14), ‘It feels too early in the semester to take a sickness day because I have to save it for hospital if I am going to pass my classes’ (Post 22), and ‘I am worried that it will change the way professors think of me’ (Post 35).

Impact of accommodations

Posts often discussed the impact of accommodations. These included both the benefits afforded by accommodations and the limitations of these. Comments describing the benefits of accommodations included ‘There’s a place in the library for disabled people. You can reserve it and go to sleep, rest, or study, which makes it easier to stay on campus for the day especially on days when you have less energy’ (Post 31),

The Professor said that he wouldn’t look at spelling to a point. He asked me how bad the spelling was and when I said how bad he said if he couldn’t understand what I meant he would circle it and ask me (Post 47),

and ‘Having extra time to work on assignments and not being penalised for missing classes really helped to lower my stress levels’ (Post 48). The accommodations received did not, however, fully address the challenges experienced by disabled students. Comments included ‘I have accommodations agreed with the university but they don’t seem to be helping’ (Post 21) and ‘I have accommodations for exams, but my classes aren’t exam based so it’s not very helpful. I have also accommodations for seating and recording lectures but those also aren’t that helpful because the lectures aren’t my biggest problem’ (Post 59). In part, limitations of the accommodations provided were a consequence of limited or unsupportive disability services. As summarised by one poster, ‘The university and disability support services have been so unhelpful’ (Post 30).

Providing guidance and support

Responses to posts were typically focused on providing guidance and support. Guidance addressed both general health issues and academic studies. For example, ‘Visit the University mental health services first and they should be able to support you with affordable options.’ (Response to Post 34), ‘Taking leave for a semester to focus on your health might be worth considering.’ (Response to Post 2), and ‘Totally avoid summer classes and find a combination of medication and therapy that works.’ (Response to Post 58). Guidance placed particular emphasis on engagement with disability services or academics and obtaining accommodations. Comments included ‘I would speak with the disability services office and explain this to them’ (Response to Post 4), ‘Accommodations aren’t necessarily perfect but they should be better than what you have had. The best thing to do is advocate for yourself, especially when the apparent advocates are being unhelpful’ (Response to Post 30), and ‘Talk to the office that deals with disabled students and accommodations and ask them for the forms that you need. Normally your Doctor fills one out and you fill one out. It’s worth having one on file’ (Response to Post 33).

Responses also provided emotional support and solidarity. For example, ‘You are absolutely not alone in feeling like this.’ (Response to Post 21), ‘You are worthy even if you are struggling and you are worthy even if you need more time. You are worthy, full stop’ (Response to Post 27), and,

I know that it can feel overwhelming sometimes but just because you are dyslexic doesn’t mean you can’t do it - You can totally do it and dyslexia can be a benefit when you conduct research. It can help you have new ideas and approach things differently (Response to Post 46).

Sharing personal experiences was an important part of providing guidance and support. Comments included ‘I had a similar experience (not the same condition, but also mental health). I dropped out and finished my degree later and it was so much easier’ (Response to Post 2) and,

Are there any societies or activities you can join? I found that the best way to get to know people was in groups with similar interests. I worked at the paper all through University and was in various other clubs. (Response to Post 12).

These responses sometimes included specific examples of accommodations received. For example,

I take asynchronous online classes because I could have a flare up at any time and there is no guarantee that I can attend a class at a set time. It allows me to study whenever I feel able, on my own schedule. I also have accommodations from disability services including extra time on quizzes and exams, and extensions for assignments on request. (Response to Post 38).

Discussion

The six themes extracted from the data were (i) impact on education, (ii) isolation from peers, (iii) seeking advice and support, (iv) barriers to assistance and accommodations, (v) impact of accommodations, and (vi) providing guidance and support. Below, we discuss each of the six themes extracted from the data.

Impact on education

In the present study, students described the impact of disability on their academic performance and feared falling behind in their studies despite spending much of their available energy on their academic studies. Indeed, students were aware of the additional challenges they experienced and that they needed to work harder than their non-disabled peers for the same outcome (Reed and Kennett 2017). This is consistent with previous research documenting the impact of disability on academic performance and course completion and the additional effort required of disabled students to complete academic work (e.g. additional time required to process information or write an assignment) (e.g. Foreman et al. 2001; Mullins and Preyde 2013; Richardson 2010).

Of course, the impact of the disability itself is often exacerbated by academic bureaucracy (García-González et al. 2021). For example, disabled students may be required to spend additional time and energy making relevant arrangements for accommodations (Strnadová, Hájková, and Květoňová 2015) which can be stressful and take time away from their studies. Acknowledging the additional time and effort made by disabled students, ensuring that effective support measures are in place, and minimising bureaucracy would enhance the student experience and reduce the administrative burden placed on disabled students. For example, Universities could ensure that students are not required to repeat requests for accommodations each academic year unless additional adjustments to support plans are required. Artificial intelligence also has the potential to reduce the administration and bureaucracy associated with disclosure of a disability or requests for accommodations (Lister et al. 2021) and should be explored.

The additional time disabled students were required to spend on their academic studies (Reed and Kennett 2017; Timmerman and Mulvihill 2015) also had financial consequences for some students. For example, students were unable to obtain paid employment to pay for accommodation or other living costs. The financial difficulties experienced by students and the impact of this on student well-being and academic attainment are well documented (e.g. Bennett 2003; Fiksenbaum et al. 2017). There has, however, been relatively little consideration of the additional financial challenges experienced by disabled students and the extent to which these financial issues may become an additional barrier to engagement or achievement (Fox et al. 2022; Vincent and Chiwandire 2019). For example, in addition to difficulties with paid employment, disabled students may incur substantial financial costs due to their disability (e.g. to obtain access to assistive technology or accessible accommodation and transport) (Mitra et al. 2017). It is important that Universities recognise these financial issues and ensure that additional financial support is available for disabled students. As students also expressed their concerns for their future employment in the posts examined, additional support for disabled students could be provided by careers services to both recognise these concerns and address the barriers to employment experienced by disabled people (e.g. Ameri et al. 2018; Bjørnshagen and Ugreninov 2021).

Isolation from peers

The availability of social support has a substantial impact on student well-being (Alsubaie et al. 2019), retention (Wilcox, Winn, and Fyvie-Gauld 2005), and performance (Mishra 2020). In the present study, posts described isolation from peers which contributed to the distress reported by disabled students. In part, isolation reflected avoidance and othering from non-disabled peers exacerbated by a lack of understanding. In both research and practice, there appears to be little appreciation for the social impact of student disability. Non-disabled students may fail to understand a condition (e.g. underestimating the severity of a condition) or display discriminatory attitudes and behaviour (e.g. avoidance) (Mullins and Preyde 2013). Further, disabled students are often aware that their student peers may hold prejudicial attitudes towards disability or that they may focus on their disability only, reducing opportunities for more meaningful relationships (Akin and Huang 2019).

Educational programmes may increase the understanding and awareness of non-disabled students and are especially effective when created and delivered by disabled people (Heymani et al. 2020). Disability training targeted at students leading student societies may be especially beneficial, ensuring that organised events are fully inclusive and accessible to disabled members. Further, disability awareness is increasingly incorporated into teaching and learning activities in Higher Education (Hale et al. 2013) providing opportunities for broader awareness training. Of course, students may be most receptive to disability awareness training that can be directly applied to their programme (e.g. social work, education), and so other forms of intervention such as the role modelling of inclusive behaviour should also be adopted (Hale et al. 2013).

The present study also highlighted the manner in which the personal lives and relationships of disabled students are often impacted by their condition, for example when required to rest, spend additional time studying, or when attending treatments and arranging accommodations, etc. (Couzens et al. 2015; Timmerman and Mulvihill 2015). Greater recognition of the limited energy and time available to disabled students is essential (Reed and Kennett 2017). Ensuring that students have the appropriate accommodations in place and minimising the time necessary to arrange these will be beneficial as will providing opportunities for students to establish relationships in a less demanding manner (e.g. online). Peer mentoring programmes can also be beneficial to disabled students, providing both practical guidance and reducing isolation (Hillier et al. 2019). Student groups established for disabled students specifically can be beneficial, providing social support, information, and a basis for collective action (Borland and James 1999; Couzens et al. 2015). These may be student-led or facilitated by faculty depending on student preference. Of course, such groups may only be of benefit to students who identify as disabled and are comfortable sharing their disability with others. As some disabled students may not feel part of the disabled community and may be reluctant to engage in activities that inherently ‘out’ their condition (Frost, Bailey, and Ingersoll 2019), a range of networking opportunities should be provided.

Seeking advice and support

Consistent with previous research (e.g. Sowles et al. 2017), forum posts often solicited support and guidance from other users. Whilst the anonymous online environment may encourage emotional self-disclosure and exchange (Mann and Carter 2021), the findings of the present study highlight students’ need for emotional and practical support. Students were especially interested in advice relating to engaging with disability services and a lack of information specific to advocating for disability accommodations or the types of accommodations available was evident. In interviews conducted with disabled students and disability service staff, Fossey et al. (2017) revealed substantial variation in the processes of negotiating and implementing disability support. They also report that adjustments are often perceived to be the responsibility of students and highlight the need for disability services to develop students’ self-advocacy skills to enable them to negotiate for and secure appropriate accommodations.

We recommend that Universities provide additional guidance to disabled students, including support focused on navigating the accommodation process, the types of accommodations available, and the development of self-advocacy skills (Bruce and Aylward 2021). Posts indicated that advice was especially valued from those in similar circumstances or with relevant experience. Therefore, disability support services provided by those with lived experience may be especially beneficial. Disability peer support groups (recommended in the isolation from peers section) may provide a further source of advice and support. As forum posts often focused on requests for information and guidance on disability services, Universities should review students’ knowledge of the services available and increase awareness of these where necessary. Findings are consistent previous with research indicating a lack of student knowledge and awareness of disability services (Toutain 2019) suggesting that this is a common issue in Higher Education.

Barriers to assistance and accommodations

Forum posts clearly articulated the difficulties experienced by students seeking assistance and accommodations. For example, posts outlined the length of time required to arrange accommodations and denial of support. Requesting accommodations may be difficult (Hutcheon and Wolbring 2012). For example, the bureaucracy involved in requesting accommodations may require substantial time and medical evidence (Mullins and Preyde 2013). Requests for medical evidence may make students feel that their disability or disabled identity is not legitimate, reducing the likelihood of further disclosure or requests for support (Mullins and Preyde 2013). As a consequence, students frequently conceptualise negotiations with disability or support services as ‘battling the system’ which may result in students feeling that they do not have the time or energy to engage in the battle (preventing access to accommodations) or becoming ‘battle-hardened’ to advocate for the necessary support (Goode 2007).

These difficulties may be exacerbated where accommodations (or the process of requesting them) are not consistent with prior experience (e.g. when obtaining support at High School). Universities should acknowledge that students may be unaware of the support available or how to arrange these accommodations and recognise the challenges experienced by disabled students when support available at previous institutions is no longer provided (Goode 2007). Greater guidance on the accommodation process, self-advocating, and the types of accommodations available is required together with a guided transition from High School or Further Education to University (Walpole and Chaskes 2011). Mentorship programmes led by those with lived experience and familiar with University processes may be especially beneficial.

The impact of the attitudes and behaviour of academics and professional services staff was also evident. For example, some academics refused to provide accommodations and in other cases, disability services denied accommodations on the basis that academics could not or would not support the adjustments. Further, some students in receipt of accommodations were reluctant to use these, fearing that they would be perceived differently by non-disabled academics. Previous research demonstrates that the attitudes and behaviour of academic staff vary widely. Whilst some may be supportive and sympathetic, others may be unhelpful and cynical towards disabled students (Lopez-Gavira, Moriña, and Morgado 2021). Further, even when lecturers display positive attitudes towards disabled students and their accommodations, their knowledge is often inadequate (Lipka, Khouri, and Shecter-Lerner 2020; Morina and Perera 2020; Ryder and Norwich 2019).

Academic dismissal or unwillingness to support disabled students can reinforce feelings of inadequacy or otherness (Fuller et al. 2004) and additional training is required. Training focused on nonvisible or fluctuating conditions may be especially beneficial. Previous research suggests that academics acknowledge the need for further training delivered to academics, with the majority reporting that this training should be compulsory and completed on a regular basis (Kendall 2017). Lecturers may then be encouraged to advocate for disabled students with other academics or disability services, in a way that may seem difficult or inappropriate for the students themselves.

Impact of accommodations

Disabled students may access a range of accommodations including assistive technologies, modifications to the academic programme, and development of academic skills (Rath and Royer 2002). Though relatively few disabled students may request support, those who do receive accommodations demonstrate improved academic performance (Dong and Lucas 2016). In the present study, posts discussed the benefits of accommodations. This is consistent with previous research reporting that disabled students accessing accommodations are more likely to progress in their studies (Newman et al. 2021) and have improved academic performance (Abreu et al. 2017). Of course, the accommodations provided to disabled students and the impact of these accommodations may be limited. In the present study, accommodations did not fully address the challenges experienced by disabled students.

In part, the limitations of the accommodations received reflected inadequate disability services. Of course, inadequate services may arise for a range of reasons including a lack of individual service provider understanding and inadequate investment from a Higher Education Institution that does not value this type of provision. Additional training is recommended for disability services staff, including training focused on the limitations of accommodations (McNicholl et al. 2021). Similar training ensuring that academics and administrators are aware of the limitations of accommodations would also be beneficial. As with all disability-oriented training, involvement from the disabled students themselves is essential. It is also important that the service receives the resources required to provide accommodations and disability services staff are empowered to provide students with the required support.

Providing guidance and support

Responses to posts focused on providing emotional support, solidarity, and practical guidance to forum users. This is consistent with previous online forum research. For example, in one study investigating Reddit users wishing to end their use of Cannabis, 80% of responses provided were supportive and encouraging whilst 72% of responses provided advice and guidance to the original poster (Sowles et al. 2017). The guidance and support provided in response to user comments demonstrate the value of online forums. Previous research indicates that engagement in disability-specific online forums and websites can provide disabled people with a sense of community and social support and enhance well-being (Obst and Stafurik 2010). It is, however, important to recognise that researchers have also documented higher levels of distress amongst those with psychiatric disabilities who engage in unstructured online support (Kaplan et al. 2011) and future research should consider the type of peer support group provided online. Findings highlight the importance of providing opportunities for disabled students to share personal experiences (e.g. specific accommodations received) and Universities may wish to facilitate this.

Limitations and future research

In the present study, we analysed Reddit posts discussing personal experiences of disability and Higher Education. It is important to note that whilst Reddit can constitute a supportive and emancipatory environment (Sowles et al. 2017), disablist language is also evident. For example, previous research documents Reddit language that devalues disabled lives and especially those in receipt of financial assistance (Burch 2018). As a consequence, users may choose to avoid discussing disability, avoid reference to specific subjects (e.g. financial assistance), or post only in ‘safe’ subreddits intended for disabled users. We recognise that the present study captures only those who feel comfortable discussing their personal experiences of disability in this forum. Similarly, it is important to acknowledge that our data may not capture the experiences of students who (whilst meeting criteria for disability) do not identify as disabled.

Further, these posts do not provide the contextual information that is required to explore additional issues or seek clarification. For example, for some programmes (e.g. Medicine, Psychology) disability may constitute an important part of the course content and students may encounter ableist or stigmatising descriptions of their condition. For other programmes students may be required to navigate fieldwork or practice placements (e.g. Geography, Nursing). Future studies may explore the extent to which student experiences vary across programmes or institution types, the challenges posed by specific programmes, and the effectiveness of interventions focused on addressing those barriers (Griffiths et al. 2010). Similarly, the present study is unable to address the importance of intersectionality (Miller, Wynn, and Webb 2019) and additional research focused on intersectionality is required.

To conclude, the present study investigated disabled students experiences of Higher Education using the online forum Reddit. Themes demonstrated the manner in which educational achievement and the broader student experience were affected by disability. Students discussed the impact of the accommodations received (both in positive and negative terms) though barriers to accessing these accommodations were apparent. Both soliciting and providing support were common, suggesting both that current provision is not sufficient and that online platforms may provide a supportive space for disabled students. Additional practical and social support is necessary to ensure that disabled students are not disadvantaged.

Acknowledgements

There are no acknowledgements to declare.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).