Disability level and visibility: Associations with unmet academic accommodation needs and attitudes toward requesting accommodations

  • 0University of Virginia, Charlottesville, United States of America.

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Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Students with invisible disabilities face greater unmet academic accommodation needs. Addressing these gaps, particularly for invisible disabilities, can improve experiences and empower advocacy for necessary support.

Area Of Science

  • Disability Studies
  • Educational Psychology
  • Sociology of Education

Background

  • Legal mandates in the U.S. aim to ensure appropriate academic accommodations for students with disabilities.
  • Significant gaps persist between the accommodations students need and those they actually receive.

Purpose Of The Study

  • To investigate how disability level, visibility, and demographics influence unmet academic accommodation needs.
  • To examine the relationship between disability characteristics and attitudes toward requesting accommodations.

Main Methods

  • An online survey was administered to 409 adults with disabilities.
  • Data collected included disability level, visibility (invisible, semi-visible, visible), unmet accommodation needs, and attitudes toward requesting accommodations.

Main Results

  • Invisible disabilities were associated with unmet needs for quiet rooms, extended test time, sensory objects, and Individualized Education Plans.
  • Visible and semi-visible disabilities correlated with unmet needs for educational assistants, recording devices, curriculum modifications, and specialized technology.
  • Higher disability visibility predicted fewer unmet accommodation needs and more positive attitudes toward requesting them, even after controlling for severity and demographics.

Conclusions

  • Students with invisible disabilities may require more targeted support to ensure their academic accommodation needs are met.
  • Improving the accommodation process and fostering advocacy can enhance the educational experiences of students with disabilities.

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