Transition to Higher Education for Veterans With Disabilities: Perceptions of Access, Inclusion, and Campus Supports

• In Event: Exploring Access Opportunities for Nontraditional Students in Higher Education

Abstract

This mixed methods study explores how student military veterans with disabilities experience the transition from the military to higher education. Central objectives of this research are to increase our understanding of: (1) how veterans with disabilities experience access and inclusion within the university, (2) how various available and alternative (currently unavailable) support structures on campus are evaluated and (3) predictors of campus support service utilization. This research fills a gap in the extant literature on student veterans transitioning to the university, little of which specifically on veterans with disabilities. Through analysis of a mixed method approach (328 survey respondents and 25 in-depth interviews), findings support the development of strategies for increasing access and inclusion for student veterans with disabilities.

Authors

• Heather P. Albanesi, University of Colorado - Colorado Springs

• Phillip Morris, University of Colorado - Colorado Springs