The Impact of College Culture on Use of Disability Support Services in California Community Colleges

• In Event: 63.085 - MTCC Roundtable Session 26
  In Roundtable Session: 63.085-7 - Disability Studies in Higher Education: Implications for College Culture, Curriculum, and Teacher Education Programs

Abstract

Despite a significant increase in the number of students with disabilities entering higher education, the success of students with disabilities has not adequately followed. This indicates the need for an improvement of the support services provided for students with disabilities at the postsecondary level. This Grounded Constructivist Theory practitioner research involved interviews, fieldnotes, photographs, school newspaper clips, and observations at a large, urban California Community College to examine the experiences of students using academic accommodations provided by the disability support office. Analysis revealed both institutional and societal barriers to accessing support services for students with disabilities. My position as counselor for students with disabilities allows me to use the findings to enhance the provision of accommodation and support services.

Author

• Theresa Oda-Burns, Cabrillo College