Am I Good Enough to Be Here? A PhotoVoice Project Examining Students' Experiences of Ableism

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 5
  In Roundtable Session: Disability-Centered Systemic Change in Postsecondary Education (Table 2)

Abstract

On college campuses across the United States, enrollment of students with disabilities continues to increase (Barnard-Brak, Lechtenberger & Yan, 2010; Brown, 2017; Cole & Cawthon, 2015). Despite this increase, these students continue to face obstacles to completing their degree, demonstrating that “the university is a sorting gate, but also a holding pen” (Dolmage, 2017, p. 21). This photovoice project brings together participants, stakeholders, and policy makers at the university-level to examine how students with disabilities can be better supported, from classroom curricula to building infrastructure. Participants identified barriers at the university that kept them from succeeding or feeling like they belonged, as well as positive practices that helped students feel successful and accepted.

Authors

• Sylvia Mac, University of La Verne

• Niki Elliott, University of San Diego