Lifting Up Voices of Australian Women With Disabilities in Postsecondary Education

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 9:50 am Four Seasons Ballroom 4
  In Roundtable Session: Wholeness in Who You Are While Navigating the Postsecondary Process and Beyond (Table 6)

Abstract

Students with disabilities in higher education experience lower rates of enrollment, persistence and completion than their non-disabled peers. While other studies have focused on student barriers and challenges, there is a dearth of research describing experiences of successful students with disabilities. Grounded in conceptual models of academic resilience, this study explored the experiences of high-achieving women with disabilities enrolled in a regional university in Australia. Researchers conducted in depth interviews with 24 women with physical, psychological and sensory disabilities and identified common themes. Participants were highly motivated to enroll in postsecondary education, accessed a set of services and supports that facilitated their academic progress, and demonstrated critical individual attributes, such as disability awareness, organizational skills and goal setting.

Authors

• Lauren Lindstrom, University of California - Davis

• Rahul Ganguly, Charles Sturt University