Exploring how Students who Experience Illness, Injury, or Dis/ability Persist in STEM

• In Event: Access and Experiences in STEM

Abstract

This study explores experiences of STEM majors whose academic progress was impacted by illness, injury, dis/ability, or physical/mental health conditions in order to understand the types of support enabling such students to stay enrolled in their courses while handling these life challenges. In this narrative inquiry study, three composite narratives were developed from analysis of 21 interviews of undergraduates from a large, public, urban university who all self-identified as having a dis/ability, but who varied regarding whether they sought formal accommodations through the university. Particularly given that people can move in and out of experiencing such conditions, these students’ stories illustrate challenges that could be faced by any student and thus deserve institutional-level structural adjustments to facilitate STEM degree progress.

Authors

• Catherine A. Manly, Fairleigh Dickinson University

• Alyse C. Hachey, University of Texas - El Paso

• Claire Wladis, Borough of Manhattan Community College