What Do College Bound Students with
Disabilities Need to Consider?
Advice from College Students with
Disabilities.
Purpose

Exemplify and quote advice given by four college graduates with disabilities about
pursing and completing their college education.

Provide meaningful insight and advice to prospective college students with
disabilities in the following areas:

Provide researcher interpretations of the students’ experiences.

Make recommendations that help 

Faculty and staff at the secondary and post-secondary levels.
Prospective college students with disabilities.
Learning Outcomes
Attendees will be able to 
Identify competency needs of college bound students with disabilities and college students with
disabilities.

Identify tasks that college bound students with disabilities and college students with disabilities need
to complete.

Differentiate between normalizing college experiences and experiences specific to having a disability.

Describe study outcomes that indicate a need for career guidance for students with disabilities.
Method

Interviews were conducted using a video-conferencing tool and a standardized openended interview format to obtain information and pose probes in response to each
participant’s recounts (Turner, 2010).

The video-conferencing tool was utilized due to the participants being relocated
across the state after college degree completion and to allow the researchers the
opportunity to recognize and incorporate social cues in the interviews (Opdenakker,
2006).
Methodology

Purposeful sampling was used for the identification and selection of information-rich
participants related to the phenomenon of interest (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2011;
Palinkas et al., 2013).

The purposeful sampling strategy has been determined useful when selected
participants are available and willing to participate in order to communicate their
experiences and opinions about the area of interest in an articulate, receptive, and
reflective manner (Bernard, 2002).
High School and Post-Secondary Transition

Participants in this study were the recipients of many of the evidence-based practices for
improving the postschool educational outcomes for students with disabilities (Test et al.
(2009).

career awareness training

inclusion in general education

interagency collaboration

occupational courses

work experience

self-advocacy and self-determination training

self-care independent living skills training

student support

social skills

transition program

vocational education
Participant One

Participant One

Caucasian female

autism (age 3)

DARS

teaching profession

Participated in advanced placement (AP) courses in high school.

Earned 12 college credits while in high school.

Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies with emphasis in Special
Education

accommodations
Participant Two

Participant Two

Caucasian female

Specific Learning Disability

Dyslexia

ARD Meetings

teaching profession

Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies with emphasis in Special
Education

accommodations
Participant Three

Participant Three

Hispanic male

visual impairment (VI)

DARS

Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitative Services

accommodations
Participant Four

Participant 4

Caucasian female

visual impairment (VI)

DARS

Teaching profession Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies with emphasis in Special
Education

accommodations
While in High School

IEP Meetings

Learn your rights under IDEIA and ADA

Learn about your accommodation needs.
While in High School (Continued)

Predominant learning style

Develop your study skills and habits.

If not provided (junior or senior year), request updated IQ and ACH information that
can be used as current documentation of a disability for the post-secondary institution
Disability Support Services (DSS) office.

Take a class at a community college so you can trouble shoot with your teacher for
the visually impaired (TVI) about issues.
Competencies Before Attending College

Know your strengths, weaknesses, and accommodation needs.

Identify any skills you will need to attend college.

For example, you need to ask yourself –
Competencies Before Attending College (Continued)

DARS Communication

Social Skills Competence

Participant 3 (VI) stated,
Before Applying to College

Look at all your post-secondary options with the help of a (DARS) transition
counselor.

Try to be reasonable about the degree field that you pick out.

Gather and organize your disability and accommodation documentation.
Before Applying To A College (Continued)

You will need to do the majority of the research necessary for independent living.

Learn about the services provided to students with disabilities.

Participant 3 (male with VI) stated,

Do you know anyone who goes to you desired school that has a disability similar to
yours?

What can they tell you about -
Before Applying To A College (Continued)

Transportation

Participant 3 (male with VI) stated,
Know This Before Apply to College

You are going to be on your own and you have to figure out how to be independent in
the college setting.

Being scared is “ok”.

Some of the hardships you experience will be normalizing experiences that most college
students without disabilities goes through.

Not having your parents nearby is difficult, but helpful. It will help you learn to make new
friends.

Know rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA.
Know This Before Attending College

You will have to advocate for yourself because some people won't believe you can do
the degree you are pursuing.

When you participate in some student organization activities, you will have to figure
out how to make the activity accessible.

You must be willing to…
Accommodations

Housing Requests

O&M Services

Reader services
College Attendance

Identify possible resources available on a university campus.

Identify motivators

Time Management

Participant 3, (male with VI) stated,
College Attendance (Continued)

Academics

Participant 2 (female with SLD/Dyslexia) stated,

Utilize an organizational system.

Every semester, talk with your new professors about your accommodation needs.

Participant 1, (female with autism) stated,
College Attendance (Continued)

Be willing to explore the campus by yourself. You can ask others you see for help or
directions if you need them (Participant 3, male with VI).

Talk to other peers.

Participant 1 (female with autism) stated,
College Attendance (Continued)

Recreation and Leisure

Go to some student clubs or organizations that have similar interests to your own
and see what happens.

Hang around other peers or people that share your same values and want to better
themselves.

Know that often times you will be the only person with an apparent disability in an
organization or activity.

Participant 4 (female with VI) stated,
Career Guidance

Lack Of Disability Awareness


Participant 1 (female with autism) stated,
Participant 3 (male with VI) stated,

DARS assistance

resume writing

interview preparation skills

help in finding a job
Career Guidance (Continued)

Participant 4 (female with VI) stated,
Challenges & Needs Related To Disability

Every year will bring a new set of challenges, but your current skills set allows you to
transition through these challenges.

Academics

Social skills


Participant 1, (female with autism) stated,
Unreliability of Mass Transit
Challenges And Needs Related To Disability (Continued)

Self-Advocacy

Participant 1 (female w/ autism) stated,

Participant 2 (female with SLD/Dyslexia) stated,

Participant 3 (male w/ VI) stated,
Normalizing Experiences

You are probably going to wonder about your major and then changing your mind after
a couple of courses in your chosen major.

Figuring out how to balance academics and social life.

Meeting academic demands and deadlines.

Learning to constructively deal with criticism of your academic work and bad grades.

Learning to relieve stress and frustration in a healthy way.
What Gets Easier?



Self-Advocacy

You will grow into a strong advocate for your accommodation needs.

Participant 3 (male with VI) stated,
Travel

Participant 3 (male with VI) stated,

Participant 4 (female with VI) stated,
Academics
Post-Graduation Experiences & Needs

Participant 1: Caucasian female with autism.

Held a part-time job as an office assistant in a church school setting for approximately
1 year.
Post-Graduation Experiences & Needs (Continued)

Participant 2: Caucasian female with SLD and Dyslexia.
Post-Graduation Experiences & Needs (Continued)

Participant 3: Hispanic male with VI.

Participant 4: Caucasian female student with VI.
Recommendations

University sponsored social skills or socialization groups.

Students with VI or autism may need to request more in-depth independent living skills
training while in high school.

University mandate for bi-annual faculty training in serving the needs of students with
disabilities.

Participant 2, female with SLD in RC and Dyslexia) stated,
References

Bernard, H. R. (2002). Research methods in anthropology: Qualitative and quantitative approaches (3rd ed.).
Walnut Creek, CA: Alta Mira Press.

Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2011). Designing and conducting mixed-methods research (2nd ed.).
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Opdenakker, R. (2006). Advantages and disadvantages of four interview techniques in qualitative research.
Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung/Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 7(4), Article 11. Retrieved from
http://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php
/fqs/article/view/175/391

Palinkas, L. A., Horwitz, S. M., Green, C. A., Wisdom, J. P., Duan, N., & Hoagwood, K. (2013). Purposeful
sampling for qualitative data collection and analysis in mixed method implementation research. Administrative
Policy Mental Health, 42, 533-544. doi:10.1007
/s10488-013-0528-y

Turner, D. W. (2010). Qualitative interview design: A practical guide for novice investigators. The Qualitative
Report, 15, 754-760.

Test, D. W., Mazzotti, V. L., Mustian, A. L., Fowler, C. H., Kortering, L., & Kohler, P. (2009). Evidence-based
secondary transition predictors for improving postschool outcomes for students with disabilities. Career
Development for Exceptional Individuals, 32, 160-181.
Questions or Comments?
Paige R. Mask
Stephen F. Austin State University
Nacogdoches, Texas 75962
[email protected]
936 468-1076