Accommodations experience

BACKGROUND:Despite positive impacts of accommodations on college success, students with disabilities continue to experience challenges in requesting and utilizing accommodations. OBJECTIVE:This study examined challenges and facilitators of requesting and implementing accommodations among students with disabilities. METHODS:Two hundred eighty-nine students were recruited from six public universities at a Mid-Atlantic U.S. state. Challenging and facilitative themes were identified using a conventional content analysis. RESULTS:Facilitators for accommodation request include instructor caring and initiatives, and support of Disability Support Services (DSS). Facilitators for implementing accommodations entail instructor understanding and helpfulness, disability services resources, and student initiatives. Challenges for disability disclosure and accommodation request comprise maintaining uniformity to avoid classmate/instructor stigma, judgment, and unfair advantages; personal insecurity and anxiety; instructor/classmate lack of understanding about invisible disabilities; and students’ lack of knowledge of available accommodations. Challenges for implementing accommodations include instructor lack of understanding and judgment of student; improper facilitation of accommodation by instructor; and DSS counselor did not advocate for students. CONCLUSION:Students with disabilities still experience a great number of challenges to request and utilize accommodations despite the supports from transitional staff/faculty and students’ own initiatives. Helping strategies involving various stakeholders should be applied to assist students with disabilities.