“Things can be tough”: A qualitative analysis of disability disclosure in graduate school.

Abstract

Understanding graduate students' experiences with disability disclosure is essential for ensuring equitable access to higher education. Through a systematic review of 173 public Twitter posts related to disability disclosure during graduate school, this study explored the following research question: What factors serve as barriers and facilitators for disability disclosure among graduate program students and applicants? Tweets were chosen for inclusion based on the following criteria: (a) Tweets reference disability disclosure during or when applying to any type of graduate school program and (b) Tweets reference disclosure of a specific illness during or when applying to a graduate program. Using a Universal Design (UD) framework to conduct a qualitative sentiment analysis, we identified key three themes. First, several users conveyed that their awareness of stigma toward graduate students with disabilities made them hesitant to disclose a disability. Second, users explained differences in the ways that individuals should disclose to Disability Services (DS) versus to individuals in their programs, and they noted that the barriers and facilitators varied depending on the outlet where someone discloses. Finally, users emphasized the importance of strategically timing disclosure, though users' advice as to which point in the graduate school process was most advantageous to disclose varied widely. Recommendations for future departmental policies and practices to support graduate students with disabilities are discussed.

Sick of subpar support: An exploratory study of chronically ill college student experiences.

“…Rather than focusing solely on how to increase accommodation access, institutional and classroom policies could better follow UD guidance by allowing all students to take the amount of time that they need to complete tests or assignments without penalty or judgment (Center for Universal Design, 1997; Samuels, 2017). For every student who requests extended time, for example, there may be others who need a similar accommodation but do not come forward because of barriers such as disability stigma or insufficient medical documentation (Ball & Traxler, 2023; National Center for Education Statistics, 2022). Universally designed courses offer the opportunity to ensure that all students can demonstrate their mastery of course material as opposed to showing how adept they are at performing in a particular modality (e.g., completing work in a certain timeframe; Center for Universal Design, 1997).…”

“…Among chronically ill students, in particular, previous research suggests that efforts to promote illness-centric social support and belonging that extend beyond formal accommodation services alone may be associated with greater levels of chronically ill student well-being (Barber & Williams, 2021; Rogowsky et al, 2020). Further, some studies specifically contend that social support specific to helping students navigate the disclosure of invisible illnesses may be particularly helpful in promoting well-being among disabled and/or chronically ill students (Ball & Traxler, 2023, 2024; Barber & Williams, 2021).…”