College students with psychiatric disabilities face multiple challenges. Judicial rulings under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 have generated outcomes that are sometimes more harmful than helpful. To reduce discrimination against persons with disabilities requires, among other things, a cultural shift in how psychiatric disabilities are viewed. This article examines (a) challenges that students with psychiatric disabilities face on higher education campuses; (b) the definition of disability under the ADA, with a focus on major life activities that may be substantially limited for people with psychiatric disabilities; (c) the implications of judicial rulings under the ADA for students with psychiatric disabilities; and (d) recommendations for accommodating students with psychiatric disabilities in higher education settings.
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