A path towards true inclusion: Disabled students and higher education in America

Abstract

We live in a moment of immense and developing change, reacting to global challenges that appear with increasing speed and requiring reassessment of priorities and perhaps, reshaping the framework by which we have experienced our lives. Yet these same challenges provide a rare opportunity to empower the more than one billion people with disabilities globally through principles of compassion, respect, dignity and inclusion. We must build a new generation of strong leaders, professionals and advocates tapping the unlimited potential of people with disabilities. The key to unlocking this potential is realizing meaningful access to higher education for students with disabilities. This article examines opportunities and barriers for disabled students in American higher education, drawing on student and administrator interviews and case law to propose a framework based upon principles of access, inclusion, accountability and advocacy, so we may ensure educational opportunities for students with disabilities to allow them to take their rightful places alongside their non-disabled peers as leaders to secure a fully inclusive and equitable future for all.