Lyman, M., Beecher, M. E., Griner, D., Brooks, M., Call, J., & Jackson, A. (2016). What keeps students with disabilities from using accommodations in postsecondary education? A qualitative review . Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability , 29 (2), 123–140. https://www.ahead.org/professional-resources/publications/jped

[no doi reported]; also located on ERIC online database: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1112978

Sixteen students with disabilities were interviewed; they were selected from among students who had not picked up their letters from the disabled student services (DSS) office at Brigham Young University. (The letters were the introductory letters issued by DSS to professors, indicating that the students were eligible for accommodations.) The researchers used this method to inquire about factors that students considered for deciding not to use accommodations at some point during their postsecondary education careers. Additional demographic data were reported for the interviewees, yet they were masked by pseudonyms.

Sixteen students with disabilities were interviewed; they were selected from among students who had not picked up their letters from the disabled student services (DSS) office. (The letters were the introductory letters issued by DSS to professors, indicating that the students were eligible for accommodations.) The researchers used this method to inquire about factors that students considered for deciding not to use accommodations at some point during their postsecondary education careers. Additional demographic data were reported for the interviewees, yet they were masked by pseudonyms.

Postsecondary students in this study participated in individual semi-structured interviews that were conducted in person or over the phone. The interviews were recorded and transcribed, and these data were analyzed thematically. Students were asked about their experiences in college, particularly regarding experiences with faculty, staff, peers, the DSS office, and accommodations. Participating students were also asked about the strengths and challenges of requesting accommodations through the DSS office.

Analysis of the postsecondary students’ interviews uncovered six themes regarding perceived barriers to accessing and using accommodations, from the perspectives of these students with disabilities. The first theme was a desire for self-sufficiency, which included subthemes of the importance of being independent, being self-accommodating, and using accommodations as a backup. The second theme was a desire to avoid negative social reactions, which included not wanting to be viewed or treated differently, not wanting to be a burden, and fear of suspicion from others for receiving special treatment. Third was insufficient knowledge, including questioning the fairness of accommodations, lacking awareness of the DSS office or accommodations, and doubting whether one is “disabled enough” to receive accommodations (p. 129). The fourth theme, quality and usefulness of the DSS office and accommodations, pertained to “problems working with DSS and the process of setting up accommodations” (p. 129). The last two themes were: negative experiences with professors and fear of future ramifications. Limitations of the study were reported, and future research directions were suggested.