Abstract
Among people 25 or older in the United States in 2022, just 21% of individuals with a disability had earned a bachelor’s degree or higher, while 38% of individuals without a disability had earned a bachelor’s degree or higher. Previous research has identified a variety of barriers that students with disabilities may face as they pursue postsecondary education. The purpose of this study was to examine barriers students with disabilities (SWDs) face once they arrive at college in order to investigate how higher education may be made more accessible. Barriers were assessed by surveying SWDs attending James Madison University, a mid-Atlantic institute of higher education, on their lived experiences. I also surveyed faculty members who work with SWDs. Finally, I used a modified Americans with Disabilities Act checklist to assess two representative campus buildings for their accessibility features. Qualtrics XM coding and thematic analysis suggest that while students generally felt positively about the accommodations at James Madison University and their experiences as SWDs, there are areas to improve. Faculty responses were mixed, with varying experiences in regard to how well the university prepared them to help SWDs. Lastly, the buildings, despite being almost 90 years apart in construction dates, varied only slightly in complying with current ADA accessibility standards. The conclusion assesses limitations before identifying opportunities for further research and action.
Recommended Citation
Dudley, G. (2026). Examining the effect of having a disability on the college experience. James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal, 13(1), 32–46. https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/jmurj/vol13/iss1/4/
Included in
Communication Commons, Disability Studies Commons, Other Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons
