Going Against the Institutional Grain: The Identity Development of Disabled Students in Higher Education

What is it about?

This paper draws on interviews with 50 disabled students to discuss disability identity and its development during higher education (HE). It it argues that the identity development of disabled students is tightly connected to their positioning in the context of HE. _x000D_ While the participants gained access to the institutions, their identity was shaped within ableist structures in which they were constructed as “less than.” This meant that they had to negotiate how they were being seen by professors and peers with how they see themselves. The study does not propose a monolithic model of identity development, but rather highlights some barriers that emerge when identity is developed in institutions that construct it as deficient. _x000D_ _x000D_ While posing multiple barriers, HE institutions also offered possibilities. Being exposed to critical ideas about disability was important in shifting the participants’ perspectives from blaming themselves, to unpacking institutional barriers. Being part of a disability community or engaging with other disabled students and professors also helped the participants navigate institutional barriers and shape their professional trajectory. _x000D_ _x000D_ An institutional approach to disability must extend beyond formalized and technocratic measures to systemic inclusion in HE to support the identity development of disabled students.

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