Pre-Enrollment Considerations of Undergraduate Wheelchair Users and Their Post-Enrollment Transitions.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the pre-enrollment considerations of undergraduate wheelchair users (i.e., the decision to attend college, college selection factors) and their post-enrollment transitions (i.e., adjustments from high school to college, academic and social integration). Qualitative ethnographic research methodology was used to reveal the voices of 10 students using wheelchairs and four of their parents. The determining factors in the college selection process for students using wheelchairs were the academic majors available at the university, coupled with the physical accessibility of the campus and a strong office of disability services. The freedom that is attached to making personal decisions and friends was a new experience to many of them and, after a brief transitional time, they relished it. From being able to get around on their own to and from class, to hanging out with friends, a feeling of independence was the key to integrating into college. Similar to peers not in wheelchairs, these students had learned how to navigate the higher education setting and be vocal about their needs (i.e., self-advocate). A series of recommendations for students in wheelchairs, their parents, and colleges and universities is provided.

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