Struggling for equal access and success: disability in European higher education

Abstract

Despite many countries’ efforts to secure equal participation of people with disabilities, students with disabilities in higher education remain considerably disadvantaged. Previous research revealed that students’ higher education experiences and outcomes are associated with their type of disability. Assuming that the conditions of different disability and welfare regimes produce variation in disabled students’ experiences, we explored the predictive power of different disability types in their sense of belonging, dropout intention, and levels of success in contrasting country contexts. Based on survey data from Eurostudent VII, covering 11 European countries, we conducted country-wise regression analyses. We found that mental health problems are the strongest predictors across all the countries considered. Contrary to our expectations, the predictive power of disabilities was lower in countries with less favourable disability regimes. We challenge higher education institutions to support diverse students more through flexible institutional and pedagogical practices, thus facilitating inclusive higher education.

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