Improving Equity and Access for Graduate Students with Disabilities | National Center for Women & Information Technology

Ensuring accessibility and equity in computing education is not just about compliance; it is about recognizing and valuing diversity as a critical component of excellence and innovation.

Graduate school is inherently challenging, especially at the doctoral level. Students with disabilities navigate formal and informal accessibility issues on top of the standard academic challenges. By focusing on equitable access rather than just compliance with legal requirements, faculty and administrators can help bridge the gap in educational experiences between disabled and non-disabled students.

Understanding Access Inequality

Ableism in Academic Cultures

Equity and accessibility gaps for graduate students occur within a broader context of ableism in academia. Ableism is a set of cultural, social, and institutional practices that devalue and marginalize people with disabilities. It manifests in academia in various ways, including:

Cultural and Social Norms

Ableism is reinforced through cultural and social norms in academia that valorize hyper-productivity and individual achievement while devaluing interdependence and diversity.²

Attitudes Toward Accommodation

In academic departments, accommodations are often treated as a matter of compliance rather than as an equity measure. This view leads to departments deferring responsibility to disability services offices instead of integrating inclusive practices into their own cultures.^{2, 7, 8}
Rhetoric that frames accommodation as a burden or an act of charity is commonplace, and devalues equity, inclusion, and the contributions of disabled scholars.^{2, 7}

Objectification and Exclusion in Research

Disabled individuals are often subjects of research rather than researchers, which perpetuates a view of disability as an object of study rather than a valued perspective within academia.^2,5
Technoableism–“The harmful belief that technology is a ‘solution’ for disability; that the disabled simply await being ‘fixed’ by technological wizardry.”This belief– often displaces equity and access as a priority. Moreover, “solutions” are too often developed for the disabled without their input or inclusion in the design process.⁶

Ableist Apologia

There is a notion that accommodating disabled students lowers academic standards or fails to prepare them for future challenges. This incorrect assumption reinforces ableism by equating academic rigor with the work norms of non-disabled bodies and minds.²
Faculty often make excuses for ableist practices by referring to the age of buildings, complaining about the “burden” of ensuring access, or implying that inaccessible software or communication norms are unavoidable. Such excuses normalize and justify ableism and access inequity.²

Challenges for Graduate Students with Disabilities

Inadequate Accommodations

Disability services offices are primarily designed for undergraduates. Graduate students, particularly PhD students, have different educational needs and activities. As a result, disabled graduate students often have to make personal adjustments and work around inadequate formal accommodations to participate effectively in their programs.^{8, 9}

Reliance on Informal Networks & Social Capital

Disabled graduate students frequently depend on networks of peers, mentors, and allies to bridge accessibility gaps. Managing these relationships to avoid being perceived as burdensome adds complexity to their academic journeys.⁹

Multiple Marginalization

For disabled grad students who also experience marginalization based on other factors such as race/ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, and LGBTQ+ identities, the challenges and complexity of navigating accessibility gaps and dilemmas around disclosure are even greater.

Stigmatization through Misattribution

Faculty, disability services, and others sometimes incorrectly attribute a student’s struggles to the difficulty of the academic content itself rather than to inequitable access. This confusion further stigmatizes and marginalizes disabled students.^{7, 8, 9}

Challenges in Disclosure

Qualitative data suggest that doctoral students may be particularly reluctant to disclose disabilities, request accommodations, or report problems with access or discrimination due to the sensitive nature of student-faculty relationships in graduate school. They rely heavily on advisors and mentors for guidance, funding, and opportunities, increasing the stakes of potential bias or retaliation.⁹

Hidden Burdens and the Access Differential

Disabled graduate students face the hidden labor of managing accessibility issues and advocating for their needs. This includes navigating complex accommodation processes, negotiating with faculty, dealing with inconsistent responses, obtaining documentation, and finding alternative solutions when standard accommodations are insufficient. This additional labor, unrecognized by institutions, contributes to the access differential, where disabled students are disadvantaged compared to their non-disabled peers. The burden of this extra work can lead to increased stress, reduced academic performance, and longer times to degree completion.^{8, 9}

Accessibility Gaps and Institutional Barriers

Inflexible Program Timelines

Extended time for test-taking is common for undergraduates, but graduate students, particularly at the Ph.D. level, are likely to benefit more from extended program timelines. Funding limitations often hinder this accommodation.

Lack of Support for Research Activities

Research activities and large volumes of reading material are essential components of graduate education. Unfortunately, disability services offices often classify these as non-course activities or “personal study,” and thus do not remediate inaccessible materials.

Dearth of Field-Specific Technical Accommodations

Graduate students often require field-specific technical accommodations, such as accessible lab equipment, assistive technology for data analysis, and adaptive specialized software and collaboration tools. Currently, disability services offices are typically unequipped to provide such accommodations.

Excessive and Inconsistent Documentation Requirements

Requirements for documentation of invisible disabilities are often vague and inconsistently enforced. Faculty implementation of accommodations is also inconsistent, with some faculty demanding additional documentation that violates student privacy and some not providing the approved accommodations. This inconsistency leads to inequities, particularly for students of color who often face greater scrutiny and additional documentation demands due to racial bias.
The cost of documenting a disability can also be prohibitive, which can have a greater negative effect on students who are multiply marginalized.

Loss of Social Security Disability Insurance Protection

Graduate students funded by stipends typically do not have the opportunity to pay into social security or equivalent state programs. Consequently, they do not qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) if they become unable to work. Individuals must pay into social security for 5 consecutive years to qualify for SSDI, so graduate students often risk up to 10 years without disability insurance because of their studies.

Taking Action

Recommendations for Administrators and Disability Service Offices

Create Graduate-Specific Policies

Recognize that graduate students, especially at the doctoral level, have different requirements than do undergraduates. Create policies specifically for graduate students.^{6, 8}

Accommodate Research-Related Needs

Make research-related needs, such as large volumes of reading material, eligible for accommodation.^{5, 8, 9}

Advocate for Extended Program Timelines

Work with graduate programs to offer funding for extended program completion timelines as an accommodation.

Improve Assistive Technology Support

Provide training and additional support for assistive technologies. Allow the use of accessible apps on personal devices.⁸

Establish Equitable Documentation Requirements

Establish clear and consistent documentation requirements for accommodations. Avoid excessive demands for proof that can be burdensome and discriminatory, especially for students with invisible disabilities or those facing financial hardship.⁸

Facilitate Mentorship and Peer Networks

Facilitate mentorship programs and peer networks for disabled students and employees to reduce isolation.⁵

Track and Assess Services

Track the number of graduate students with disabilities, the topics they are researching, and their well-being compared to the general population. Collect feedback on their satisfaction with services and assess how effectively these services enable them to perform their research and academic work to their full potential.⁵

Promote Disability as Diversity

Advocate for the disabled community by promoting an understanding of disability as a form of diversity and access as an equity measure, not just a matter of compliance. Ensure that disability is included in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) activities and events to highlight the importance of inclusive practices and policies that go beyond meeting legal requirements.^{2, 3}

Encourage Universal Design Principles

Encourage the adoption of universal design principles both inside and outside of the classroom. Universal design aims to make environments usable to the largest group possible without the need for adaptation.^{2, 5}

Recommendations for Faculty

Build Access Creatively and Collaboratively

Collaborate with students to create accommodations tailored to program activities and requirements rather than assuming standard undergraduate accommodations will work for grad students–particularly doctoral students. ^{5, 7, 8}
Take a creative and individualized approach to meeting access needs, recognizing that each person’s disability is different and reliance on a predefined list of accommodations is unlikely to meet all access needs.^{2, 5}
Work to expand the range of available accommodations. When receiving an accommodation request, honor it and make it available to other students in similar classes. If a suggested accommodation, like extra test time, isn’t applicable to your teaching methods, propose an alternative.²
If graduate students with physical disabilities are personnel on an NSF grant, you can request funding for special equipment or assistance that removes barriers to their participation. Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities (FASED) can be requested as a part of a regular proposal or a supplemental funding request.

Respect Privacy

Focus on accommodating students’ access needs without asking to know their diagnoses or specific information about their disability. Understand that disclosure can expose students to stigma, bias, and discrimination. Protection from forced disclosure can matter especially for students of color, who face increased skepticism and demands for justification due to racial bias.²

Be a Better Ally

Understand the difference between academic difficulty and inaccessibility. When a student reports a challenge, consider whether the issue stems from inaccessibility rather than assuming it is due to the difficulty of the content. Questions like, “Is there a way we can present this material that would make it more accessible to you?” can open up constructive dialogue.⁸
Recognize that access is both a right and an equity issue and do not treat accommodations as special or temporary “help.” ⁵
Familiarize yourself with the specific needs of disabled students in your field, especially regarding technical accommodations and assistive technologies.^{5, 9}

Practice Anti-ableism in the Classroom

Implement Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles by designing courses that provide multiple means of representation, engagement, and expression. Find UDL resources at washington.edu/accesscomputing/resources/universal-design.^{2, 5}
Increase disability visibility in your classroom by recognizing the contributions disabled people have made to your field and teaching about accessibility of technology. Find resources at bookish.press/tac and teachaccess.org. ^{2, 5}
Invite disabled scholars, activists, and professionals to speak in your classes or to participate in panel discussions.^{2, 5}
If you have a disability yourself, consider disclosing it to help normalize and destigmatize disabilities.⁵

Improving equity and access for graduate students with disabilities requires a multifaceted approach. By addressing ableism in academic culture, recognizing the unique challenges faced by graduate students, and implementing targeted recommendations, institutions can create a more inclusive and supportive environment for all students.

Note: This resource uses person-first (person with a disability) and identity-first (disabled person) language interchangeably to reflect the varying perspectives on language within the disability community.¹⁰

Additional Resources

AccessComputing: A National Science Foundation-funded Broadening Participation in Computing Alliance that aims to increase participation of people with disabilities in computing fields by providing direct support to students and enhancing the capacity of educators, employers, and organizations to be more inclusive. The program offers resources, mentoring, and funding opportunities for students with disabilities, while also promoting institutional changes to improve recruitment and retention of disabled individuals in computing.
[https://www.washington.edu/accesscomputing/]

CMD-IT (Center for Minorities and People with Disabilities in IT): An organization dedicated to increasing the participation and success of minorities and people with disabilities in computing and information technology (IT) fields. Through advocacy, research, education, and professional development programs, CMD-IT works to create a more diverse and inclusive technology industry, notably organizing the annual Tapia Conference to celebrate diversity in computing. [https://cmd-it.org/]

CRA-WP IDEALS (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Leadership Skills) workshop: A two-day event designed to support and mentor graduate students from underrepresented groups in computing research. It provides participants with opportunities to interact with senior researchers and professionals, offering guidance on research development, career preparation, and work-life balance, while also fostering mentoring relationships and peer networks crucial for success in graduate studies and beyond. [https://cra.org/cra-wp/grad-cohort-ideals/]

DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology): A program based at the University of Washington that promotes the success of individuals with disabilities in postsecondary education and careers throughout the US. [https://www.washington.edu/doit/]

Accessing Higher Ground: An annual conference focused on accessible media, web and technology, particularly in the context of higher education and the public sector.
[https://accessinghigherground.org/]

Association on Higher Education And Disability (AHEAD): A professional organization for individuals involved in the development of policy and provision of quality services to meet the needs of persons with disabilities in higher education. Their standards outline minimum essential services that disability services offices should provide to disabled students.
[https://www.ahead.org/]

Suggested Citation:

Esch, J. & Blaser, B. (2024). Improving Equity and Access for Graduate Students with Disabilities. National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT) in collaboration with AccessComputing.

Funded by NSF grant numbers 2137312 (AccessComputing) and 2216561 (NCWIT).

References

1. Anicha, C. L., Ray, C. M., & Bilen-Green, C. (2017). Working it Backwards: Student Success through Faculty Professional Development. In E. Kim &. K. C. Aquino (Eds.), Disability as Diversity in Higher Education: Policies and Practices to Enhance Student Success (pp. 122-137). New York, NY: Routledge

2. Dolmage, J. T. (2017). Academic Ableism: Disability and Higher Education. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

3. Kroeger. S & and Kraus, A. (2017). Thinking and Practicing Differently: Changing the Narrative around Disability on College Campuses. In E. Kim &. K. C. Aquino (Eds.), Disability as Diversity in Higher Education: Policies and Practices to Enhance Student Success (pp. 216-230). New York, NY: Routledge.

4. 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 (2016), 123–140.

5. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2024). Disrupting Ableism and Advancing STEM: Promoting the Success of People with Disabilities in the STEM Workforce: Proceedings of a Workshop Series. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/27245.

6. Shew, A. (2023). Against Technoableism: Rethinking Who Needs Improvement. New York, NY: W. W. Norton.

7. Shinohara, Kristen, McQuaid, Michael, & Jacobo, Nayeri. (2020). Access Differential and Inequitable Access: Inaccessibility for Doctoral Students in Computing. In The 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS ’20). Retrieved from https://par.nsf.gov/biblio/10267575. https://doi.org/10.1145/3373625.3416989

8. Shinohara, Kristen, McQuaid, Mick, & Jacobo, Nayeri. The Burden of Survival: How Doctoral Students in Computing Bridge the Chasm of Inaccessibility. (2021). Proceedings of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. Retrieved from https://par.nsf.gov/biblio/10267571. https://doi.org/10.1145/3411764.3445277

9. Tamjeed, M., Tibdewal, V., Russell, M., McQuaid, M., Oh, T., & Shinohara, K. (2021, October). Understanding disability services toward improving graduate student support. In Proceedings of the 23rd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (pp. 1-14). https://doi.org/10.1145/3441852.3471231

10. Callahan, M. (2018, July 12). Unpacking the debate over person-first vs. identity-first language in the autism community. https://news.northeastern.edu/2018/07/12/unpacking-the-debate-over-person-first-vsidentity-first-language-in-the-autism-community

Produced in partnership with AccessComputing. To learn more about AccessComputing, visit: washington.edu/accesscomputing/