‘Am I being heard?’ The ‘voice of’ students with disability in higher education: A literature review

Abstract

Research in higher education suggests the need for higher education to show greater understanding and awareness of the lived experiences of disabled students. These sources argue that knowledge and understanding of barriers that this group of students face maybe conducive to facilitate inclusive and effective teaching strategies. Although the needs and rights of disabled students as learners in higher education are officially recognized, there remains a gap between changes guaranteed by legislation and actual support and accommodation available in higher education institutions. Researchers have attempted to bridge this gap by listening to the ‘voice of’ disabled students and actively engaging them in higher education research on issues concerning them. The aim of this review article is to contribute new knowledge by mapping students with disability experiences of barriers to higher education as they emerge in research conducted by scholars who specifically elicit their voice. The review documents the experiences of students in 41 studies between 1996 and 2013. Findings suggests that listening to the voices of disabled students may be an appropriate method to engage students and encourage inclusive participation in actions to dismantle barriers and resolve challenges to the benefit of both students with disability and higher education institutions.