ABSTRACT
There has been growing international interest in supporting the learning of disabled students in higher education, stimulated in part by legislation, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 in the United States, the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act (1992) in Australia, and the Disability Discrimination Acts of 1995 and 2005 in the UK (Doyle and Robson 2002; Tinklin et al. 2004; Fraser and Sanders 2005; DO-IT n.d.a.). However, what the students themselves have to say about their experiences has not been sought in any systematic way. This chapter explores the barriers to learning faced by disabled students in higher education. It is illustrated by selected findings from three of the few systematic surveys to be undertaken on the topic, in each of which at least two of the authors have been involved. It also includes some initial findings from, as far as we can ascertain, the first ever survey to contrast the experience of a large sample of disabled and non-disabled students studying in the same institution. We draw on our experiences of presenting this material in several workshops and conferences in different countries.the UK, the United States, Austria and Australia. The responses at these events of disability advisers, learning support staff, educational developers, and academic staff from a wide range of disciplines have influenced this chapter.
