ABSTRACT
The two major professional associations for the student affairs field, College Student Educators International and Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, have made it clear that student affairs professionals should actively support diversity, social justice, and inclusion on campus as part of their holistic commitment to student growth and development. Yet, little research has documented how support for students with disabilities is infused into student affairs practice. This chapter address this gap using findings from an action-based grounded theory study of 31 entry-, mid-, and senior-level student affairs professionals about their perceptions of, and experiences working with, students with disabilities on campus. It summaries the competencies for student affairs educators—focusing specifically on those related to disability topics and describes that study methods and key findings. Findings demonstrate that disability is a complex phenomenon involving diverse diagnoses, accommodations, self-advocacy levels and strategies, and intersections with other social identities. This remarkable range of manifestations clears that disability is a form of diversity.
