Perceptions of College Students with Disabilities

A large body of research on disability stigma conducted among young school children and adults in non-educational settings shows that individuals with non-visible disabilities experience more negative stigma compared to individuals with visible disabilities. However, there is a noticeable lack of research on disability stigma within higher education. The main purpose of the current research was to study how college students perceive their peers who have a disability and how these perceptions differ depending on the type of disability. Participants completed measures that assessed their perceptions of sociability, academic ability, and academic performance of students who have one of three disability types: physical (visible), cognitive (non-visible), and psychiatric (non-visible). For the given disability type, they also rated their expectations of classroom behaviors, deservingness of academic accommodations, and ability to deal with the disability. The results showed that students with visible disabilities compared to students with non-visible disabilities were perceived as being more sociable and academically capable, but they also were perceived as displaying more disruptive classroom behaviors. Differences between the two types of non-visible disabilities also were observed. Our study reveals a need for further research on perceptions of disability and how these perceptions impact students within higher education.