Date Approved

4-12-2021

Embargo Period

4-13-2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A. Higher Education

Department

Educational Services and Leadership

College

College of Education

Advisor

Wright-Mair, Raquel

Committee Member 1

Lizza, Joseph

Committee Member 2

Dale, Dianna

Subject(s)

College students with disabilities

Disciplines

Higher Education

Abstract

While there is research detailing the perceptions of the campus environment and their implications on student development, there is limited research that looks at the perceptions of students with disabilities. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand what the perceptions of students with disabilities were of Rowan University's campus environment. This study was completed through semi-structured interviews of students with disabilities which included questioning as well as photo elicitation. Following the collection data, a thematic analysis was conducted. In order to better understand the answer to this question, four themes were created out of a thematic analysis of coded participant interview data. These themes were, in order of determined importance to students with disabilities: a) design of structures, b) a sense of community, c) relationship with authority, and d) natural settings. These findings support the claim that students with disabilities expect their campus environments to provide safety and comfort, but have a different experience.

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