Research Symposium

BIO

I was born and raised in South Florida near Fort Lauderdale. As a result Im a huge fan of the beach and spending time outdoors. My career aspirations pertain to attending law school and hopefully following the path to becoming a judge.

Navigating College During the Pandemic

Abstract

As colleges and universities pursue a transition back to fully in-person classes, the prevailing narrative of returning to “normalcy” dominates the conversation. Unfortunately, asserting a “back to normal” mindset disregards the disparate experiences faced by students with disabilities in comparison to their peers. This project presents a review of 10 previous studies that analyzed college experiences for students with disabilities, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings show that this population has experienced high rates of depression and a lower sense of belonging during the pandemic. As an already marginalized group, COVID-19 hindered their college experiences further including making it more challenging for them to receive accommodations. We show that additional qualitative studies focused on student narratives are needed as well as studying intersecting identities such as students with disabilities and limited financial resources.

Keywords: covid-19, students with disabilities, college resources, mental health