by Meghan Owenz, Ph.D.
Dr. Meghan Owenz is a counseling psychologist who focuses on health and well-being of college students, particularly those with disabilities. She has a doctorate degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Miami and a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University. She is a licensed psychologist who has completed advanced training in mindfulness from UCLA and UCSD. She has been a university instructor for the past ten years, focused on inclusive and meaningful teaching that can improve the well-being of her students.
Students with disabilities represent approximately 20% of students in higher education (Postsecondary National Policy Institute, 2022). Our current academic accommodations model, built on ableist theories, represents several challenges to these students, as utilizing accommodation often creates more barriers (Francis et al., 2019). This session presents qualitative research from focus groups with 14 disabled students. The presentation will outline the challenges and solutions suggested by the students. Implications include the necessity of faculty training, improvement of student belonging and inclusivity, and methods for improving course accessibility.