"I Shouldn't Have To Rely on Them Anymore": College Students With Disabilities on the Journey Toward Self-Advocacy
Author(s): Moore, A. M., Vaccaro, A., Newman, B. M.,, & Daly-Cano, M., & Brandis, R.
Citation: Moore, A. M., Vaccaro, A., Newman, B. M.,, & Daly-Cano, M., & Brandis, R. (2024). "I Shouldn't Have To Rely on Them Anymore": College Students With Disabilities on the Journey Toward Self-Advocacy. Journal of The First-Year Experience & Students in Transition, 36(1), 93-112.
Abstract
Using data from a grounded theory study with 59 college students with disabilities, this article documents the complex process of developing self-advocacy during the transition from K–12 to post-secondary school settings. This article draws on rich student narratives to illuminate the nuanced self-advocacy processes that college students with disabilities adopted as they transitioned from extensive K–12 school-based and familial supports to more independent higher education contexts. Our findings point to evolving relationships students had with their parents/caregivers as they transitioned into college. The process of learning to self-advocate was also shaped by bureaucratic collegiate contexts that required students to develop new levels of self-awareness, assertiveness, and understanding of their legal rights regarding access to collegiate accommodations and resources.
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