CW: Depression, Suicide & Ableism
In Canada, Maritime universities are leading the way in reporting and providing academic accommodations for college students with disabilities. Academic accommodations may include more time for exams and assignments, note-taking assistance, a quiet place to take tests, and decreased course loads. According to the Canadian University Survey Consortium, 29% of maritime university students reported a disability in 2019. In 2022, that figure rose to 37%.
This is greater than at universities outside the Maritime provinces, where 24% of students reported having a disability in 2019, rising to 30% by 2022. Mental health challenges, notably anxiety and depression, account for more than half of all reported disabilities. These statistics come as no surprise to Amanda Manning, director of disability services at St. Thomas University in Fredericton.
She said the number of students disclosing a disability at STU tripled between 2013 and 2023. She feels the increase is due to a variety of causes, including less stigma, particularly about learning disabilities and mental health. The height of the COVID-19 pandemic also “played a significant role in disrupting education,” she said, and more resources are needed for that academic recovery to happen.
Since 2018, the number of students getting accommodations at the University of New Brunswick has increased by 53%, according to UNB spokesperson Kathleen McLaughlin. Academic accommodations are primarily for mental health, ADHD, and learning disabilities. “We have created new strategies to increase our ability to support additional students,” McLaughlin said. This includes introducing new software to help streamline the approval and delivery of accommodations, as well as increasing the staff on both campuses to support students who require academic accommodations.
Ainsley Congdon, executive director of the Learning Disabilities Association of New Brunswick, assists students in navigating the system and organizing their paperwork. Taking a psycho-educational test within the last five years may be necessary for accommodations. She said that people with learning disabilities have the entire the ability to study; “they just need accommodations,” which is more necessary now than ever.
Despite an increase in the number of college students needing accommodations, far too many disabled college and university students choose not to request the accommodations that they may require to succeed. The biggest reason is perhaps stigma.
Disability stigma is an ongoing concern on college campuses, resulting in discrimination, a hostile learning environment, and psychological distress. According to research, students with disabilities, whether visible or invisible, are often ridiculed by others, regarded as difficult to understand, and treated with pity and avoidance. Long-term stigma may result in low self-esteem, depression, and suicidal ideation.
Unfortunately, many faculty members are also reluctant to accommodate disabled college students. For example, in a 2024 Times Higher Education article, Justin Noia who is a visiting professor at Providence College in Rhode Island. Noia argues that disability-related accommodations are undermining the quality of disabled people’s college education.
Colleges and universities denying accommodations seem all too common. In the fall of 2023, the director of the disability services office at Greenfield Community College informed me that notetakers weren’t an option for remote classes. When I brought this up to them, I was told I had “misinterpreted” my accommodation agreement.
In March of 2024, I emailed the president of Greenfield Community College. I emailed her because the disability services office wasn’t meeting my needs. She forwarded my email to the provost who was overseeing the disability services office.
Two months later, I received an email from the provost regarding my concerns. His response left me in disbelief. Instead of offering to help me get what I needed, he suggested that I transfer to another college.
Worldwide, more disabled students are pursuing higher education. Despite progress, colleges and universities need to do a better job when it comes to accommodating disabled students. We can accomplish so much if we are given the support we need.
Sources:
Akin, Dan, and Lisa M. Huang. “Perceptions of College Students with Disabilities.” Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability 32.1 (2019): 21-33.
Blasey, Julia, et al. ‘Accommodation Use and Academic Outcomes for College Students With Disabilities’. Psychological Reports, vol. 126, no. 4, SAGE Publications Inc, Aug. 2023, pp. 1891–1909, https://doi.org10.1177/00332941221078011.
Levin, Stephanie A.N. “Many Students Don’t Inform Their Colleges about Their Disability. That Needs to Change. .” EdSurge, International Society for Technology in Education , 1 Mar. 2024, http://www.edsurge.com/news/2024-03-01-many-students-don-t-inform-their-colleges-about-their-disability-that-needs-to-change.
McCormack, Allyson. “More than a Third of Maritime University Students Report Disabilities.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, 21 Jan. 2025, http://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.7432868.
Noia, Justin. “Giving Students Accommodations Is a Disservice to Employers.” Times Higher Education (THE), Inflexion Private Equity , 22 Oct. 2024, http://www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/giving-students-accommodations-disservice-employers.