Students with Disabilities in Higher Education
CENSUS OVERVIEW
According the U.S. Census’ American Community Survey (ACS), in 2021 13% of the civilian population reported having some form of disability. Among the disability types listed by the ACS (hearing, vision, cognitive, ambulatory, self-care, and independent living difficulties), ambulatory difficulties are the most reported (7%). There are also considerable differences in disability reporting by race/ethnicity, with Native American (15%), non-Hispanic White (14%), and Black (15%) populations the most likely to report having a disability. Asian (8%) people are the least likely to report having one.
Among the 38 million people who are 25 or older and report having a disability, 6.7 million (18%) held a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2019, up from 13% in 2010. However, this is considerably lower than the 36% of the population who does not report a disability in 2019.
ENROLLMENT
The National Center for Education Statistics defines students with disabilities as those who report deafness or serious difficulty hearing; blindness or serious difficulty seeing; serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition; or serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
Although students with disabilities in higher education are protected by state, federal, and local laws that prohibit discrimination and mandate access to appropriate services and resources for people with disabilities, postsecondary institutions still face challenges in supporting them.
