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Welcome back to the blog series, Breaking the Stigma: College Life, Disability and Mental Health. In the previous post, I discussed the intersection between disability and mental health. If you have not read it, I highly recommend reading it, as the topics build off each other.
In this post, I will deeply dive into the resources colleges offer for disabilities and mental health, and why they matter.
Firstly, it is significant to mention that there are an estimated 3.5 million college students with disabilities, where an increase in mental health conditions has contributed to this increase (reference). Of these college students with disabilities, 15 to 43% do not receive accommodations from their school (reference). Also, a Tyton survey shared results that around 60% of college students were unaware of all the resources their college provided (reference).
These statistics indicate that there is not only a significant gap in services and accommodations but also limited communication and awareness of these resources.
Almost every college has an office involved in disability support, where students who fall under the Americans with Disabilities Act register with the office to receive academic and campus accommodations. However, the support provided varies across institutions, where some offices have supportive staff and a variety of services, while others have very few resources and complicated application processes. The inconsistency from institution to institution makes it unfair and more challenging, depending on the college they attend.
In some situations, college students face obstacles even though their need for accommodations is clear. For instance, Mia Vergnetti, a rising senior at Loyola Marymount University, was originally rejected from Disability Support Services for her OCD and Tourette’s Syndrome. The rejection was due to the psychologist's letter being “too old”, yet she was not informed till she followed up. Even though she eventually received accommodations, Mia expressed that her disabilities should not have been questioned, given that her condition was lifelong, not temporary.
Experiences like Mia’s can leave students discouraged from receiving accommodations that they deserve, emphasizing how Disability Support Services need to have more consistent and student-centered policies across all institutions to create a more equal and supportive service for all students with disabilities.
Some college campuses offer mental health services, including counseling for students and information about other mental health resources outside the institution. Although this is a significant first step, most institutions poorly communicate these resources to their students. Some institutions additionally have limits on counseling appointments that a student can access, which raises the problem for students who need ongoing mental support once they reach the limit.
To address the issues, colleges need to create clear and effective outreach, such that these resources should be involved in campus-wide emails, class syllabi, and even in orientation classes. Colleges can collaborate with third-party companies to expand counseling services for their students, eliminate the strict limits of sessions, and replace them with a needs-based model that allows students to receive the appropriate support.
As I discussed in the previous post, mental health and disability intersect. Colleges can begin creating a unified support model where mental health and disability services collaborate. Many students experience both challenges, and with greater collaboration between these offices, they can have their needs fulfilled. Student-led organizations are already doing this by collaborating and hosting events, sharing the intersection between their communities.
These groups usually fill the empty spaces that other formal services create, allowing students to connect with those who share similar interests and advocacy.
Examples:
I am involved in a service organization called Agapé at Loyola Marymount University, where we serve and support those who struggle with mental illnesses through service, and promote ending stigmas surrounding mental health. Through Agapé, we have hosted on-campus events discussing disability rights and men’s mental health, bridging the conversations in collaborative ways.
While these resources are crucial, the most significant thing these people with disabilities need is to be believed in.
I learned this firsthand before I even reached college. Before graduating from middle school, I met with high school administrators to plan my future classes. I expressed that I wanted to take more challenging courses, and they agreed to all except Honors English. The administrator believed that I would not be successful in the class due to my hearing loss and extra time needed for writing. I was shocked. This was the first time I ever thought my disability did indeed limit me, but what truly shocked me even more was my mom’s response. She stood up and said I could do anything that I wanted to. So, I ended up enrolling in Honors English and proved the high school administrator that they were wrong by getting A’s both semesters.
While this was not during college, it shares the more profound truth that the stigma surrounding disabilities begins with the assumption that people with disabilities cannot do certain things. And these assumptions follow us throughout our lives, even into college. If this situation had happened in college, it would be even more challenging to advocate for myself independently without the same support I once had.
Accessibility is not only about providing the resources, but also creating a sense of trust and support for college students. Colleges need to go beyond creating fair access to accommodations and recognize that students with disabilities and mental health conditions are deserving and capable of success.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this blog post. I hope you learned something new and share it with your peers. Next week’s post will be covering how social media influences college students’ mental health and how social media can affect people with disabilities.
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