Why are there so few disabled graduate students?

Isa Stahr M.S.
Isa Stahr M.S.
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Published 2024-04-18
Despite people with disabilities making up over 20% of the US population and 19% of undergraduate students, disabled students only make up 5-9% of PhD students. My name is Isa and I am an ambulatory wheelchair user and service dog handler. I am starting my PhD this fall in communication studies with a focus in disability culture and identity. In this video I talk about some of the barriers that I and other disabled graduate students have faced in higher education. What are some of the barriers you have faced?

0:00 Introduction
0:40 Statistics and disclaimers
1:57 Physical barriers
3:22 Mental health barriers
5:52 Financial barriers
7:45 Stigma
8:55 Call to action
All Comments (7)
  • @sophiegeek1
    I've had an invisible disability since I was 13, and struggled throughout school. But when I went to university I didn't even consider that I might be entitled to help or support to do my course - until I started struggling (more than normal) late into the 2nd out of 3 years. I'd been trying so hard in years 1 & 2 my mind, body and soul were exhausted when the 3rd year came around. Society and personal ableism is so difficult to get past. I thought my inability to do activities and complete assignments was MY fault, an inherent flaw. When I did start needing more support, I felt like I was taking help away from other 'really disabled' people who needed it more. Now I'm proud to be part of the disabled community and happy to ask for the accomodations/support I need for work and socially, but I really feel for younger me who tried so hard to be 'normal' and felt like such a bad person when I failed over and over. Things might have been very different for me at uni if I'd had support from the beginning. Although maybe disclosing sooner would have impacted me in a different way ... 🤔
  • @YourCompassRose
    This is such a good video! I just started a PhD recently too and while I'm not disabled, I love hearing people talk about these barriers into grad school that are SO REAL AND POTENTIALLY FIXABLE.
  • @hopeforescape884
    I was going to say, almost every grad student I know is on anti-depressant/anxiety medication, me included 😅 Good point about 'disclosing' disabilities, I have never reported having a disability when applying for work or school.
  • @rogerorchard2317
    I went for a course at a university. I told them I was in a wheelchair. Luckily, the person who walked the wheelchair route to get from the train station found that they had built a building over the only listed ramp between 2 parts of the university. The only route they found was going up and down lift and across a roof, where they had to put in a small wooded ramp. (The roof was used as seating)
  • @AmeliaKC173
    Because we'd rather get a job and get out of poverty then pay more money or go into more debt doing post grad