The Office Under the Parking Garage: Disability and Accommodations at the University of Chicago

Although the number of disabled students attending postsecondary institutions has increased in recent decades, the postsecondary graduation rate for disabled students is significantly lower than the graduation rate for their nondisabled peers. While research has identified certain obstacles that disabled students face in postsecondary education, this research has not focused on the experiences of disabled students attending elite institutions. Through the use of a qualitative content analysis of in-depth interviews with current and former undergraduates at the University of Chicago who have applied for accommodations, I identify various challenges these students face in receiving accommodations and having them honored. Additionally, I explore student-perceived peer, faculty, and administration attitudes towards accommodations, as well as the cultural aspects associated with elite institutions that hinder disabled students in pursuing their academic goals. The findings of this paper reveal a need for the University of Chicago's Student Disability Services (SDS) to be allotted increased authority in order to enforce the implementation of both academic and housing related temporary and permanent accommodations, increased measures on behalf of the University's administration to make the campus more physically accessible, and more training for students, faculty, and staff members at Student Disability Services regarding ableism, accommodations, and disability issues. These findings contribute to efforts to make postsecondary education more accessible for disabled students by identifying institutional barriers at elite universities.