Breaking Down Barriers Supporting Disabled Students in the Transition from Further to Higher Education

Abstract

The UK faces a significant disability education gap, with disabled students twice as likely to leave higher education early compared to their non-disabled peers (Pearson et al., 2021, 1293). This disparity arises from the extra time and energy required for disabled students to navigate ableist barriers within administrative, healthcare, institutional, and social systems (Stodden & Roberts, 2014, 5). In response, we co-designed Breaking Down Barriers, a project aimed at capturing disabled undergraduates’ experiences to encourage broader discussions on higher education through a disability studies and human rights lens. While the project highlighted key obstacles and sparked some initial conversations, its larger goals of fostering change across departments and universities were hindered by limited engagement opportunities. This article presents the project’s aims, methods, and findings, alongside reflections on the challenges of conducting socially engaged research in the neoliberal academy.