EXPERIENCES OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN POSTSECONDARY GEOSCIENCE EDUCATION: ACADEMIC ACCOMMODATIONS, DISABILITY DISCLOSURE, AND FIELD EXPERIENCES

How students with disabilities are (or can be) effectively accommodated when their disability poses a barrier to geoscience coursework, isn’t well documented in the current geoscience education literature (Sheppard & Lukes, in preparation). The goal of this study was to describe the perspectives and lived experiences of students with disabilities in geoscience degree programs. A phenomenological qualitative survey was designed and included 70 questions, including 13 likert type, 49 multiple choice or multi-select, and 8 open response questions. Questions focused on students’ accommodation needs; their experiences disclosing their disability; experiences receiving academic accommodations; and how these experiences influenced their educational and career choices. Participants were recruited from an international professional geoscience organization via the organization’s email listserv in summer 2023 Participants (n=16) were predominantly from the North America and frequently reported attitudinal and systemic barriers when engaging with the academic accommodation process and limited institutional support in laboratory and field settings, despite increased accommodation needs in these settings. Many participants also reported that negative experiences in their geoscience education programs decreased their sense of belonging and desire to continue on with a career in geosciences. These preliminary findings indicate that students with disabilities in geoscience programs may not be receiving a postsecondary education equitable to their peers and may be receiving accommodations that effectively serve to isolate them from the wider learning community. This work can inform the practice of instructors and university administrators as they seek to better support the educational access and rights of students with disabilities in geoscience programs.