Moving beyond the Medical Model: Why Critical Disability Studies Should Guide Accessibility Services in Higher Education
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| Title: | Moving beyond the Medical Model: Why Critical Disability Studies Should Guide Accessibility Services in Higher Education |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Stacyann Williams |
| Source: | Online Submission. 2026. |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 30 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Reports - Evaluative |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Higher Education, Accessibility (for Disabled), Students with Disabilities, Attitudes toward Disabilities, Educational Environment, School Responsibility, Disability Identification, Experience, Student School Relationship, Individual Needs |
| Abstract: | Accessibility Services have become an integral component of higher education, supporting disabled students through academic accommodations intended to promote equitable participation. Despite legislative progress and institutional commitments to equity, diversity, and inclusion, many accessibility services continue to operate within a medical model of disability that emphasizes diagnosis, documentation, and individualized accommodation. Although this model has expanded access to postsecondary education, it often positions disability as an individual deficit rather than examining how institutional policies, practices, and cultures create barriers to inclusion. Critical Disability Studies (CDS) offers an alternative framework by conceptualizing disability as a social, political, and cultural phenomenon shaped by ableism, power, and systemic inequities while recognizing disabled people as experts in their own lived experiences. Drawing upon disability scholarship and qualitative findings from Absent Students: A Critical Disabilities Studies Approach to Accessibility Services, this article argues that universities should move beyond reliance on the medical model and adopt CDS as the guiding framework for accessibility services. The findings demonstrate that students' experiences are shaped less by impairment than by institutional structures, unequal power relationships, inconsistent implementation of accommodations, and limited opportunities for meaningful participation in decision-making. Reimagining accessibility services through a CDS lens shifts the focus from individualized accommodation toward institutional transformation, collaborative practice, and anti-ableist approaches that position disabled students as partners in creating more equitable and inclusive postsecondary environments. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 20260101 |
| Accession Number: | ED682229 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 CustomLinks: – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED682229 Name: ERIC Full Text Category: fullText Text: Full Text from ERIC |
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| Header | DbId: eric DbLabel: ERIC An: ED682229 AccessLevel: 3 PubType: Report PubTypeId: report PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Moving beyond the Medical Model: Why Critical Disability Studies Should Guide Accessibility Services in Higher Education – Name: Language Label: Language Group: Lang Data: English – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Stacyann+Williams%22">Stacyann Williams</searchLink> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Online+Submission%22"><i>Online Submission</i></searchLink>. 2026. – Name: PeerReviewed Label: Peer Reviewed Group: SrcInfo Data: N – Name: Pages Label: Page Count Group: Src Data: 30 – Name: DatePubCY Label: Publication Date Group: Date Data: 2026 – Name: TypeDocument Label: Document Type Group: TypDoc Data: Reports - Evaluative – Name: Audience Label: Education Level Group: Audnce Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink> – Name: Subject Label: Descriptors Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Accessibility+%28for+Disabled%29%22">Accessibility (for Disabled)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Students+with+Disabilities%22">Students with Disabilities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Attitudes+toward+Disabilities%22">Attitudes toward Disabilities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Environment%22">Educational Environment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Responsibility%22">School Responsibility</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Disability+Identification%22">Disability Identification</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Experience%22">Experience</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+School+Relationship%22">Student School Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Individual+Needs%22">Individual Needs</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Accessibility Services have become an integral component of higher education, supporting disabled students through academic accommodations intended to promote equitable participation. Despite legislative progress and institutional commitments to equity, diversity, and inclusion, many accessibility services continue to operate within a medical model of disability that emphasizes diagnosis, documentation, and individualized accommodation. Although this model has expanded access to postsecondary education, it often positions disability as an individual deficit rather than examining how institutional policies, practices, and cultures create barriers to inclusion. Critical Disability Studies (CDS) offers an alternative framework by conceptualizing disability as a social, political, and cultural phenomenon shaped by ableism, power, and systemic inequities while recognizing disabled people as experts in their own lived experiences. Drawing upon disability scholarship and qualitative findings from Absent Students: A Critical Disabilities Studies Approach to Accessibility Services, this article argues that universities should move beyond reliance on the medical model and adopt CDS as the guiding framework for accessibility services. The findings demonstrate that students' experiences are shaped less by impairment than by institutional structures, unequal power relationships, inconsistent implementation of accommodations, and limited opportunities for meaningful participation in decision-making. Reimagining accessibility services through a CDS lens shifts the focus from individualized accommodation toward institutional transformation, collaborative practice, and anti-ableist approaches that position disabled students as partners in creating more equitable and inclusive postsecondary environments. – Name: AbstractInfo Label: Abstractor Group: Ab Data: As Provided – Name: DateEntry Label: Entry Date Group: Date Data: 20260101 – Name: AN Label: Accession Number Group: ID Data: ED682229 |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=ED682229 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Languages: – Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 30 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Higher Education Type: general – SubjectFull: Accessibility (for Disabled) Type: general – SubjectFull: Students with Disabilities Type: general – SubjectFull: Attitudes toward Disabilities Type: general – SubjectFull: Educational Environment Type: general – SubjectFull: School Responsibility Type: general – SubjectFull: Disability Identification Type: general – SubjectFull: Experience Type: general – SubjectFull: Student School Relationship Type: general – SubjectFull: Individual Needs Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Moving beyond the Medical Model: Why Critical Disability Studies Should Guide Accessibility Services in Higher Education Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Stacyann Williams IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 01 Type: published Y: 2026 Titles: – TitleFull: Online Submission Type: main |
| ResultId | 1 |
