Breaking Barriers: The Struggle for Inclusion on Community College Campuses

While community colleges play a crucial role in providing accessible and affordable education to diverse student populations, many still struggle to fully accommodate students with disabilities, according to insights from community college students, faculty, and higher education experts.

These institutions often attract many students due to their smaller class sizes and affordability, making them a viable option for students with disabilities, according to Dr. Brett Ranon Nachman, an assistant professor of higher education at the University of Pittsburgh who specializes in research focused on how colleges can create more equitable learning environments for students with autism/disabilities and community college transfers.

“Community colleges are viable mechanisms for many students,” says Nachman. “In fact, if my memory holds right, I think for college students more broadly, 40% of college students are in community colleges. Community colleges serve an amazing number of students, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds.”

Yet, for students with disabilities—including neurodivergent learners—these institutions still present significant challenges. Dr. Monica Parrish Trent, Chief Program and Network Officer at Achieving the Dream, an organization focused on creating student success and equity at community colleges, says that students with disabilities often face administrative hurdles in accessing accommodations, as well as social and sensory barriers in classrooms.

Dr. Monica Parrish Trent“I think it’s really important to consider provisional accommodations right out of the gate,” says Trent. “If you notice that a student needs something to learn, provide that something to learn without waiting on an official accommodation. Some colleges are able to say to faculty and frontline staff, ‘If a student presents with a circumstance where they need additional support, let’s go ahead and provide it for them.’”

Finding support
Cricket Wellum, a neurodivergent student at Wake Tech Community College, says that getting accommodations for disabilities can be frustrating and complex.

“It’s almost like you need accommodations to get accommodations,” says Wellum, who completed an associate’s degree in 2023 and is currently working on a second associate’s degree before transitioning to a four-year institution. “You have to basically present your disability and speak with a disability office about what they can provide for you, but that process can be very confusing. As someone who is neurodivergent, just getting accommodations itself is very complicated.”