Chapter 14: Career Development of Special Needs Students and Students with Disabilities

Although always present on college campuses, students with disabilities are becoming an identified part of college and university communities at a rapidly increasing rate. Current statistics report that 15.5 percent of enrolled college students nationwide have a disability (Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Disability Statistics and Demographics, 2009). Students with disabilities are in 98 percent of public two-year and four-year post-secondary institutions, 63 percent of private four-year institutions, and 47 percent of private two-year institutions (National Council on Disabilities, 2003). Due to the increasing number of students with disabilities on higher education campuses, the need for culturally competent services for these students continues to rise. Further, the mandate to provide accommodations to students with disabilities challenges student services professionals on higher education campuses to generate a continually increasing range of services (Palmer & Roessler, 2000).