Examining University Experiences of Students with Special Needs

Abstract

Various legal arrangements are made to provide appropriate educational opportunities for individuals with special needs (SN) in the process from preschool education period to higher education period. However, it is seen that individuals with SN experience various problems in their education processes. It is also thought that these problems differ according to the university the students attend and the type of disability. At this point, it is necessary to determine the student experiences of students with SN and to identify the problems they experience, if any. This qualitative study aimed to identify the university experiences of students with SN. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Ten students with SN were interviewed during the spring semester of the 2021-2022 academic year. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. Findings showed that participants focused on the conveniences and challenges of being a university student with SN and the reasons for choosing the university and department. Moreover, their university experiences, course registrations, and their views about the physical environment on campus were discussed. In addition, the study presented the expectations of students from their universities and the solutions they proposed for the problems they encountered.