Am I Good Enough to Be Here? A Photovoice Project Examining Students’ Experiences of Ableism in Higher Education

Authors

Sylvia Mac Ph.D., University of San DiegoFollow
Niki Elliott Ph.D., University of San DiegoFollow

Files

Abstract or Description

The enrollment of students with disabilities in postsecondary education has continued to increase (U.S. Government Accountability Office, 2024). Nevertheless, these students’ stories often remain invisible. This Photovoice project centers the voices of students with disabilities in postsecondary education and uses polyvagal theory (Porges, 2011, 2021) to understand the importance of considering the nervous system when seeking to create and sustain inclusive higher education spaces.

This study revealed the ways the participants’ nervous system experienced life as college students with a disability, organized around the themes of their perceptions of felt safety, of belonging, and of being liked. Findings from this study have significant implications, not only for improving the quality of student life and access at the university featured in this study, but for institutions of higher education nationwide.

Publication Date

1-27-2026

Keywords

students with disabilities, higher education, polyvagal theory, photovoice, inclusive education

Digital USD Citation

Mac, Sylvia Ph.D. and Elliott, Niki Ph.D., "Am I Good Enough to Be Here? A Photovoice Project Examining Students’ Experiences of Ableism in Higher Education" (2026). Inclusion in Postsecondary Education. 3.
https://digital.sandiego.edu/ceen-inclusion-postseced/3