Students with learning disabilities or attention differences comprise 1 in 5 Americans, yet these individuals enroll in four-year colleges at half the rate of their peers. This is due to a myriad of barriers ranging from time poverty and increased financial pressure, to low self-esteem caused by a lack of equitable support and experiences of stigma. This confluence of factors has led to preventable negative outcomes, including:
- The poverty rate for people with disabilities is 2x the average rate
- 46% of adults with learning disabilities are employed as opposed to nearly 77% of adults without learning disabilities
- 41% of young adults with learning disabilities complete post secondary degrees, compared to 52% of all students, which can severely limit job prospects
In this white paper, we go in-depth on unique barriers that working adult students with learning disabilities face in accessing and thriving in higher education, and suggest impactful interventions that higher education institutions can implement to combat stigma and improve education attainment for people with learning disabilities.
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