Summary
Lessons learned from our latest national research on faculty accessibility and the role faculty play in student success.
When we talk about student success in higher education, we often focus on programs, services, and accommodations.
Those things matter.
But after more than 20 years of teaching, I have learned that one of the most influential factors in a student’s experience is often much simpler: faculty.
Faculty shape the day-to-day reality of higher education. They create learning environments, navigate accommodation conversations, and often determine whether accessibility feels like a barrier or an opportunity.
That belief was at the heart of Access Leads to Achievement: A National Report on Faculty Accessibility Practices, a research project I led as Executive Director of the National Disability Center for Student Success.
Why We Studied Faculty Accessibility
The report builds on our earlier work, Access Leads to Achievement: A National Report on Disabled College Student Experiences. As we listened to students share their experiences, one theme emerged again and again: faculty also matter.
Whether a student requests accommodations, discloses a disability, or never says a word about their experiences, faculty influence how accessible a learning environment feels. Their decisions, communication, and approach to accessibility can have a profound impact on student success.
That realization led us to ask a new question: What helps faculty create accessible learning environments, and what support do they need to do it well?
Research With, Not About, Disabled Students
While the report focuses on faculty accessibility, what I value most about this work is how it was conducted.
From the beginning, disabled students were part of the research process. They helped shape questions, interpret findings, and bring perspectives that strengthened the work in ways that would not have been possible otherwise.
Too often, disability research is conducted about disabled people rather than with them. At the National Disability Center, we believe lived experience belongs at the research table.
This project also reflected something I care deeply about: mentorship.
Research creates opportunities for others to learn, contribute, and grow. Working alongside disabled students throughout this project was a reminder that some of the most meaningful discoveries happen when we approach research as a collaboration.
Investing Where It Counts
The findings reinforced what many of us already know. Faculty want to support students, but they need both confidence and institutional support to do so effectively.
That is the faculty factor.
Accessibility is shaped by policies and procedures, but it is also shaped by people. If we want students to thrive, we must continue investing in the faculty who teach, mentor, and support them every day.
