Disability | Inside Higher Ed

A young man with a prosthetic leg sits in front of a computer and calculator and stack of invoices.

Opinion

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The Hidden Costs That Keep Disabled Students From College

With new loan limits on the horizon, colleges can take steps to make the financial aid system more just for students with disabilities.

By Karly Ball Isaacson et al.

A vertical series of wooden blocks reads “ADA,” next to a stack of books with a stethoscope on top.

Opinion

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No, Colleges Do Not “Over-Accommodate”

A certain genre of articles skeptical of higher ed’s disability accommodation process fuels attacks on civil rights.

By Chris Parthemos and Martina Svyantek

An AI-generated image of a group of students walking on a bridge across a chasm. On one side is the word “Disadvantage” and the chasm is lined with words including “anxiety,” “language barriers,” “lack of resources,” and “ADHD.” The bridge is labeled “AI,” and students walk over it toward a sign on the other side that says “Equitable Opportunity.”

Opinion

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The Case for AI as Accommodation

Treating AI as optional risks perpetuating ableism in higher ed.

By Matthew Brophy

A photo of a college class taken from the rear of the classroom; the instructor can be seen in the far background while the foreground of the photo features the back of a young woman's head facing the laptop open in front of her.

Opinion

Career Advice Teaching

‘Win-Win’ Pedagogy Is Impossible in a Diverse Classroom

Teaching choices—about a laptop ban, for instance—involve trade-offs, and that’s OK.

By Michel Estefan

Opinion

Columns Editor’s Note

Colleges Are Running Out of Time on Digital Accessibility

New federal rules require all college web content to be accessible by spring 2026. Most institutions are far from ready.

By Sara Custer

Government

How Will ED’s Latest Layoffs Affect Students With Disabilities?

Inside Higher Ed spoke with a leading advocate for students with learning disabilities to hear what the consequences will be across colleges and universities.

An illustration of a tangled brain atop a head, with thunderclouds around it.

Opinion

Career Advice

How to Support Mentees’ Mental Health

Pay attention, and don’t be afraid to have the hard conversation, Sam Burden writes.

By Sam Burden

A vector-like illustration of a computer monitor with a document hovering in front of it, suggesting a screen reader.

Opinion

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One Inaccessible PDF at a Time

As one institution works to meet a federal deadline to make course content more accessible, Diana Theisinger outlines what she and her team have learned about instructor engagement and digital accessibility.

By Diana Theisinger