Inaccessible Accessibility: Addressing Mental Health Disabilities in Higher Education
A recent Mental Health America (MHA) survey showed that 70% of students with mental health disabilities in higher education did not register for disability accommodations. Only 20% said it was because they did not want them. Student awareness of accommodations, difficulty navigating disability services, and fears about the perceptions of others and interactions with professors are among the reasons students do not access the support and accommodations they deserve.
This 60-minute webinar will explore challenges and opportunities from MHA's recently published report, Supporting College Students: Mental Health and Disability in Higher Education. This presentation will:
- explore student perspectives on mental health disabilities and accommodations;
- identify barriers to students' use of accommodations; and
- provide recommendations for student and campus leaders to increase accessibility for students with mental health disabilities.
Meet the Speaker
Kelly Davis is the Associate Vice President of Peer and Youth Advocacy at Mental Health America, where she works on the expansion of peer support and young adult leadership. She is passionate about lived experience-driven programs, policies, organizations, and research. Kelly was awarded the Disruptive Innovator Award from the National Association of Peer Supporters and the Peer Leader of the Year Award from Peerpocalypse. She is a certified yoga teacher and holds a certificate in Applied Positive Psychology from The Flourishing Center. She is currently pursuing her Master's degree at the University of Pennsylvania where she also serves as a research assistant focused on lived experience perspectives of inpatient psychiatric care.