Disabled Students' perception of the sensory aspects of the learning and social environments within one Higher Education Institution.
Clodagh Nolan, Jessica K Doyle, Kieran Lewis and 1 others
PMID 40336521WHAT IT FOUND
Disabled students described libraries and lecture halls as overwhelming due to noise, poor lighting, and crowding.
Over half reported acoustic issues, and many felt forced to hide in bathrooms or leave campus to cope with sensory overload.
Key findings
01Over 49% of respondents stated that acoustics were a problem for them in the library.
0264% of students described desks in learning spaces, including lecture halls and libraries, to be too close together, which made concentrating difficult.
0393% of respondents stated they would use a quiet space if it was available to them.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study was limited to one higher education institution, so results may not be generalizable to other campuses. Demographic data such as specific disability type, year of study, or course were not collected, limiting the ability to analyze differences between groups. The response rate was 10.9%, which may introduce bias if those who responded had different experiences from those who did not. The study relied on self-reported perceptions via a survey rather than observational data or interviews.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume these findings apply to all disabled students or all university settings. The study only surveyed students registered with a disability service at one institution, and it did not collect data on specific disability types, so we do not know if the sensory barriers were the same for students with autism, ADHD, physical disabilities, or mental health conditions.