Abstract:

The aim of the present study is to evaluate perceptions of the disabled university students for their disabilities, at the ages of 19-27 and applying to Department of Disabled Students of a university in Konya between 2015-2017, and to investigate its reflections on students’ educational lives. In order to achieve this target, 13 participants with disabilities were asked such questions as “what disability means for them, how they have assessed the effects of their disabilities on access to educational opportunities when they realized that they were different from their peers (how they realized and what they felt), how they assess or perceive their own disability compared with other types of disabilities, and how effective Department of Disabled Students of a university is in raising awareness for disabilities” by using qualitative research method. The data were compiled via in-depth interviews with a semi-structured interview form. The interviews were recorded with the voice recorder and deciphered on the same day. By analyzing the content, similar and same expressions were categorized. According to these results, it is suggested for the future work to focus on the self-perceptions of the disabled people and the functions of Departments of Disabled Students in other universities.

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