Executive Summary

This report presents selected findings from the 2020 UNCG Student Experience Survey, which was
undertaken to assess the campus environment and culture as it is experienced by students with and
without disabilities, including any barriers to full access and participation. Analysis of the data shows
that students with disabilities face a combination of academic, cultural, and physical barriers that are
not experienced by students without disabilities.
Barriers to Success. More than 30% of students with disabilities had seriously considered withdrawing
or transferring to another university within the previous twelve months. They were also twice as likely
to have changed their program or major because of their disability or need for accommodations, and
twice as likely to report that they experienced being treated differently than other students because of
their disability.
Campus Culture. Significantly more students with disabilities reported that: the overall campus
environment was not supportive of people with disabilities, their disability adversely affected their
performance at UNCG, they were reluctant to disclose their disability to others, they did not feel that
the accommodations they received met their needs, and they were dissatisfied with the support they
received from OARS. In addition, a majority of students with disabilities experienced microaggressions
such as minimization, denial of personhood, or otherization.
Safety Issues. More than 60% of students did not have the LiveSafe App installed on their phone, and
more than 50% did not know the campus police phone number. In addition, more than 85% of students
with mobility issues had not informed the campus police about their disability, and about 30% did not
know where the areas of refuge were in the buildings they frequently use.
Barriers to Access or Use. Students with disabilities were significantly more affected by barriers to
access, e.g., crosswalks, curb-cuts, sidewalks, ramps, door openers, and elevators. They were also more
likely to be affected by lack of accessible parking near the buildings they used.

 Recommendations:
The first two recommendations mitigate risks due to regulatory or legal exposure. The remaining
recommendations represent solutions that could be implemented with little to no expenditure of funds.
 Remediate barriers to access or use of facilities and add more accessible parking spaces where
needed on campus.
 Implement safety and emergency preparedness training that focuses on disability-related issues,
including effective communication with students and employees.
 Implement enhanced diversity training for students and employees that adequately addresses
disabilities, microaggressions, and cultural competence.
2020 UNCG Student Experience Survey Rose Ewald

 Establish an ‘Enabled’ program (similar to the ‘SafeZone’ program) that provides mentors, allies, and
academic support for students with disabilities.
 Form a student advisory group (SAG) composed of students with disabilities who are tasked with
providing insight and perspective to departmental and administrative personnel.
 Develop a reporting structure or mechanism that documents SAG representatives’ concerns or
recommendations and how they were addressed by departments or committees.

 Conclusions
UNCG has made significant efforts to eliminate discrimination and is committed to a culture of equity,
inclusion, and diversity. However, the disparities in experience that were revealed by this analysis
indicate that there is still work to be done to address both physical and academic barriers and a need for
more culturally appropriate and responsive solutions.
Disability affects every aspect of the way people live, learn, work, and play, and intersects with every
race, age, gender, and sexual orientation. Addressing the physical barriers that prevent full access and
participation is an opportunity to increase cultural competence for the entire campus community.
While UNCG has a history of maintaining compliance with the standards and requirements of federal
regulations, there is still evidence of bias. UNCG should continue the work of fostering a culture of
universal design and strive to embody the spirit of the law as it was envisioned in the Rehabilitation Act
of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 2008.
To reduce disparities in the experiences of students with disabilities, UNCG needs to address ableism in
the same spirit it has brought to resolving other forms of discrimination. The following suggestions are
long-term solutions that would have financial costs or would involve organizational coordination.
 Develop an integrated approach that portrays disabilities as a normal part of life and fully
incorporates disabilities into diversity training for students and employees.
 Use learning modules that increase cultural competence by: identifying discriminatory behaviors
and attitudes, educating people about microaggressions, and demonstrating appropriate behaviors
and ways of interacting with people who have disabilities.
 Consistently incorporate disabilities and ableism into classroom discussions about diversity.
 Continue to more fully incorporate principles of universal design for learning into faculty training,
teaching pedagogy, course materials, handouts, and presentations.
 Establish additional policies, programs, and procedures that more fully support the rights of people
with disabilities.