Abstract:

College students with disabilities comprise approximately ten percent of entering freshmen. Although there has been increased legislation and public awareness from the 1970's to present day, students with disabilities often still exert more effort, take longer to graduate and are less likely to obtain employment following graduation. In addition, research on the career development of college students with disabilities is limited. Social cognitive career theory is particularly useful due to its emphasis on background contextual variables (such as barriers and acceptance of disability) as well as cognitive person variables (such as self-efficacy). As an application of social cognitive career theory, this study surveyed college students with disabilities in order to examine perceived barriers to education and employment and the influence of barriers, coping with barriers, and acceptance of disability on career self-efficacy. College students with various disabilities were recruited for this study from four colleges and universities. The eighty-two participants completed a demographic page, the Acceptance of Disability Scale, the Perception of Barriers Scale, the Coping with Barriers Scale, and the Career Decision Self-Efficacy Scale. This study identified the types of barriers, lack of supports, and the influence of barriers, acceptance of disability and of coping ability on educational and career development. The study results included significant positive relationships between the career self-efficacy and adjustment to disability and coping ability and a significant inverse relationship between career self-efficacy and perceived barriers. Limitations of the study and implications for practice and research are discussed.