A disabled student’s account of support and belonging

Updated Oct 27, 2026

Practical adjustments, mentoring and respectful relationships shaped how one disabled student understood his educational journey. In Higher Education Research & Development, Shruti Taneja-Johansson and Henri Valtteri Pesonen examine his account of moving through school, undergraduate study and a master’s programme in Sweden.

What the researchers examined

The authors selected one student’s diary and follow-up interview from a larger Swedish research project. Glenn, a pseudonym, was a master’s student with dyslexia and ADHD. The researchers constructed six interconnected narratives spanning his schooling, undergraduate study and postgraduate experience.

Their question concerned how he interpreted experiences across different educational settings.

Key findings

Recognition mattered alongside practical adjustments. Looking back at upper-secondary education, Glenn described extra time and oral assessment options, alongside the importance of being treated respectfully. The authors interpret this as a change in how the institution recognised his capabilities.

University difficulties included unspoken study expectations. His account of starting undergraduate study described unfamiliar academic reading and writing demands, alongside the pressure of switching between lectures, group work and assignments. The authors locate these difficulties within institutional expectations about preparedness.

Mentoring made study strategies explicit. Glenn described a disability-support mentor helping him plan ahead and read with a purpose. The analysis presents that relationship as part of how he came to see himself as a capable learner.

Emotional security belonged in his account of success. In the postgraduate narrative, Glenn emphasised secure relationships and feeling recognised, alongside tools, routines and planned rest. The authors argue for attention to the conditions that make studying sustainable.

The analysis interprets a deliberately selected personal account. Glenn did not participate in the analysis or manuscript revision, a limitation the authors acknowledge.

References

[Paper Source]: Shruti Taneja-Johansson and Henri Valtteri Pesonen. "Narratives of a postgraduate student with disabilities and his journey to higher education"

DOI: 10.1080/07294360.2025.2580620

Published online: 9 November 2025, Higher Education Research & Development.