������

Image

ACCESSIBILITY BY THE NUMBERS

Veteran Students & Disabilities

• The Forever GI Bill, passed in 2017, is directly resulting in growing numbers of veterans pursuing higher education.
• We have 750+ veterans pursuing higher education here at Kent State.
• WOMEN veterans pursue college at a higher rate than male veterans and non-veteran women peers. There are more than 2 million women veterans in the U.S.
• 650,000 U.S. Veterans in Higher Ed

Statistics indicate that of the veterans in college: 

• 85% are 24+ years old
• 62% are first-generation college students 
• 47% are married 
• 47% are parents 
• 26% have a disability (NCES, 2020)   

MYTH VERSUS REALITY
Not all service-related disabilities are from direct combat exposure. Many injuries occur during TRAINING EXERCISES, as a result of STRESSFUL DEPLOYMENTS, or other military experiences such as SEXUAL ASSAULT.

IT'S COMPLICATED

• Service-connected disability listed as a top BARRIER to sense of BELONGING.
• Disabled veterans struggle in CROWDS and communicating with non-veterans. They have a tendency to SELF-ISOLATE.
• Veterans have COMPLEX IDENTITIES, often 1st generation college students, working full-time, parenting, or with preexisting learning difficulties or ADHD.
• Reaching WOMEN requires specific attention, as they are less likely to disclose their veteran status and seek out support services.
• The majority of disabilities are INVISIBLE: post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injuries, depression, other mental health conditions .
• Veterans see invisible disabilities as "less serious” than more physically limiting injuries and therefore SEEK LESS SUPPORT.
• Recognition of a disability by the VETERANS ADMINISTRATION is tedious, often taking 5-12 months or longer.