Exploring the Motivations of College Students With ADHD to Disclose Their Disability and Use Accommodations

College enrollment numbers reflect that the admission rates of students with disabilities are increasing as time progresses (Newman et al., 2020). Despite this spike in college attendance, degree completion rates of students with disabilities (SWD) are significantly lower than their nondisabled peers (DuPaul et al., 2018). This disparity was addressed via laws and regulations geared towards higher education institutions to level the playing field for SWD through providing services and support. This study aimed to explore what motivates SWD to disclose their disability and to accept or decline accommodations in the university setting. Students and faculty at a Texas private Christian university were interviewed to shed light on the experience of accessing services and supports to provide insight to enhance disability service provider operations. The findings suggest that institutional barriers are not always the cause of SWD not maximizing accommodations. Factors such as course structure, type, and ADHD symptoms may also serve as barriers to fully embracing services and supports. Consequently, disability service providers should focus on practices such as creating support systems, coaching, and creating alerts and reminders to help combat those specific barriers. Keywords: ADHD, students with disabilities, disclosure, DSP, and accommodation