{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,15]],"date-time":"2026-10-15T17:47:59Z","timestamp":1792086479784,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,15]],"date-time":"2026-10-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1792022400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n                    <jats:title>Purpose<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The purpose of this study was to examine students\u2019 perspectives on access to disability support services, perceived barriers to service utilization, and quality of life within public higher education contexts. By examining these dimensions within the same study design and participant sample, the study aimed to provide a broader student-centered understanding of disability support and well-being in higher education.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n                    <jats:title>Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A cross-sectional survey design was employed with 79 students with disabilities who were formally registered with disability or student support services at two public universities in the Middle East, located in Qatar and Jordan. Data were collected using a questionnaire assessing perceived access to accommodations and barriers to service utilization, alongside the World Health Organization Quality of Life\u2013BREF (WHOQOL-BREF). Nonparametric statistical analyses were conducted to examine differences in student-reported experiences across the two institutional contexts.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Students reported moderate overall access to disability-related accommodations and support services (Mdn\u2009=\u20091.95, IQR\u2009=\u20091.81\u20132.17) and moderate perceived barriers to service utilization (Mdn\u2009=\u20091.65, IQR\u2009=\u20091.47\u20132.00). Significant between-context differences were observed in access to selected accommodations, perceived barriers, and quality-of-life domains. Notable differences included quiet examination rooms (\n                      <jats:italic>U<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u2009249.00,\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009&lt;\u2009.001,\n                      <jats:italic>r<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u2009.65), physical health quality of life (\n                      <jats:italic>U<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u2009245.00,\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009&lt;\u2009.001,\n                      <jats:italic>r<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u2009.59), environmental quality of life (\n                      <jats:italic>U<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u2009251.00,\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009&lt;\u2009.001,\n                      <jats:italic>r<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u2009.58), and financial barriers to accessing services (\n                      <jats:italic>U<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u2009326.00,\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009&lt;\u2009.001,\n                      <jats:italic>r<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u2009.55). Overall, the findings indicate that students\u2019 experiences of disability support varied across contexts in ways that were reflected in both service access and quality-of-life outcomes.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study contributes original evidence by examining access to disability support services, barriers to utilization, and quality of life within the same study design and participant sample. By foregrounding students\u2019 perspectives and providing contextually grounded evidence from underrepresented higher education settings, the study offers valuable baseline insights to inform inclusive policy and service development in higher education.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0360516","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,15]],"date-time":"2026-10-15T17:27:13Z","timestamp":1792085233000},"page":"e0360516","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Access, barriers, and quality of life: Student perspectives on disability support in higher education"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"21","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6240-4316","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Hatem A.","family":"Alkhamra","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Educational Sciences, The University of Jordan","place":["Amman, Jordan"],"department":["Department of Counseling and Special Education"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sana M. N.","family":"Abu Dahab","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Jordan","place":["Amman, Jordan"],"department":["Department of Occupational Therapy"]},{"name":"College of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Manitoba","place":["Manitoba, Canada"],"department":["Department of Occupational Therapy"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rana A.","family":"Alkhamra","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Jordan","place":["Amman, Jordan"],"department":["Department of Speech and Language Pathology"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,15]]},"reference":[{"issue":"9","key":"pone.0360516.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1776","DOI":"10.1080\/03075079.2021.1960303","article-title":"Supporting the development of students with disabilities in higher education: access, stigma, identity, and power","volume":"47","author":"C-N Shpigelman","year":"2021","journal-title":"Stud High Educ"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0360516.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"689","DOI":"10.1080\/0309877X.2019.1576860","article-title":"Student retention and engagement in higher education","volume":"44","author":"M Tight","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Furth High Educ"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0360516.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"215","DOI":"10.1080\/0309877X.2015.1070402","article-title":"\u2018We aren\u2019t heroes, we\u2019re survivors\u2019: higher education as an opportunity for students with disabilities to reinvent an identity","volume":"41","author":"A Mori\u00f1a","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Furth High Educ"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0360516.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1080\/08856257.2016.1254964","article-title":"Inclusive education in higher education: challenges and opportunities","volume":"31","author":"A Mori\u00f1a","year":"2017","journal-title":"Eur J Spec Needs Educ"},{"issue":"10","key":"pone.0360516.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1080","DOI":"10.1080\/13603116.2015.1037868","article-title":"Voices of university students with disabilities: inclusive education on the tertiary level \u2013 a reality or a distant dream?","volume":"19","author":"I Strnadov\u00e1","year":"2015","journal-title":"Int J Incl Educ"},{"key":"pone.0360516.ref006","unstructured":"Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), Department of Economic and Social Affairs Disability. 2006."},{"key":"pone.0360516.ref007","first-page":"29","article-title":"Inclusiveness and accessibility in higher education: Issues to be orchestrated.","volume-title":"UNIversal Inclusion Rights and Opportunities for Students with Disabilities in the Academic Context","author":"S. 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