  Historically, non-disabled individuals have viewed disability as a personal
deficit requiring change to the disabled individual. However, models have
emerged from disability activists and disabled intellectuals that emphasize the
role of disabling social structures in preventing or hindering equal access
across the ability continuum. We used the social relational proposition, which
situates disability within the interaction of impairments and particular social
structures, to identify disabling structures in introductory STEM courses. We
conducted interviews with nine students who identified with a range of
impairments about their experiences in introductory STEM courses. We assembled
a diverse research team and analyzed the interviews through phenomenological
analysis. Participants reported course barriers that prevented effective
engagement with course content. These barriers resulted in challenges with time
management as well as feelings of stress and anxiety. We discuss
recommendations for supporting students to more effectively engage with
introductory STEM courses.
