Life after LEAD: A Retrospective Analysis of What Members Learned from a Collegiate Disability Awareness Group

Interactional diversity, defined as informal engagement with diverse peers that occurs outside of the classroom, is one way for colleges and universities to facilitate connections between and among students (Bowman, 2010). Little is known, however, about the enduring effects of interactional diversity, particularly as it relates to disability. LEAD, an institutional, undergraduate disability awareness group, provides context for the exploration of interactional diversity and disability. The purpose of this retrospective, qualitative study was to understand what 17 LEAD alumni believed they learned as a result of their interactions with peers with disabilities. The results of this research highlight the potential of collegiate disability awareness groups and their importance as a possibility for promoting interactional diversity.