How does a sense of belonging develop in postsecondary? A conceptual Belonging in Academia Model (BAM) from sighted perspectives

Belonging is associated with increased engagement in academic pursuits and well-being. However, there is a lack of research on how a sense of belonging develops in academia. The academic environment comprises largely of sighted individuals. Exploring sighted students, staff, and educators’ perceptions of belonging contributes to our understanding of environments that foster belonging for sighted individuals and their perceptions of the same for people who are blind. We conducted focus groups and in-depth interviews with 25 sighted people in academia to investigate how sense of belonging develops for them, and what facilitators and barriers would impact belonging in academia. Grounded theory was used to construct the Belonging in Academia Model (BAM), which explores how people perceive, create, and develop belonging in academia.