The diversity within: Exploring disability identity, self-efficacy, and belonging among university students with disabilities.

Objective: Disability identity has been widely examined among individuals with disabilities. Yet, relatively little is known about whether heterogeneous disability identity profiles exist among university students with disabilities from a quantitative perspective to understand the varied academic, social, and institutional experiences of students with disabilities in higher education. So far, limited research has examined how such heterogeneity relates to key psychosocial experiences in higher education, including university-related self-efficacy and sense of belonging. Therefore, this study aimed to identify heterogeneous profiles of disability identity using the well-validated Disability Identity Development Scale (DIDS) and to examine associations between these profiles and university-related self-efficacy and sense of belonging. Method: Latent profile analyses and analyses of covariance were conducted using data from 211 university students with disabilities in the U.S. Results: Three disability identity profiles identified were characterized by higher anger and frustration alongside moderate engagement with the disability community (Class 1), lower engagement with the disability community (Class 2), and consistently higher levels of disability identity across domains (Class 3). Approximately 80% of participants belonged to Class 2 or Class 3. Higher disability identity was associated with greater social self-efficacy and stronger sense of belonging, particularly in terms of university affiliation and relationships with faculty and staff. Conclusions: The findings support a psychosocial and relational model of disability identity and the importance of recognizing heterogeneity in disability identity development among university students. The results have implications for researchers, educators, and institutions seeking to foster more inclusive, relationally responsive learning environments in higher education.