Evidence has suggested students with disabilities in higher education have faced stigma and skepticism, resulting in lower retention and completion rates as compared to students without disabilities. For students with disabilities, degree completion is significant because adults with disabilities are three times more likely than their nondisabled peers to be unemployed or underemployed and two times more likely to live in poverty (National Council on Disability, 2017). Conversely, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022), workers who hold a college degree earn 84% more income than those who do not and are 3 and a half times less likely to live in poverty. In an extensive literature review of the causes of student attrition in higher education, O'Keeffe (2013) found students who felt well-supported and connected to a campus were less likely to drop out. Despite the large and growing body of literature around perceived sense of belonging, persistence, and marginalized student populations, there has been minimal research specifically examining students with disabilities, perceived sense of belonging and persistence. The purpose of this study was to examine students' perspectives about the role of disability identity programming in their higher education experience. Quantitative analyses describe relationships between students' participation in disability programming and their self-reported feelings of belonging and persistence. Emergent themes in survey and interview data explored students' experiences of transitioning to higher education and the role identity development played during the transition and use of accommodations and participation in disability programming. Perspectives on obstacles and supports were also explored. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]