This report contains national data on the change over time in the participation of students with disabilities in postsecondary education and reports on the 140,000 students with disabilities who are among the 1.6 million full-time, first-time freshmen attending more than 3,100 institutions of higher education in 1991. The report compares responses of freshmen with disabilities to those who did not report a disability. Among the numerous topics of comparison are personal and family background, high school preparation and articulation to college, college and career expectations, self-perceptions, and opinions. Differences between men and women with disabilities are compared, as are differences between students with particular kinds of disability with those reporting "other" or "no" disability. Among the findings, it is reported that, since the end of 1970, the percent of freshmen who report having a disability has tripled. Furthermore, the disabling conditions that are most prevalent today are more likely to be invisible (learning disabilities, health impairments, speech impairments, low vision, or loss of hearing) than obvious (deafness, orthopedic problems, blindness). In addition, freshmen with disabilities are reported to be more likely than their peers to have had remedial courses in high school and to anticipate needing them in college; this represents a decisive point for many disabled students in college choice. (GLR)