Over the past half century higher education in the United States has been challenged to develop and implement policies and practices that effectively promote the access, retention, and graduation of diverse underrepresented populations. One of these populations is comprised of individuals with disabilities, whose equal access to higher education is mandated by Federal legislation, notably Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. One unintended consequence of this legislation appears to be that institutions may be content with only meeting the letter of the law by providing accommodations and supports for equal access to the physical plant and to academic instruction, while neglecting the social sphere. However, leading theories of persistence in higher education highlight both academic integration and social integration, as reflected in having a sense of "belonging" on campus, as key factors for student success. Emerging trends suggest that the next phase of progress for students with disabilities in higher education will be establishing and implementing shared norms about what it takes to make a campus barrier-free and welcoming--a place where disability is not seen as a marker of membership in a "special" group virtually nobody wants to be a part of but is, rather, accepted and appreciated as an element in a valued range of diversity.