Exploring Life Skills among Higher Education Students: A Comparison between those with and without Disabilities

Abstract: This study explores the life skills among higher education students, comparing those with disabilities to their non-disabled students in West Bengal, India. The main objectives were to assess the life skills status of these students, and to examine the differences based on disability status, gender, educational streams, and educational levels. A cross-sectional survey design was employed, involving 560 students from both undergraduate and postgraduate levels across ten institutions, representing urban and rural settings. Data was collected using the Life Skills Scale. The results revealed that students with disabilities exhibited significantly lower life skills compared to their non-disabled counterparts. Gender differences in life skills were found to be statistically insignificant, while postgraduate students demonstrated higher life skills than undergraduates, with a significant difference. Furthermore, students from the Science stream scored higher in life skills compared to those in the Arts and Engineering streams. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to address the disparities in life skills development, particularly for students with disabilities, and suggest the importance of inclusive educational practices across disciplines.