Accommodations

In the 12-month 2008-2009 academic year, 707,000 students with reported disabilities enrolled in 2-year and 4-year degree-granting postsecondary institutions. The types of disabilities reported by these students were:

Source: Students With Disabilities at Degree-Granting Postsecondary Institutions (NCES 2011-018), U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2011
Specific learning disabilities 31%
ADD or ADHD 18%
Mental illness/psychological or psychiatric condition 15%
Health impairment/condition, including chronic conditions 11%
Mobility limitation/orthopedic impairment 7%
Difficulty hearing 4%
Difficulty seeing 3%
Cognitive difficulties or intellectual disability 3%
Traumatic brain injury 2%
Autism Spectrum Disorders 2%
Difficulty speaking or language impairment 1%
Other impairments 3%

In postsecondary settings it is the students' responsibility to request disability-related accommodations. Typically, students with disabilities present documentation regarding their disabilities to a central office that approves accommodations and communicates with staff and faculty members as appropriate.