It is important that all staff in the financial aid office be familiar with accommodation options to assist students with special needs. It is best if online forms are fully accessible to individuals with disabilities. To explore ways to make forms directly accessible to students who have visual impairments, consult How can I develop accessible web-based forms?
Designing an accessible website is not difficult when accessibility is considered along with other design issues at the beginning of a project. To create resources that can be used by the widest spectrum of potential website visitors rather than an "average" person, webmasters can apply "universal design" principles. Designers should routinely think of the broad range of characteristics their site visitors might have and design their resources so that they are accessible to everyone.
Some colleges and universities provide tutoring to the general student population. In this case, the tutoring center and its materials should be accessible to students with disabilities. In addition, staff and volunteers should receive training about working with students who have disabilities. If tutoring is not provided to all students on campus, it is unlikely to be required as a "reasonable accommodation" for a student who has a disability. Consult your disabled student services office or legal counsel regarding a specific case on your campus.
Universities must provide accessible housing to students with disabilities if such housing is available to other students. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 require that goods, services, and activities associated with student life be accessible to students with disabilities. Students with disabilities should not be denied access to comparable housing or segregated from the general student population.
My name is Angela and I am a sophomore at a small suburban college. I use a wheelchair for mobility. I am planning on changing majors and need to work with an academic counselor to help plan my courses for spring quarter.
I went to a new academic counselor in the business department. I told him that I was seeking advice for my courses and future academic planning, but he said he was unable help me. He immediately referred me to the disabled student services (DSS) office.
Typically, counselors in a disabled student services office or campus Americans with Disabilities Act coordinators have the knowledge and expertise to assist with identifying the policies and procedures, as well as available campus resources, to ensure that students with disabilities have access to campus-sponsored events and meetings that are held on or off campus.
Each campus should establish and publish policies and procedures that inform student organizations and clubs about the appropriate department or office designated to assist with funding and arranging accommodations such as sign language interpreters and alternate document formats. Some institutions cover costs associated with these accommodations through a central budget so that funds are shared by the institution as a whole rather than by each campus unit.
There are many vendors who provide a wide range of captioning services. One of the best resources for selecting a vendor is the U.S. Department of Education, which, in collaboration with the Described and Captioned Media Program administered by the National Association of the Deaf, officially approves captioning service vendors. Approved vendors are listed in the document Captioning Service Vendors.
The U.S. Department of Education has funded demonstration projects at postsecondary institutions nationwide to help faculty make their courses accessible to students with disabilities. A list of the postsecondary institutions that received funding to develop these projects, the project descriptions, and contact information can be found under Demonstration Projects to Ensure Quality Higher Education for Students with Disabilities.
My name is Michael and I am about to graduate with a social work degree. I have a spinal cord injury that has resulted in a mobility impairment and several health issues.