AccessCollege

The policy regarding transportation should be the same for students with disabilities as it is for students without disabilities. It is most often the case that students arrange their own transportation to and from internships. The student with special needs should look into options for accessible transportation (e.g., accessible bus, van service). The campus disabled student services office may be able to assist with this process.

You should assist students with disabilities as you would other students. It is their responsibility to disclose information about their disabilities and request accommodations. Some students do not require accommodations and/or choose not to disclose their disabilities. Other students may have invisible disabilities (such as learning disabilities or health impairments), which may be difficult or even impossible to recognize.

Background

Susan is a sophomore who is blind. She has joined several campus organizations and would also like to join the equestrian team.

Access Issue

The advisor and trainer of the equestrian team called the disabled student services director to discuss whether this student should join the team. She was concerned about how Susan could handle this type of activity, as well as the liability of the university if she had an accident.

Background

Sam is a sophomore with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). He is having difficulty managing a full-time preengineering course load. He does not have enough time to keep up with all of his courses.

Access Issue

Sam wants to take a reduced course load but needs to remain eligible for financial assistance and campus housing. He was told by student services staff that he would be ineligible for financial aid and campus housing if he was not registered as a full-time student.

Students with disabilities often face challenges as they transfer from two-year to four-year institutions of higher education. There are many things that the institutions can do, individually and cooperatively, to ease this transition. Forty-six staff and faculty from two- and four-year institutions representing a total of twenty-four states made suggestions as part of five focused discussions hosted by DO-IT at the University of Washington. Listed below are some of their ideas.

There are exemptions to the copyright laws that allow for reproduction of purchased materials into alternate formats for use by people with print disabilities. Any material copied for this purpose must not be sold. It is important to make the material available only to the student requesting it and not freely available as on a web page.

Background

Henry is a sophomore with a disability that affects his health and mobility. He is taking evening classes at a community college.

Access Issue

Without a ride between buildings, Henry cannot arrive on time to classes and without pain, because of his health and mobility status. Without transportation, Henry cannot access classes that are not offered during daytime hours. The campus typically provides transportation only during office hours of disabled student services.

Although each situation is different and the student is the best source of information regarding useful accommodations, the following accommodations are typical for a student with a mobility impairment:

Accommodations for a lab may include the following:

"Mental illness" refers to the collection of all diagnosable mental disorders causing severe disturbances in thinking, feeling, relating, and/or functional behaviors. It can result in a substantially diminished capacity to cope with daily life demands.

A mental illness is a hidden disability; it is rarely apparent to others. However, students with mental illness may experience symptoms that interfere with their educational goals and that create a "psychiatric disability." These symptoms may include yet are not limited to the following: