CUDE

Getting to college involves thoughtful preparation. It is important to start as early as your sophomore or junior year in high school.

Being in college means managing a demanding schedule. It is important to develop and utilize personal skills in the areas of self-advocacy, self-management, and study skills.

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 low vision:

It is helpful to include a statement on the class syllabus inviting students who have disabilities to discuss academic needs. An example of such a statement is "If you have a documented disability and wish to discuss academic accommodations, please contact me as soon as possible."

For more information, consult Working Together: Faculty and Students with Disabilities.

Captioning is usually considered when the video product is complete, if at all. Instead, the production should be filmed so that critical content does not appear where captioning will cover it (usually at the bottom of the screen). Captions should describe all of the visual content, including nonspeech noises. Suggestions for making attractive and functional captions include the following:

A reading system is hardware and software designed to provide access to printed text for people with visual impairments, mobility impairments, or learning disabilities. Specialized software controls a scanner that takes an image of a printed page, converts it to computer text with character recognition software, and then reads the text in a synthesized voice.

People without disabilities may have temporary and/or situational limitations that are similar to the limitations imposed by disabilities. For example, people who cannot access graphics due to computer system limitations are in a situation similar to that of students who are blind. A noisy environment that prohibits the use of audio features imposes constraints similar to those faced by students with hearing impairments. Those for whom English is a second language experience reading difficulties similar to those experienced by people with some types of learning disabilities.

A mobility impairment is a disability that affects movement ranging from gross motor skills, such as walking, to fine motor movement, involving manipulation of objects by hand.

For more information, consult Glossary of Disability-Related Terms and Mobility Impairments.

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability and applies to any program that receives federal financial support. Section 504 of the Act is aimed at making educational programs and facilities accessible to all students. Section 508 of the Act requires that electronic office equipment purchased through federal procurement meet disability access guidelines.

According to the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 2008, a person with a disability is "any person who 1) has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities [including the operation of a major bodily function, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working], 2) has a record of such an impairment, or 3) is regarded as hav