Assistance For Students With Disabilities

INTRO   |   PREPARATION   |   FINDING A COURSE   |   FUNDING   |  

ASSISTANCE   |   TRAVEL CHECKLIST   |   LIVING ABROAD   |   RETURNING HOME

Assistance & Accommodation Needs

Addressing potential assistance and accommodations needs is an important step of the application process for students with disabilities. After you have been accepted, you need to decide whether and how to disclose your disability if you have a non-apparent disability. In order to receive accommodations such as note takers, sign language interpreters, extra time to take tests, personal attendants, accessibility to rooms or buildings, it is necessary to disclose your disability in a timely manner so that pre-arrangements can be made.

To determine what accommodations you may need, consider the following:

• What and how much assistance will you need when traveling to the country?
• Do you need someone to travel with you or can airline or public transport staff provide the needed assistance?
• What will you need to maintain your health and wellness especially when dealing with stressful situations (i.e. medicines, medical facilities, backups to equipment such as wheelchairs or prostheses, therapists, self-help groups, nutritional foods, limited stimulation, etc.)?
• How willing are you to be flexible if certain types of adaptive equipment, sign language interpreters, personal assistants, or public resources are not available?
• Do you know the disability laws and rights of the country to which you are going?
• Do you know how to contact disability organizations in the country of destination for backup resources?
• If studying or researching or teaching, does the facility have a disability services office?
• What is the accessibility of public buildings, public transport, and streets in the country of destination, and what plans are you making to adjust?
• Do you know enough about the culture to understand the country's cultural values and attitudes about your disability?

This guide was developed in association with Mobility International USA.