Year in Review: 2021

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2021 in gold balloons

2021 has been quite a year! I wanted to take the time to highlight some of Accessible College’s amazing accomplishments over the past 12 months!

  • Accessible College supported 30 students with physical disabilities and health conditions in 2021. These students had conditions including: spinal muscular atrophy, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, spina bifida, Friedrich’s ataxia, POTS, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, arthritis, diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome, migraine disorder, IBS, Crohn’s, anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder. Some of these students went on to attend: New York University, Grinnell College, Howard University, George Washington University, MIT, Rhodes College, University of Delaware, University of Vermont, University of San Fransisco, Rollins College, University of Florida, and University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
  • Continuation of the project with the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation to provide free college transition support to students with paralysis: This program is in it’s 2nd year and is open to students with any type of paralysis who are interested in pursuing college. Through the project, Accessible College works with the student for up to 3 hours for free.  To date, Accessible College has worked with high school students and adult students with a wide variety of conditions including: spina bifida, cerebral palsy, neurological conditions, spinal cord injuries, stroke, and more. There are still spaces available in 2022! Sign up while space is available!
  • Creation and launch of the “College Success: Physical Disabilities, Chronic Health & Mental Health” Facebook group. This group is designed to be a resource for students with physical disabilities, chronic health conditions, and mental health issues, as well as families, and professional members such as: educators, consultants, and healthcare professionals. Join us! 

Debuting New Resources!
In 2021 I had the pleasure of working with a few organizations to create new resources to support students with disabilities, families, educators, and care providers in better understanding the in’s and out’s of preparing for college. 

  • College Readiness Resource Center, Perkins School for the Blind:  Throughout 2021 I have been consulting with my friends at the Perkins School for the Blind working as a project manager and writer for an amazing new resource that we created for blind and visually impaired students, families, educators, and vision professionals. The resource center is dynamic and more pieces will be added over time.  We are also in the process of planning a kick-off webinar. Stay tuned for more information!
  • A series of articles for the Hydrocephalus Association: In consultation with the Hydrocephalus Association I created a series of articles for students and families about going to college with hydrocephalus. Topics include: Choosing the right college, differences in accommodations from high school to college, health care management in college, and more! 

My focus at Accessible College is serving and supporting students with physical disabilities and health conditions in preparing for college. I work with students and families to provide assistance with: 

  • Considerations for college based on healthcare needs
  • College accommodations (academic, residential, transportation, and programmatic) 
  • Disability specific questions for college tours and tour debriefs
  • Medication management
  • Healthcare management
  • Hiring and managing a Personal Care Attendant (PCA) 
  • Continuity of care (including transfer of care)
  • Self-advocacy skills
  • Disability disclosure
  • Communicating with the college’s Disability Support Office
  • Disability documentation review and development

This approach gives students the tools they need to be able to self- advocate. The work I do often compliments the work a student may be doing with their school counselor or an independent college consultant. I bring a deep understanding of the college accommodations process and years of experience supporting students. Learn more about me and connect for a free 30 minute consultation! 

Sincerely, 

Annie Tulkin 
Founder/Director, Accessible College