Where are Students with Physical Disabilities and Health Conditions Going to College?
Where are the students you support who have physical disabilities and/or health conditions going to college? This is a question I get a lot. The answer is simple –EVERYWHERE.
The best school for a student with physical disability and/or health condition is the one they research, vet, and select. All colleges are required to provide “reasonable accommodations” under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). While the types of accommodations, and the care in which they are administered, varies from college to college, if the student has done their research, connected with the disability office, considered continuity of care and independent living, and weighed their options, the student can make an informed decision. That’s what I help students do at Accessible College!
Students with disabilities approach their search just like any other student. They may be looking for a specific major, school culture, and evaluating cost. Many of the students I support are working with their high school counselor or an independent college consultant to assist them in identifying colleges that are a good academic fit. Some students are thinking about accessibility and accommodations up front, and others are not thinking about their needs until we start talking.
Partners in the process
The work that I do with students is to support them in thinking through their needs realistically and holistically, and to assist them in incorporating those needs into the search and transition process. After working with me, they are equipped to know what their needs are and what accommodations (academic, housing, dining, recreation, and transportation) they are going to request. I support students in identifying specific questions and identifying considerations to inform their search. I encourage and equip students to have pre-conversations with the disability support offices during the search process. This helps students gain an understanding of the accommodations at that college, and get to know the people who may be working with them. This is often one of the most important pieces of the puzzle for the students I support. It allows the student to get a good sense of the accommodations they may receive and compare/contrast colleges while factoring in their needs.
After the students have committed to a college, we then work together to continue to develop their self advocacy skills and I provide support for them when they request accommodations at the college they selected. I also support students in thinking through continuity of care, medication management and transfer, hiring/managing personal care attendants, and more.
The List
I’m excited to present a list of the colleges that the students I supported will be attending in fall 2023! The students who are attending these schools have a wide range of disabilities and health conditions including: Crohn’s disease, POTS, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, spinal cord injuries, lyme disease, neurological conditions, spina bifida, cerebral palsy, Friedreich’s ataxia, spinal muscular atrophy, rheumatoid arthritis, and other types of physical disabilities and heath conditions. These students engaged in the typical college search process and worked with me on the accommodations and independent living pieces noted above!
- University of Arizona
- Scripps College
- University of Michigan
- San Diego State University
- Oklahoma State
- Tulane University
- SUNY-Purchase
- Santa Clara University
- University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
- Oberlin College
- Georgia Tech
- California College of the Arts
- Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia
- University of Maryland Baltimore County
- Washington College, Maryland
- Mohawk Valley Community College
- Knox College
- Babson College
- George Mason University
Congratulations to the class of 2023! I wish all of these students the best!
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