Transitioning to College with a Disability

As summer begins to wind down, notices of back-to-school events and sales show up in stores and around communities. There is a lot of information out there for younger students with disabilities returning to school, but what about older students with disabilities transitioning into college?

Partnerships for Action, Voices for Empowerment (PAVE) in Washington State has a back-to-school checklist for children with disabilities. You can find that checklist here – Back To School Checklist!

What if you are not a child and want to go back to school? How do you prepare? First off, you need to get familiar with the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). Transitioning to college with a disability requires self-advocacy and a shift from high school’s IEPs (Individual Education Plans), which is governed by the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and move to college’s ADA accommodations.

The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits disability-based discrimination. Federal laws prohibit colleges from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities and require them to offer equal access to courses, programs, and facilities. Higher education is governed primarily by Title II (for public universities) and Title III (for private universities) of the ADA, as well as Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. What this means is that the ADA mandates reasonable accommodations, such as ramps, sign language interpreters, note takers, recording lectures, additional time for assignments, etc.

If you had an IEP or a 504 Plan, you could take the accommodations that you need from those documents, adjust these accommodations for the new academic setting making sure they are reasonable and will not cause a hardship. Then request the adjusted reasonable accommodations through your college’s Disability Resource Office or Disability Access Services office. Different colleges and universities can have different names for these campus disability support services.

Not only can you request reasonable accommodations for academic settings, but you can also request accommodations for living on campus. These accommodations can include having a single occupancy dorm room, to having access to an accessible bathroom and shower, and access to dining facilities, etc. When requesting reasonable accommodations, you must self-identify, register with the college’s disability office, and provide documentation to receive approved accommodations. This process can feel overwhelming and getting the needed documentation can sometimes be difficult and time consuming.

Documentation includes psychological testing, doctor’s letters, medical records, and record of accommodations received during standardized testing. It’s essential to ensure that all documentation is recent, less than three years old, and sourced from qualified medical professionals. While colleges strive to provide accommodations, do remember not all accommodations received in high school can be used in the college setting.

You must take the lead in advocating for your needs. This means proactive communication with college disability services, professors, and campus personnel is essential in ensuring that your needs are met. By becoming a self-advocate, you can empower yourself to succeed academically and personally in the college setting. Visit the campus in person if you can. This can provide firsthand insight into the campus’s accessibility and suitability. Navigating college access for students with disabilities requires careful planning, research, and advocacy with each step playing a crucial role in facilitating a smooth transition to higher education.

For assistance in the transition process into higher education, please contact DAC NEW at (509) 606-4639 or email erin@dacnw.org.