Other U.S. Study Options » Students with Special Needs
Students with Special Needs
Non-discrimination Laws in the U.S.
One significant difference in coming to the United States may be the extensive antidiscrimination laws that protect people with disabilities in the United States, and a culture with the means to enforce these laws (see “Non-discrimination Laws in the US” at disability.gov for more information). People with disabilities, including people in the U.S. who are not citizens, have significant protection under U.S. laws, but this does not mean that discrimination and prejudice do not still exist in the United States. These laws also require non-discrimination in the higher education and scholarship application processes. Disability status cannot be considered a disadvantage in a school’s admission decision. Also, schools are not allowed to inquire about disability in the application process. A student may disclose a disability and request accommodations, such as an application in braille, but the school must make sure that this is not considered when making an admissions decision. This also means that it is the student’s responsibility, after admission, to request disability-related accommodations.
In the U.S. higher education system, colleges and universities are required to provide equal access through “reasonable accommodations” to people with disabilities. This is usually coordinated by a disability services office on campus that assesses needs and makes arrangements for reasonable accommodations for all students with disabilities. The student is encouraged to talk with the disability services office before and after admission. Staff in this office will not disclose a student’s disability to the admissions office. When researching a school, students should ask this office about disability-related services and programs available at that school. In some cases, a student may also want to speak with another student who attends the school and has a similar disability.
Providing disability-related accommodations in the United States is typically more formal with rules and procedures in contrast to other societies in which people with disabilities are more likely to receive informal support from friends, family or negotiating directly with faculty and other staff. For example, in the United States specific institutional guidelines regulate what types of accommodations may be provided and how they are requested. Students are required to provide documentation, from a doctor or other qualified professional, of their disability. Every student’s situation is considered on an individual basis, so a student who has trouble obtaining documentation should contact the school’s disability services office to inquire about other options. Some schools may be more flexible than others on documentation requirements. Students with disabilities should be prepared to disclose and provide documentation of their disability in order to request accommodations.
Privacy and confidentiality laws in the U.S. protect the information from being shared unnecessarily with others. Federal and institutional rules govern who has access to the disability information of students, and confidentiality is taken very seriously. Oftentimes, international students may be uneasy about who will know about their disability, and disability services staff can answer any questions the student has in this regard. International students may find that many of their U.S. peers are very open about their disability identity and have pride as a person with a disability. Many campuses have students groups specifically for students with disabilities. This can be a great place for international students to meet other diverse students on campus, find support for challenges they are facing, and learn more about disability culture in the United States.
Selecting an Institution
As with any student, students with disabilities may choose schools based on location, cost, quality of programs and other factors before they consider disability. Because inclusive education is emphasized, there are very few colleges and universities in the United States specifically for people with disabilities. Gallaudet University in Washington D.C. (www.gallaudet.edu) and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (www.ntid.edu/) specifically serves people who are Deaf and Landmark College in Vermont (www.landmark.edu) serves students who have learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder. Besides these schools, some schools may be more attractive to people with disabilities, for example, by having excellent physical accessibility, a large community of people with a specific disability, or a reputation for having exceptional services for people with disabilities on campus or in the community.
Students who are interested in finding schools such as these can do online research, but should also try to connect with disability communities in the United States to hear the opinions of others.
Disability and Exchange (NCDE) website www.miusa.org/
