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What is a Disability Resource Center & How Can it Help Me?

Most post-secondary institutions have at least a disability resource center, with at least one designated person in charge of reviewing your documentation, designating what services you qualify for, and helping guide you through the process of asking for the support you need from your professors. Since every school is different, the services and supports they offer are going to vary greatly, especially dependent on the size of the school, the population of students with disabilities that attends that institution, and the resources they are willing to allocate towards supporting students with disabilities. 

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When you are researching colleges, make sure you also look into the disability support programs that the institution offers its students. Remember, Section 504 only guarantees equal opportunity for access and providing reasonable accommodations.

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Some important facts about disability services:​

  • You are responsible for disclosing your disability, they won't seek you out. Furthermore, they won't know unless you choose to disclose.

  • The people who are in charge do not necessarily have special training in special education or disabilities

  • Some schools only offer basic support services (extended time on tests, testing in alternate setting, note taker or copy or course notes)

  • Some schools have specialized programs and curriculum for students with disabilities

  • Reasonable accommodations can vary by institution

  • Just because you qualify for services in high school doesn't mean you automatically quality for those same or equivalent services in college. You have to present the requested documentation to disability services, and they review it and determine if and what you qualify for.

  • Most institutions have specific procedures in place for requesting accommodations in your classes once you have been deemed eligible to receive services.

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Madaus, J. W. (2005). Navigating the College Transition Maze: A Guide for Students with Learning Disabilities. Teaching Exceptional Children,37(3), 32-37.

Navigating the Waters to Post-Secondary Education:
A Guide for Students with Disabilities & Parents about How to Prepare for Transition to Post-Secondary Education

by Rachel Z. Roth, M.Ed.

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