<p>As I've found myself entangled more and more in the college process, I've started wondering why high-achieving physically disabled students aren't more heavily sought after by colleges. I mean, they definitely aren't over-represented and add some of that much sought after "diversity" to the campus. Yet the disabled aren't just not helped, sometimes they are outright shunned. For example, the military academies won't accept modifications on standardized tests and accept only a small number of students with limited physically disabilities (i.e., mild asthama or slight vision problems, with the latter not even being technically considered a disability!). Other schools are inaccessible or unwelcoming that I can't see any physically disabled student going there unless it was their only option or if they really, really wanted to prove a point. There also seems to be a lack of scholarships for mobility impaired students (excluding blind students or cancer victims, both of whom certainly deserve recognition for their accomplishments/obstacles, don't get me wrong.). I don't get it. Disabled students have overcome a ton of adversity, but no college is going to have special recruitment/discovery days for us. Why are they missing out on this?</p>
<p>WOLFPIPER just a question for you - are you a disabled student?? - or is your question a general observation.</p>
<p>The Acadamies aren't able to accept students with the special needs and adaptations required by most 'disabilities' as they must be fit enough to fulfil their military service upon graduation. Asthma is really not considered a special need/adapted type of illness - is managable with certain acceptable medications - for the most part - there are some who are not able to fulfill the requirements depending on the type of asthma they may have. Vision issues fall into the same catabory - as long as the vision is correctable to a specific degree.</p>
<p>Many/most schools do not have the adaptable facilities/resources required/available by/to physically handicapped students - tho there are some schools that do have good support systems for those who need adaptations - Univ of Ill/H/C and ECU come to mind right now - there a few more tho.</p>
<p>I tend to agree with your observation tho that most schools are not very welcoming for the disabled student - wh</p>
<p>I am disabled. I see colleges recruiting URMs/low income/low representation geographic areas, etc., and wonder why disabled people are left out of this "game."</p>
<p>I don't see why colleges should be let off the hook for not having the resources-God knows they certainly have enough tuition money coming in. It doesn't seem right for certain students to be disallowed education just because the school doesn't want to put forth the effort. It's discrimination that's considered "okay" and that disturbs me. I know there are plenty of high-achieving disabled students out there-I've met some of them. Why ignore them?</p>
<p>What are you asking for: preferential admissions or compliance with ADA?</p>
<p>May I ask what your disability is??</p>
<p>In the admission process - a school would not know of your disability unless you inform them of it. Schools do comply with the ADA rules of accessabiltity - but that does not mean that they are going to go looking for students to utilize those things specifically.</p>
<p>Many a handicapped student has been successful in achieving acceptance/admission success - some schools are better prepared and actually have very specific resources available. There are some situations tho that the student is required to provide for - like personal aids/PCAs and maybe even class aids. Merit and Need based aid are just as available to a handicapped student as to any other student.</p>
<p>I think alot will also depend on the degree of the handicap as well. What specifically are you looking for as far as accomadation??</p>
<p>Unable to answer your question, but my daughter recently received a brochure from Mississippi State, and there was a picture of a wheelchair basketball team. I think that was the first picture I've seen of disabled students in any college materials.</p>
<p>Perhaps part of the problem is the age of most college buildings - built before ADA. While many buildings have been made accessible, I don't think most colleges can say ALL their buildings are accessible.</p>
<p>Wolfpiper, I think you are right and I suspect the main reason is that colleges are afraid of the expense of making everything everywhere accessible. I know they already are required to provide access in new construction or rehab but there are a lot of old buildings and campus layouts that are not fully accessible. The only way this will ever change is through advocacy: Somebody (maybe you) is going to have to speak out, and speak out loudly. I never even thought about the military academies. If you are drafting people for combat, then sure, flat feet is enough to warrant a 4-F. But if you are educating future military leaders, I am sure there are plenty of jobs in the military that can be done by someone in a wheelchair, or with other physical disabilities. I see no good reason for the service academies to rule out students with disabilities, other than not wanting the hassle of dealing with their accomodations. </p>
<p>I know you are speaking from firsthand experience of visiting college campuses and trying to get around in a wheelchair. I think most able bodied people just don't think about it, and don't want to think abou it. If I visit a campus at the top of a hill, the location is seen as attractive (is there a view?) and if access is achieved via a long set of stairs, well that is good exercise. I don't think, "How will I ever get up there in my wheelchair." Keep asking the question.</p>
<p>The ADA requires ALL colleges to comply who are receiving any federal aid for students - tho the services acadamies and some religious schools are exempt from those requirements due to their funding sources. </p>
<p>Some colleges comply much better than others do - they have to accomadate handicapped students for living situations and for access to resources and classes - it may mean that a class has to be moved to a more accessable place to accomodate a mobility handicapped student. Some schools have many programs thru their resource department - others have few services available - but a school is certainly out there for any student who looking to go to college - just may not be their dream school.</p>
<p>This is pretty long, but it is a good summary. Title II only covers public institutions. Section 504 covers public and private recipeints of Federal financial assistance.</p>
<p>BTW, the current useage is "disabled," not "handicapped." There is no affirnative action requirement under either Section 504 or Title II of the ADA.</p>
<p>The regulations implementing Section 504 and Title II, at 34 C.F.R. 104.21 and 28 C.F.R. 35.149, respectively, state that no qualified individual with a disability shall be denied the benefits of, be excluded from participation in, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination by a recipient because the recipient's facilities are inaccessible to or unusable by persons with disabilities.
For existing facilities, a recipient will operate each program or activity so that the program or activity, when viewed in its entirety, is readily accessible to persons with disabilities. 34 C.F.R. 104.22(a); 28 C.F.R. 35.150(a). An existing facility for purposes of Section 504 and Title II is any facility that was in existence or in the process of construction or alteration on or before the effective date of the applicable regulation. The effective date of the Section 504 regulationwas June 3, 1977; the effective date of the Title II regulation was January 26, 1992. </p>
<p>Each existing facility does not need to be readily accessible and usable, nor does every part of an existing facility. Instead, each program or activity is to be operated so that the program or activity, when viewed in its entirety, is readily accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities. Under both regulations, accessibility for existing facilities can be achieved by making nonstructural changes, such as redesigning equipment, reassigning classes or services to accessible buildings or facilities, assigning aides to students or beneficiaries with disabilities, and using home visits or alternative sites for the delivery of services.</p>
<p>For new facilities, a recipient needs to make each facility or part of a facility readily accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities if construction was commenced after the effective date of the applicable regulation. 34 C.F.R. 104.23(a); 28 C.F.R. 35.151(a). A new facility for purposes of Section 504 and Title II is defined as any facility that was constructed or altered after the effective date of the applicable regulation.</p>
<p>Under the regulation implementing Section 504, building construction or alteration carried out between June 4, 1977, and January 17, 1991 (new construction under Section 504), must conform to the American National Standards Institute accessibility standards (ANSI A117.1-1961 (R 1971)) or substantially equivalent standards. All building construction or alteration made as of January 18, 1991 (also new construction under Section 504), must conform to the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS) or substantially equivalent standards.</p>
<p>Under the regulation implementing Title II, all building construction or alteration made as of January 26, 1992 (new construction under Title II) must conform to UFAS, the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities (ADAAG), or equivalent standards. Public entities have a choice of which standards they want to follow depending upon the date of construction.</p>
<p>Facilities may be both existing facilities for purposes of Title II and new construction under Section 504, as would be the case, for example, with buildings constructed after June 3, 1977, but before January 26, 1992. In these cases, OCR applies the ANSI standards in reviewing the facilities of public entities/recipients.</p>
<p>I'd like to clear up a few things:
My disability:
I have a mild to moderate form of cerebral palsy (CP). I walk using a walker. I also have speech, fine motor, sptial, and sensory difficulties, but they apply little to what I'm talking about here,</p>
<p>When I started looking into schools, I was very determined not to let my disability factor into my choice, so much so that it infuriated me when people said that I dshould go to X because of my disability. However, after a few campus visits, I realized that accomdations, like it or not, are going to be huge factor. For example, I visited UWashington. I liked UWashington (beautiful campus, by the way), but the disability services were really horrible. The disability office was not staffed by any DISABLED people, and several times I had to go down the stairs for want of a ramp. Even the adcoms didn't know accessible routes around the school! The punchlike of their joke? The school material repeatedly touts the campus' accessibility.
The point of this is not to lambaste UW (I still think it's a good school), but to point out the the problem with these schools. The criterion I never wanted to use is now sadly my many litmus test when picking a school-and it appears the choices are numbered. I worked hard to get where I am, and to be told I can't go somewhere just because I can't walk stings a lot.</p>
<p>Secondly, I'm still surprised colleges don't actively recruit people with disabilities. For people that pay great lip service to "diversity" and "adversity," colleges seem surprising heistant about including the disabled.</p>
<p>I'm really not trying to make this a pity party, so sorry if it sounds that way.I'm just trying to bring to ligght an unsettling point,</p>
<p>WOLFPIPER - your point is well taken and well explained - and I agree with you and your litmus test situation. It is a very difficult sitatuation at best I am sure for you - and it should NOT be.</p>
<p>What schools are you applying to BTW - and what are your experiences at those schools as well? As I said previously - some schools do do things better than others - I certainly hope you have found some of the better ones.</p>
<p>Just returned from Amherst which has lots of old buildings - saw lots of elevators, push buttons to open doors, and there was even a place for parents who needed help with mobility to sign up for campus transportation to get from one end to the other. The problem I saw was that the school is old, and hilly, but I saw that there was real effort there.</p>
<p>uw is a huge campus- a smaller campus might be worth looking at.
I don't know if you are looking at Reed- but they have ramps instead of ( along with ) stairs- it is a small campus-and the buildings seem to ahve been updated- with the exception of possibly some of the dorms.</p>
<p>I just wanted to encourage you in pursuit of any college you want to attend. I wanted to share two stories with you. First, (I was glad to hear of the brochure included a wheelchair basketball team from Mississippi State as that is my alma mater) I actually had a professor in undergrad who had a mild form of CP. His speech was a little slurred and he had a leg that dragged when he walked but after a day you never remembered that because he was a fabulous professor. He was very well loved on our campus and highly respected. I was in my doctoral program (at another student) with a student in a wheelchair who had had polio as a child. She was extremely intelligent and a fantastic teacher. She occasionally had minor problems on campus but usually found that her needs were accommodated. There is usually an Office of Disability Accommodations on each campus that you could contact to ask about things such as how accessible each of their buildings may be. </p>
<p>I don't know why it's not looked at as a group to recruit. My only guess is that a physical disability doesn't always show up on paper.</p>
<p>Wolfpiper:</p>
<p>You might find this pamphlet from the US Department of Education helpful: Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities.</p>
<p>I think your instincts are right; make sure the campus disability office is going to be helpful, but I wouldn't make the judgment on how many disabled people they hire. Secondly, look closely at the physical lay out of the campus. Is it hilly, filled with traffic, or have many older buildings, which may not be physically accessible. I'd talk to other students with CP to find out what their experiences have been at particular colleges and speak with the local CP interest group (if there is one) to see what they know about the colleges you are interested in.</p>
<p>Once you choose a college make sure that you are in touch with the disability office the summer before school starts so they can begin to work on any accomodations you need. Make sure your medical documentation is up-to-date and supports the accomodations you are requesting. Remember an IEP or a 504 plan will not by itself serve as the basis for requesting auxiliary aids at the college level.</p>
<p>Wolfpiper,</p>
<p>I would recommend you check out the University of Michigan. For two years I was an intern in the Department for Students with Disabilities at UofM. There are even specific scholarships available.
I know that the university puts a lot of effort into its department and many services are available. I cant speak for your specific situation but I would recommend that you check out UMich.
<a href="http://www.umich.edu/%7Esswd/%5B/url%5D">http://www.umich.edu/~sswd/</a></p>
<p>Good Luck.</p>