Students and Families should:
Seek information
- Investigate a variety of institutions of higher education (IHE)
- What are the admissions requirements?
- Attend college fairs; investigate IHE via appropriate internet sites (e.g. OCIS, AHEAD, OhioMeansJobs)
- Review degree offerings of the IHE
- Do they match the student’s interests?
- What accommodations and services are available?
- Does the IHE provide Level 1 or Level 2 supports?
Students need to self-advocate. The IHE will not identify students with disabilities. Students must identify themselves, their disability, and needs.
IHE may require the following:
- A current evaluation team report (ETR)
- An adult IQ test
- Evidence of a disability; either a medical or psychological report
- Summary of Performance
- The student’s ability to communicate his/her disability and the accommodations he/she received in high school
IHE provide different accommodations and different levels of assistance. Also, some assistance requires additional fees. Once students graduate from high school, they are no longer entitled to receive services/accommodations. They must now meet eligibility requirements to receive services/accommodations. These services are determined by the IHE’s Office of Disability Services.
Seek information from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights via their publication:
- Students With Disabilities Preparing For Postsecondary Education: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities copies available here or by calling 1.877.433.7827.
- What specific disability documentation is required to access services?
- How many students are presently being served by the Office of Disability Services?
- How many staff members work in the Office of Disability Services?
- How are teaching staff notified of the academic accommodations for a student with a
disability? - Are there any fees for the services or accommodations?
- What does the disability specialist recommend that students with disabilities do to prepare for higher education?
- What types of assistive technology are available to students and how do they access this technology?
- What types of tutoring are available for students with disabilities?
- Does the Office of Disability Services have a list of the accommodations and services
available at their institution? - Are substitute courses available for particular required college courses based on
appropriate disability documentation?