In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, all colleges and universities must provide reasonable accommodations to an individual with a disability so that he or she can fully participate in any program, service, or activity sponsored by the institution. In order to receive support services, however, it is your responsibility to request accommodations from your school and to be able to discuss your need for those services.
Remember that for most colleges and universities, special accommodations are made on a case-by-case, as-needed basis. The school you attend may not have an established list of available services, so you will have to self-advocate for the resources that you desire.
When considering the resources you may need in college, think about the accommodations that you currently receive in high school. Make a list of those accommodations and why they are beneficial to you. For example:
In science class, I always have the same lab partner. I am more comfortable working with someone that I know and trust rather than a total stranger.
OR
When I take a test, I do not have a time limit. Also, I take all of my tests in a quiet room away from my classmates. This allows me to concentrate better on my tests, and now I get better grades.
Remember that in college, you may not be able to receive exactly the same accommodations that you received in high school. In order to get a better general understanding of your strengths and weaknesses, please take the following self-assessment. This questionnaire will tell you the best ways that you learn in school.
(The following self-assessment is copied from a website and is available at:
Read each question carefully and think about how it applies to you. Keep in mind that you are thinking about learning new, difficult information. On the line next to the question, put the NUMBER of the response that you choose:
1 - NEVER APPLIES
___ 01. It is better for me to get work done in a quiet place. ___ 02. I am not skilled at giving VERBAL explanations for directions. ___ 03. I have trouble reading if the print is small, blurry, or smudged. ___ 04. It is hard for me to read other people’s handwriting. ___ 05. I cannot study sitting at a desk. ___ 06. If I can’t think of a word I wave my hands and call it a ‘thingee’. ___ 07. I remember something better if I write it down. ___ 08. My eyes get tired fast although the eye doctor says they are OK. ___ 09. It is hard for me to understand what a person is saying when there are other people talking or there is music playing. ___ 10. I remember things that I hear better than things I read or see. ___ 11. When I read, I mix up words that look alike, like them and then and bad and dad. ___ 12. I don’t like to read directions first; I would rather just start doing. ___ 13. I enjoy doodling and even my notes have lots of pictures, arrows, etc. in them. ___ 14. I think better when I have the freedom to move around. ___ 15. I often get lost or am late if someone TELLS me how to get to a new place and I don’t write the directions down. ___ 16. Before I follow directions, it helps me to SEE someone else do it. ___ 17. I had trouble learning to read out loud when I was younger. ___ 18. It helps to use my finger as a pointer when reading to keep my place. ___ 19. If I am taking a test, I can "see" the textbook or notebook page where the answer is. ___ 20. If I had the choice to learn new information by lecture or a textbook, I would choose to HEAR it rather than read it. ___ 21. I tend to solve problems through a more trial-and-error approach, rather than a step-by-step method. ___ 22. When trying to remember someone’s telephone number, it helps if I try to picture it in my head. ___ 23. I find myself needing frequent breaks when studying. ___ 24. My written work doesn’t look neat to me. My papers have crossed out words and erasures. ___ 25. It’s hard for me to understand a joke that someone tells me. ___ 26. I understand how to do something BEST if someone TELLS me rather than if I read the directions myself. ___ 27. It helps me to LOOK at the speaker when I am listening. Looking helps me focus on what she is saying. ___ 28. I learn BEST when someone SHOWS me how to do something and then I have the opportunity to do it myself. ___ 29. Handwriting is tiring; I press down really hard with a pencil or pen. ___ 30. I do not get lost easily even in a strange place.
Find the corresponding question on the inventory and write your answer on the line: Interpreting the scores: Find each numbered question from the list and place your answer of 1, 2, or 3 on the line matching that question on the chart above. When you have filled in all the numbers, add up your total in each column. The higher the score, the BETTER you are at using those skills. For example, if your total scores are: visual 19; auditory 25, tactile 23 you learn BEST by listening, then using hands-on. You are not as comfortable with a textbook or a chart that no one has explained to you. In college, your professors will employ various combinations of visual, auditory, and tactile teaching techniques. When asking for special services from your school, focus on the type of learning that you struggle with most. The following is taken from the Ball State University Disabled Student Development website at http://www.bsu.edu/dsd/disabilitytype/. Here are some examples of accommodations available to Ball State students: For Students with a Learning Disability or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), possible accommodations include:
For Students who have Asperger's Syndrome, possible accommodations include:
As a student with disabilities, appropriate accommodations may include adaptations in the way specific courses are conducted, the use of auxiliary equipment and support staff, and modifications in academic requirements. Your college or university has the flexibility to select the specific aid or service it provides, as long as it is effective.
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