Your Guide to College Disability Accommodations

Colleges and universities vary enormously in the level of support they provide to students with disabilities. While looking at schools, families should consider a student's disabilities, and the supports they require in order to access the curriculum.

Families can find a lot of information online, but should also visit each school's disability office prior to applying. They can discuss what the student needs, and what services are available.

When submitting applications, students should carefully consider which schools will be able to meet their needs as a learner. Students may need to balance their various goals. For example, a school may be great for a particular sport, but have limited disability services. Or, a school may be considered very prestigious, but not be great for students with particular needs. Students need to consider where they can be successful and grow as an individual with unique needs.

When students apply to schools, they have no need to mention their disability, and they do not need to provide any documents such as an IEP, 504 Plan or doctor's note.

Schools must consider each applicant and make admission decisions without regard to disability.

As soon as a student is admitted to a school, they should register with the disability office. Usually, the application form is available on the website, and must be submitted to the disability office, not the admissions office.

Students need to provide documents to prove they have a disability that could reduce their access to the college curriculum. They can look online or call the disability office to figure out exactly what documents they should provide, but it usually includes documentation from their doctor, a neuropsychological evaluation report, an IEP, and/or a 504 Plan.

After students register with their disability office, they usually meet in person with the disability office staff. During this interview, the student and the disability office staff work together to decide if the student is eligible for accommodations, and which accommodations they need.

During or after the meeting, the disability officer and the student create a list of accommodations. The student should speak up if they feel like the accommodations do not need their needs. This is their opportunity to advocate for their rights as a student with a disability. The student has access to this list and can share it as they would like.

The student's professors are automatically notified that the student has been approved for accommodations. The professors do not receive a copy of the actual list of accommodations, nor any information about the disability. The student can supply this information to professors if they would like to do so.

Students at colleges and universities are expected to be able to advocate for themselves, and to clearly explain to others what they need in order to have full access to the curriculum. They must share their own accommodations list, and remind professors if they are not following them.

This shift towards individual responsibility can be jarring for many students, and for their parents. However, as students learn to navigate college, they develop the skills they will need to insist on their rights as an adult with a disability out in the world.

This content was reviewed by an educator at Boston Children’s Hospital .

Developmental care is best when it is local. Families local to Boston can receive care from the Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Program (CNP) and/or the Boston Adult Congenital Heart (BACH) program. Families from other regions can use the link below to find their local care team.