Students with Disabilities
The SDSU study abroad office works with students with disabilities to help them find programs that provide appropriate accommodation and meet their accessibility needs. Here are some quick tips and a list of resources for students with disabilities that desire to study abroad.
- Disclose your disability needs to program staff early, so appropriate arrangements can be made in advance. Please note that accommodations may not be available retroactively.
- Remember that other cultures may provide disability access in a different way--learn about what types of accommodation are typically provided in your host country, and be flexible and open to different ways of accommodating your disability.
- Before you go, find out as much as you can about your host culture and how they view disability by reading, talking to other students, and attending pre-departure orientation sessions. The more you know, the better prepared you will be for the interaction between your disability and the new environment.
- Think about how you will answer questions about your disability in the language of your host country--look up key vocabulary words ahead of time.
Resources for studying abroad with disabilities:
- Access Abroad - University of Minnesota /Information for Students with Disabilities: Access Abroad, a federally funded project, seeks to enhance existing study abroad opportunities for students with disabilities. This is currently the most comprehensive resource for students with disabilities and study abroad. Make sure you visit it.
- Mobility International USA: Mobility International USA (MIUSA) aspires to empower people with disabilities through international exchange, information, technical assistance and training, to ensure the inclusion of people with disabilities in international exchange and development programs.
- Access-Able Travel Source: Provides access information to disabled travelers.
- Global Access: This disabled travel network is a forum for disabled travelers to share their experiences. Find travel tips and articles on a wide variety of destinations. If you have traveled with a disability, submit your own story to this site.
- Disability Information for Students: Of particular interest is this sites' International Disability News Ticker, with links to news stories on disability from around the world.
- Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: The Country Reports on Human Rights Practices are submitted annually by the U.S. Department of State to the U.S. Congress. They cover internationally recognized individual, civil, political, and worker rights as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and include summaries of policies toward individuals with disabilities.
- SDS: Student Disability Services at San Diego State University.
- Skill: National Bureau for Students with Disabilities: promotes opportunities in higher education across the UK for students with disabilities.
- Independent Living Institute: For information about study and training at universities in Europe, North America and other parts of the world. The service is for everyone, including persons with disabilities who find here information about accessibility, adapted housing, transportation or personal assistance in daily living.