Students with Disabilities Studying in the United States:
Resources and Opportunities
FeatureBy Olivia Hardin

David Albala heard stories from a young age about his uncle’s experience at a U.S. university with the Fulbright program. As a graduate film student in Chile, David followed through on his childhood dream of going to the UnitedStates like his uncle by applying for and receiving a Fulbright award. Using a wheelchair did not impact David’s plans. He
found that the people who supported him looked at him as a person with a myriad of interests and ideas.
David is not an unusual case. Rauf Salokhodjaev, who has cerebral
palsy, is studying in the United States as a Muskie Graduate Fellow.
Rauf sees his experience in America as a way to improve the placeof people with disabilities in his home country of Uzbekistan. Hesays, “I would like to dedicate my life to disability-related issues. Mycountry is young, and I think people like me who have appropriate
education and experience and who are confident in their goals areready to contribute their best for the development of their country
and can really make a change. These two years of study at the State
University of New York may determine the course of my whole life!”
Thousands of people with disabilities around the world have similargoals to David and Rauf: to study in the United States. There are over
650 million people around the world with a disability. Most people
with disabilities are in large part underserved and underrepresented
within the educational, social, political and employment sectors of
their communities, and likely to live in poverty. Only 2-3% of children with disabilities worldwide receive a formal education. Those
who pursue an education often do so utilizing skills and resiliency
while countering discrimination and lack of resources. But broader
changes are occurring in large part due to people with disabilities
around the world advocating for the right to contribute to society
and be regarded as equal citizens. In 2008 the United Nations
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (http://www.
un.org/disabilities/) entered into force. This landmark Convention
focused worldwide attention on the importance of equal access forpeople with disabilities, including the equal right to access education. Currently 147 countries have signed the Convention, signifying
a commitment to disability rights in many countries that have yet
to develop anti-discrimination or other disability-related legislation.
People with Disabilities Accessing International Exchange
As more people with disabilities are increasingly included in society
and opportunities for equal education, more have the chance tostudy in the United States. International students with disabilities
may find that their daily lives and place in society while in the U.S.
are quite different than at home. In some ways this transition may bequite difficult, but in some ways it may be welcome. Such is the casewith Humphrey Fellow Svetlana Vasilyeva, who is blind: “Sometimes
I think that [my college campus in the United States] is my utopia.
I have all conditions needed for me to focus on my studying and to

There are over 650 million people around the world with a disability.

get around campus comfortably. I can go to all my classes by myself;
all of my class materials have been converted into an accessible format; and I have met many friendly and helpful people. I know thatmany, difficult challenges are waiting for me back in my country–but
now I’m just a student and I’m very happy here!”
Here are some key elements of U.S. disability culture that international students with disabilities will likely experience in the UnitedStates:• Assistive equipment and technology
Using technology, such as the electronic door openers,
vibrating alarm clocks, and screen-reading software, to makean environment more accessible to people with disabilities iscommon in the United States.
• Inclusive education
The emphasis is to educate those with and without disabilities
together at all levels of education, and in a way that benefits
all students in the classroom. There are generally not special
institutions of higher education for people with disabilities,CONTINUED
E d u c a t i o n U S A / C o n n ectio n S

ON/ january

PAGE

2011

/32

Students with Disabilities Studying in the United States
CONTINUEDFROMPAGEFeature2

Non-discrimination Laws in the U.S.
One other significant difference in coming tothe United States may be the extensive antidiscrimination laws that protect people with• Independent living skills
disabilities in the United States, and a culture
Individuals are encouraged to develop skills
with the means to enforce these laws (seeto control their own life choices, and to“Non-discrimination Laws in the US” sidebar
have the right to choose when and how tofor more information). People with disabiliaccept assistance from others. Individuals
ties, including people in the U.S. who are notoften prefer to receive assistance from sercitizens, have significant protection under U.S.
vice dogs, a power wheelchair, or paid prolaws, but this does not mean that discrimifessionals and to make adaptations to theirnation and prejudice do not still exist in thehome and work space rather than rely on
United States. These laws also require non-disfamily and friends for basic living needs.
crimination in the higher education and schol• Recognition of a variety of disabilities
arship application processes. Disability status
Disability is widely defined by thecannot be considered a disadvantage in aAmericans with Disabilities Act and otherschool’s admission decision. Also, schools arelaws to include non-apparent disabilities
not allowed to inquire about disability in thesuch as learning and mental health disapplication process. A student may disclose aabilities.
There are generally not special institutions of higher disability and request accommodations, sucheducation for people with disabilities in the United as an application in braille, but the school• Social/human rights model of disability
States with the exception of optional schools formust make sure that this is not considered
Disability is defined as a problem within thepeople who are deaf or learning disabled
when making an admissions decision. This
structure of society and targets changes toalso means that it is the student’s responsibilthe environment and attitudes of others to create inclusion; it
ity,afteradmission,
torequest disability-related accommodations.
replaces the out-dated “medical model” that views disability
with the exception of optional schools forpeople who are Deaf or learning disabled(see page 5).

as a problem within an individual that needs to be fixed withmedical intervention.

In the U.S. higher education system, colleges and universities arerequired to provide equal access through “reasonable accommodations” to people with disabilities. (See chart outlining examples ofU.S. Non-Discrimination Legislation

Air Carrier Access Act
This federal legislation protects people with disabilities against discriminatory treatment and requires airlines to accommodate access toair travel. This includes foreign carriers to and from the United States.

International students and other non-U.S. citizens are covered by thefollowing laws when in the United States, and can become more familiar with these through Disability.gov.
Americans with Disabilities Act
This broad-reaching civil rights law covers anti-discrimination protections for people with disabilities in employment, education, communications, public facilities, public transportation and government agencies. It requires the agency, business or institution to provide reasonable accommodations and services for an individual with a disability toaccess goods and services.
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504
This section of legislation governs disability-related access to educational institutions that are receiving any type of federal funding, which
includes most colleges and universities with the exception of some
private or religious educational institutions.

Fair Housing Access Act
People with disabilities are among the groups protected from unfair
practices in housing, such as from landlords discriminating as towhom they rent housing units or disallowing renters to make accessrelated modifications.
Americans with disabilities also have access to social security andpublic health insurance programs that non-U.S. citizens will not haveaccess to because it is considered public assistance. This includes
access to funding for personal assistants, equipment such as hearing
aids or wheelchairs, mobility training for blind individuals, and healthcare that covers pre-existing conditions and medications. To learn
more about how to access other community-based services and prepare for health insurance, see online Resources sidebar, on page 4.
CONTINUED
E d u c a t i o n U S A / C o n n ectio n S

ON/ january

PAGE

2011

/43

Students with Disabilities Studying in the United States
CONTINUEDFROMPAGEFeature

3

Disability Types among the 830 Internationaland 30024 U.S. Students with Disabilities*
35
30
2520

International Students withDisabilities

15

U.S. Students with Disabilities

105esDisabilitinsoryDisabilit
iesSeilityobM

esDi
sa
bi
lit
ies

isa
bi
lit
ien
talD
pm

DeveloLearning

isa
bi
lit
ies

es
isa
bi
lit
ientalD
M

edicalD
MOt
herD

isa
bilit
ies0

2010 National Survey on Student Engagement (NSSE)*Percentages may add up to more than 100% since students may have reported
more than one disability.

accommodations.) This is usually coordinated by a disability services office on campus that assesses needs and makes arrangements
for reasonable accommodations for all students with disabilities.
The student is encouraged to talk with the disability services office
before and after admission. Staff in this office will not disclose astudent’s disability to the admissions office. When researching aschool, students should ask this office about disability-related services and programs available at that school. In some cases, a student
may also want to speak with another student who attends the schooland has a similar disability.

Online Resources
Accessible Advising: Reaching Students with Disabilities
www.miusa.org/ncde/trainings/accessadvising
AWAY Topics International Student Advisingwww.miusa.org/publications/books/awaytopics1
A Recruitment Guide: Youth and Adults with Disabilities for
Exchange Programs to the United States
www.miusa.org/ncde/tools/inboundrecruit
Advising Students, Scholars and Professionals with Disabilities
for Exchange to the United States
www.miusa.org/ncde/tools/inboundadvising
Coming to the USA as a Person with a Disability
www.miusa.org/ncde/comingtousa
You can contact the NCDE anytime by calling them at(+1) 541-343-1284, emailing clearinghouse@miusa.org, or through thewebsite http://www.miusa.org/ncde.

Providing disability-related accommodations in the United States istypically more formal with rules and procedures in contrast to othersocieties in which people with disabilities are more likely to receive
informal support from friends, family or negotiating directly with faculty and other staff. For example, in the United States specific institutional guidelines regulate what types of accommodations may beprovided and how they are requested. Students are required to provide documentation, from a doctor or other qualified professional,of their disability. Every student’s situation is considered on an individual basis, so a student who has trouble obtaining documentation
should contact the school’s disability services office to inquire aboutother options. Some schools may be more flexible than others on
documentation requirements. Students with disabilities should be
prepared to disclose and provide documentation of their disability
in order to request accommodations.
Privacy and confidentiality laws in the U.S. protect the informationfrom being shared unnecessarily with others. Federal and institutional rules govern who has access to the disability information ofstudents, and confidentiality is taken very seriously. Oftentimes,
international students may be uneasy about who will know about
their disability, and disability services staff can answer any questions
the student has in this regard. International students may find thatmany of their U.S. peers are very open about their disability identity
and have pride as a person with a disability. Many campuses havestudents groups specifically for students with disabilities. This canbe a great place for international students to meet other diverse
students on campus, find support for challenges they are facing, andlearn more about disability culture in the United States. Argiroula
Zangana, a Fulbright Student from Greece, experienced this when
meeting other deaf students at her college. She says, “It amazed me
to meet Deaf people who were able to attend college and do otherthings that would not be possible or accepted in Greece, like piloting
an airplane. I experienced different points of view that helped me toface aspects of my own deafness and accept it.” This sharing can goboth ways with international students sharing their experiences ofdisability in a different culture.
Other students and disability services staff can also let international
students know more about what resources are available to them off
campus. Are there accessible public buses or local public transportation services specifically for people with disabilities? Where is thebest accessible housing? When do movie theatres show captioned
movies that are accessible to people who are deaf? Where can astudent take orientation and mobility training to learn how to use
a white cane? While many community programs will be available
for international students to use, some may be restricted to U.S.
CONTINUEDE d u c a t i o n U S A / C o n n ectio n S

ON/ january

PAGE

2011/54

Students with Disabilities Studying in the United States
CONTINUEDFROMPAGEFeature

4citizens, especially if the programs are funded by federal, state orlocal governments.
Selecting an Institution
As with any student, students with disabilities may choose schools
based on location, cost, quality of programs and other factors
before they consider disability. Because inclusive education isemphasized, there are very few colleges and universities in theUnited States specifically for people with disabilities. Gallaudet
University in Washington D.C. (www.gallaudet.edu) and theNational Technical Institute for the Deaf (www.ntid.edu) specifically serves people who are Deaf and Landmark College in Vermont(www.landmark.edu) serves students who have learning disabilities
and attention deficit disorder. Besides these schools, some schools
may be more attractive to people with disabilities, for example, byhaving excellent physical accessibility, a large community of people
with a specific disability, or a reputation for having exceptional services for people with disabilities on campus or in the community.
Students who are interested in finding schools such as these can doonline research, but should also try to connect with disability communities in the United States to hear the opinions of others.
Advising Students with Disabilities
The best way for advisers to improve their advising of students withdisabilities wanting to study in the United States is to learn fromthe experiences of students who have already had the experience ofstudy in the U.S. Students such as Yelena Semyonova from Russia,
who attended a community college in Iowa and has a prosthetic leg,says, “Going to America wasn’t just my goal — it was my dream.
Even before I realized it was a goal, I was moving toward it all thetime on a sub-conscious level.”
Many articles written by and about international students with disabilities are available on the ECA-sponsored National Clearinghouseon Disability and Exchange (NCDE) website at www.miusa.org/
ncde/stories/destination/namerica. The NCDE welcomes students
with disabilities who are studying or have studied in the UnitedStates to add their stories to this collection by submitting their information to www.miusa.org/ncde/stories/featuredpersonform. Every
individual has a story to tell that will encourage others and let theworld know that people with disabilities should be included!

Olivia Hardin is an Information Services Specialist for the National
Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange at Mobility International USA.
The National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange is a project
funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational andCultural Affairs, and administered by Mobility International USA, toincrease disability inclusion in international study, volunteer, teach andother exchange programs.

Examples of Accommodations
The chart below is a sampling of accommodations for some disabilities. Specific accommodations will depend on the individual situation. Though there
are many accommodations not provided by the school, there may be community organizations that will assist students.

Type of Disability

Examples that may beprovided by the school

Examples that may not beprovided by the school

Deaf• American Sign Language interpreter• Flashing light/vibrating alarm system anddoorbell on campus• Closed captioning or FM system• Vibrating alarm clock• Videophone• Hearing aid

Learning Disability• Notetaker• Extended time on test• Quiet place to take test

• Personal screen reading software

Blind• Conversion of written materials toaccessible format• Screen reading software in computer lab• Orientation and mobility training• Personal screen reading software• Service dog

Mobility-related• Ramps• Automatic door opener• Accessible dorm room
• Accessible parking• Wheelchair• Personal assistant• Accessible housing off-campus

E d u c a t i o n U S A / C o n n ectio n S/ january

2011/5