Disabilities commonly found upon college and university populations are both visible and hidden. The main access issue for disabled students in the 1970's and early 1980's focused on architectural accessibility. Now facilities are being designed with a barrier-free environment, and renovation projects commonly consider the needs of students with mobility impairments. While federal regulations have opened the door for students who use wheelchairs, access issues for students with other disabilities are commonly overlooked. The main access issue for many disabled students is in the classroom.
Many handicaps interfere with traditional learning and require instructor flexibility.
Adapting the manner in which specific courses are conducted is a common request, for example, students with hearing impairments rely heavily on material which is presented visually. Although some hearing impaired students are proficient in sign language and have an interpreter in the classroom, others prefer speech reading as a mode of communication. If the hearing impaired student relies on speech reading, the appropriate accommodations may include the provision of a detailed course outline, a list of key terms used in the lecture, visually represented material via an overhead, and a notetaker to supplement the student's notes. The visually impaired include individuals with partial to total loss of vision. Students with partial loss of vision often benefit from large printed material.