A Student Guide to Attending College with a Disability

There are a range of campus and university services available to students with disabilities who attend college. Learn more about what they are, how to access them, and more here.

What to expect

Most colleges and universities have disability service offices and accommodations in place for students with disabilities. However, higher education institutions aren’t required to provide students with IEPs, special education, or other support services offered in K-12 education. Throughout this page, we’ll cover some basic rights and tips to ease the transition to college.

Students with disabilities must register through the school’s disability services office in order to receive accommodations. Instructions for doing so are usually found on the disability services page of the school’s website. Most of the time, students will need to provide evidence that they have a disability. In some cases, they will be assigned a specific person to assist them with accommodations.

Most students will then need to inform each of their professors of the accommodations. Some disability services offices will email the professors directly, but it’s important to double check. In either event, the disability itself will not be disclosed by the disability services office, and should only be disclosed at the student’s discretion (1).

Know your rights

How Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 protects college students with disabilities

Under Section 504, colleges that receive federal funds must provide:

Equal educational access to students with disabilities
Comparable, accessible, and convenient housing for students with disabilities at the same cost

Qualified individuals under this law have a physical or mental condition that restricts one or more major life activities (2). Equal access is achieved in the form of appropriate academic adjustments/accommodations and auxiliary aids and services that are necessary (3,4). Some examples of these accommodations include:

Designated exam rooms with fewer distractions
Use of audio recording devices for lectures
Use of a laptop in the classroom
Sound amplification aids
Course substitutions
Priority class registration

Some colleges offer more substantial supports, and others even provide specific programs for students with attention and learning issues (1).

How the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects college students with disabilities

Title II and Title III of The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protect students from being discriminated against because of their disability. These titles are different from Section 504 because they are enforced by the U.S. Department of Justice (3).

Information for parents: Disability and higher education

An important difference between disability services in high school and disability services in college is that the law does not provide parental access to information regarding the student’s disability accommodations or services. This can be a difficult transition for many parents because they were likely involved with their child’s disability needs in a big way during high school. It can be helpful for parents to maintain communication with their college students with disabilities regarding time management, dorm life, and academics. Some students may prefer to pursue their needs and accommodations more independently during college. Some helpful resources for parents of students with disabilities include: