OT- need hints for finding college for son w/ disabilities

[peacefullm]

I know a wide variety of people read and post here and I hope someone can suggest a good site for finding colleges which have special services for those with disabilities. He needs wheelchair accessibility, which is easy to find searching the net, but also other adaptations (note-taker, large print, some personal attendant care,etc). It's these extra services I'm having trouble finding since every college lists itself as having "special services" which are usually minimal. We've read dozens of college sites but I'm hoping someone can give suggestions for a more fruitful search.
Thanks so much
lynn

 

[ToriLammy]

I can't really help you with where to look although we've pretty decided our daughter will attend the University of Oklahoma next year upon graduation. The main reason for this, it's close to home. Colleges/Universities do not have to provide personal care attendants. Jackie requires assistance with some personal care issues and we'll be providing those. The law changes pretty dramatically from High School to college. There are things the colleges are required to provide (if they accept Federal funds) and things they are not required to provide. In HS Jackie was granted use of special equipment (a laptop with voice recognition) - colleges don't have to provide that. Jackie will need to have her own. So, you might want to consider calling each college your son is interested, while they don't have to provide personal care attendents (PCAs) some may and that could help narrow your search.

I did a search and found this article about PCAs
http://www.ilchv.org/articles/07111801jeffs_article.htm

Here's another article I found extremely interesting:
http://www.washington.edu/doit/Newsletters/May03/04.html

I wish you much success with your search. Please keep us informed as I'm sure there are other parents of handicapped children out there who are wondering about the same things.

 

[BCV23]

Lynn, I'm glad you posted, too. Maybe we belong on a different forum but I'm wondering the same thing. My daughter will be a senior next year and it sounds like your son has similar needs to hers. It is so hard to know where to start.

We hear good things about one of your state schools..U of W at Whitewater.

Torilammy, thanks for the links. Haven't opened them yet but looking forward to doing so! I hear you about close to home. But our independent daughter has a theory that if she is far away from home she'll have no choice but NOT to be homesick!

 

[dizzyintx]

You might try the rehabilation comission in your state. I know in TX the provide these services to adults. They will have a plan to help your child get a job. If this plan includes college, they will pay for college and everything that they need to access their education. Make sure your child tells them the want to be a ---- something that requires college. Good luck, Kim

 

[mamajoan]

HI!

I attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois.
Altho I attended in the late '70's, I am certain they still have a bounty of help available for students with various disabilities.

During my time at SIU, I was a personal care attendant for two women, both were severly physically disabled. One had several attendants..including a feeder, a reader, and a personal care attendant. All were paid by the State of Illinois. Some students found there own attendents, others had help from student services in finding appropriate help. There were a large number of w/c bound students at SIU when I was there.
It was wonderful to see the AB's (able bodied) and the "wheelies" (w/c bound) students in a warm, accepting atmosphere. Those informal nicknames were given by a group of students who all hung out together, and it seemed that the nicknames were incorporated campus wide.

The dorms at SIU have several different set ups for living arrangements. Although it is large, the campus is well situated an equipped for w/c bound students. The weather in Southern Illinois is mild.. but occaisionally there is significant snowfall. I was in the PTA program at SIU, we treated the student population in our school clinic located on campus.

I have many warm memories of my days at SIU. Check them out!
SIU! Go Saluki's!

Joa

 

[cupcake]

I don't know if this helps, but I got paid by Cornell Law School to take notes for a deaf student. They posted a list of classes he was taking and selected good note takers to copy our class notes for him so he could lip read (the profs repeated back the questions so he could see them). I really enjoyed having the chance to do this. I hope you find a great school that mets your son's needs, it does sound like the assistance is variable.

Cupcake

 

[Nik's Mom]

Hi,
I work at a college campus in California. I suggest checking with the OSD office (office of students with disabilities) for the college campus's that your son is interested in. They are your best source.

 

[disneyelaine]

Wright State University in Dayton, OH has a great tunnel system for wheelchairs. You can go from their dorm to any building on campus without going outside. I went there 1981 to 85. This was when Jerold Petrosky was doing his research with Nan Davis trying to enable her to walk. I had a roommate in a wheelchair who was in that program too. Not much luck, but it still is a great handicap accessiable campus. Students on campus worked as personal aides for many.

 

[LindaDVC]

St Andrews in Laurinburg North Carolina has a handicapped program.

They have many programs set up to help the disabled students. They have a dorm with aides, and some students live in the other dorms as well. They haves note takers assigned to classes, etc I forget the percentage of folks in chairs but it is high compared to other colleges!

My husband graduated from there and I have two of my former students attending there now and love it!

Linda

 

[peacefullm]

Thanks to all who have responded. David wants to leave winter weather behind, so he won't be staying close to home. We've been in contact w/ the division of rehabilitation but because of funding shortages they are only working with the most severely disabled right now -David doesn't qualify, but he's going in for an interview anyway. We're checking out all the colleges you've suggested and finding lots of interesting programs.

thanks so much - lynn

 

[sneezy1956]

I can speak from some experience. I work at Ohio University in Athens Ohio. Our campus is very accessable. We also have Institutional Equity which helps students any way needed.

They have provided note takers for both deaf and blind that I'm aware of. They also have modified classes to help with other disabilities.

If you are interested in talking to someone at Ohio University call 740-593-1000 and ask for Institutional Equity. They are great folks....Kappy Feahy does most of the student disability arrangements and is a wonderful lady.

 

[LindaDVC]

Here is a link to St Andrews special services in Laurinburg NC


http://www.sapc.edu/access/index.html


Linda