Tips for College for Students who are Blind & Visually Impaired
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Front Facing shot of a college library on a sunny day with white text “College Tips for students who are blind & visually impaired”
Tips for College for Students Who are Blind or Visually Impaired
With college decision time coming up, we know this can be an exciting and anxiety inducing time in teen’s lives! Today on the blog we’re sharing some tips on going to college as a blind or visually impaired student. There are a lot of ways to ease some stress in going to college from gaining accommodations to even trying out a summer program before college!
Get Set Up with the Accessibility Office
The biggest tip is to get set up with your university accessibility/accommodation office. There are so many great accommodations for those who are blind and visually impaired students in college from accessible textbooks to extended time on tests. They are there to help you have the easiest transition to college so make sure you get to know your accessibility office.
Introduce Yourself to Professors
When you register with the accommodations office you will get a letter sent out to your instructors about the accommodations needed for each class. If you are in person, it is helpful the first week of class to introduce yourself to your instructors and make sure they received your accommodations request. If you are taking classes online, you might want to send an email to set up a time to talk with your instructors about your accommodations.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
We’ve brought up this tip for a lot of our previous blog posts (traveling tips here), but it is also especially important when going to college! You might feel embarrassed or uncomfortable asking for help, especially in class or elsewhere at first, but it does get easier over time.
Bring a Spare Cane
You never know what could happen to your cane and it might be difficult to get a replacement quickly on-campus. Making sure you have a spare cane is a great way to make sure you can stay safe on campus if something happens to your every day cane or even your guide dog!
Learn the Routes to Class Early
Whether you are working with an Orientation and Mobility Instructor or just grabbing a friend to help, it is important to figure out the routes to class before the first day! It can be helpful to go to campus a few days before classes when it is emptier and you’re able to learn the routes easily.
Don’t be Afraid to try new things
Just because you have a disability doesn’t mean you can’t have a great and exciting college experience! Don’t be afraid to try new things. Join a club. Study Abroad. Explore all of your interests!
Try a Summer Program Before College
If you want to gain a real college experience before heading off to college, be sure to try out the WSB PASS program! With the college prep track, you can take a real college course at UALR so you gain real experience gaining accommodations and being in class with likeminded peers.