Higher Education
All disabled people have the right to education on an equal basis with others. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) Article 24 requires that disabled people can access higher education without discrimination, with reasonable accommodations provided.
This page centers disabled students’ expertise and is informed by disabled-led organizing in higher education globally.
Where Are You?
Section titled “Where Are You?”Jump to your country or region:
Universal Principles
Section titled “Universal Principles”Higher education opens doors to careers, research, and community leadership. Disabled students have always been part of universities—often fighting to be recognized and accommodated.
What Disabled Students Are Entitled To
Section titled “What Disabled Students Are Entitled To”Under international human rights frameworks, disabled students have the right to:
- Apply to and attend any institution they qualify for academically
- Receive reasonable accommodations that don’t fundamentally alter programs
- Access course materials in formats that work for them
- Participate fully in campus life, housing, and activities
- Keep disability information confidential
- Not be discriminated against in admissions, coursework, or graduation
Common Accommodations in Higher Education
Section titled “Common Accommodations in Higher Education”Accommodations are adjustments that remove barriers while maintaining academic standards. Common ones include:
Testing accommodations: Extended time, separate testing rooms, breaks, alternative formats, use of assistive technology during exams.
Classroom accommodations: Note-taking services, captioning, sign language interpreters, preferential seating, recording lectures, flexible attendance policies for flare-ups.
Assignment accommodations: Extended deadlines during health crises, alternative formats for assignments, substitutions for requirements that create barriers (like foreign language requirements for some learning disabilities).
Housing accommodations: Single rooms, specific building locations, emotional support animals, modified furniture, refrigerators for medications.
Technology: Screen readers, speech-to-text software, accessible learning management systems, FM systems for deaf/hard of hearing students.
United States
Section titled “United States”Your Legal Rights
Section titled “Your Legal Rights”Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protect disabled students in higher education.
Key points:
- All colleges and universities receiving federal funding (virtually all of them) must provide accommodations
- Students must self-identify and request accommodations—unlike K-12, schools don’t seek you out
- Documentation requirements vary by school
- Schools must provide accommodations unless they cause “undue hardship” or “fundamental alteration”
- You have the right to appeal denied accommodations
Important shift from high school: In K-12, schools are responsible for identifying and serving disabled students. In college, you must advocate for yourself, register with disability services, and request what you need.
How to Get Accommodations
Section titled “How to Get Accommodations”- Contact the disability services office (names vary: Office of Disability Services, Student Accessibility Services, Access and Disability Resources, etc.)
- Provide documentation of your disability (this may include medical records, IEP/504 plans, evaluations, or letters from providers)
- Meet with a coordinator to discuss your needs and determine accommodations
- Get accommodation letters to share with professors each semester
- Communicate with professors about implementing accommodations
What If Accommodations Are Denied?
Section titled “What If Accommodations Are Denied?”You can:
- Request reconsideration through the disability office
- File a complaint with your school’s ADA coordinator or Title IX/civil rights office
- File a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR)
- Seek legal assistance (see resources below)
Who’s Organizing
Section titled “Who’s Organizing”National Center for College Students with Disabilities (NCCSD) provides resources, training, and advocacy support for disabled students navigating higher education.
Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) works to improve policies and practices, and offers resources for students and professionals.
Disability Rights Advocates has brought major lawsuits improving accessibility in higher education.
Student-led disability organizations on many campuses advocate for policy changes and peer support.
Canada
Section titled “Canada”Your Legal Rights
Section titled “Your Legal Rights”The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and provincial/territorial human rights legislation protect disabled students from discrimination.
Each province has its own human rights code. Universities must provide accommodations to the point of “undue hardship.”
How Accommodations Work
Section titled “How Accommodations Work”Like the US, Canadian students must self-identify and register with accessibility services. Processes vary by province and institution, but generally:
- Contact your institution’s accessibility/disability services office
- Provide documentation (requirements vary)
- Work with an advisor to determine accommodations
- Receive accommodation letters for instructors
Provincial Resources
Section titled “Provincial Resources”Ontario: Ontario Human Rights Commission has specific guidance on disability and education. Ontario universities often have robust accessibility offices.
British Columbia: BC Human Rights Tribunal handles complaints. BC Campus provides accessibility resources.
Other provinces: Check provincial human rights commissions and your institution’s accessibility office.
Who’s Organizing
Section titled “Who’s Organizing”National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS) is a cross-disability consumer organization led by disabled students, advocating for full access to post-secondary education.
Student Accessibility Services offices vary by institution—connect with yours for local support.
United Kingdom
Section titled “United Kingdom”Your Legal Rights
Section titled “Your Legal Rights”The Equality Act 2010 requires universities to make “reasonable adjustments” for disabled students. Universities must not discriminate in admissions, teaching, or assessment.
The Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) provides funding for disability-related support in higher education, including equipment, non-medical helpers, and other assistance.
Getting Support
Section titled “Getting Support”Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA):
- Apply through Student Finance England (or equivalent in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland)
- Undergo a needs assessment
- Receive funding for recommended support
DSA can cover: specialist equipment, non-medical helper support (note-takers, readers, interpreters), extra travel costs, other disability-related costs.
University disability services: Register with your institution’s disability/accessibility service for exam arrangements, lecture support, and other accommodations.
Regional Differences
Section titled “Regional Differences”- England: Apply through Student Finance England
- Scotland: Apply through Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS)
- Wales: Apply through Student Finance Wales
- Northern Ireland: Apply through Student Finance NI
Who’s Organizing
Section titled “Who’s Organizing”Disabled Students UK is a network amplifying disabled students’ voices and advocating for systemic change.
National Union of Students (NUS) Disabled Students Campaign works on policy and representation.
European Union
Section titled “European Union”Framework
Section titled “Framework”The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights prohibits discrimination based on disability. Individual countries implement this differently, but all EU member states have signed the CRPD.
Country Highlights
Section titled “Country Highlights”Germany: Students register with the “Beratungsstelle für Studierende mit Behinderung oder chronischer Erkrankung” (advising center for students with disabilities). Documentation requirements and support vary by state (Bundesland) and institution.
France: The “Mission Handicap” or “Relais Handicap” at each university coordinates accommodations. Students may also access support through MDPH (Maison Départementale des Personnes Handicapées).
Netherlands: Students work with institutional disability support services and may access additional support through DUO or municipalities.
Spain: Most universities have dedicated disability services (“Unidades de Atención a la Diversidad” or similar).
Who’s Organizing
Section titled “Who’s Organizing”European Disability Forum (EDF) advocates at the EU level for disabled people’s rights, including in education.
National disability organizations in each country advocate for accessible higher education.
Australia
Section titled “Australia”Your Legal Rights
Section titled “Your Legal Rights”The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) and the Disability Standards for Education 2005 require educational institutions to make reasonable adjustments.
Getting Support
Section titled “Getting Support”Australian universities have disability/accessibility services where students can register. Services typically include:
- Academic accommodations (exam arrangements, note-taking, extensions)
- Assistive technology
- Alternative format materials
- Support workers
NDIS: If you’re an NDIS participant, some education-related supports may be funded. However, academic accommodations are generally the university’s responsibility, not NDIS.
Who’s Organizing
Section titled “Who’s Organizing”Australian Disability Students Network advocates for disabled students across Australian universities.
People with Disability Australia (PWDA) is a cross-disability rights organization that addresses education access.
Other Countries
Section titled “Other Countries”Principles That Apply Everywhere
Section titled “Principles That Apply Everywhere”If your country has ratified the CRPD, it has committed to non-discriminatory access to higher education with reasonable accommodations—though how enforceable that is for you depends on your national laws. (Signing a treaty is not the same as ratifying it: the United States signed the CRPD in 2009 but never ratified it, so US students’ rights come from the ADA and Section 504, not the CRPD.)
Finding Support
Section titled “Finding Support”- Check your institution’s disability/accessibility services—most universities have some office, even if underfunded
- Contact national disability rights organizations in your country
- Connect with disabled student groups at your institution or nationally
- Know your country’s anti-discrimination laws and how to file complaints
Global South Perspectives
Section titled “Global South Perspectives”Higher education access varies dramatically. In many countries, disabled students face:
- Limited or no accommodation infrastructure
- Physical inaccessibility of campuses
- Lack of assistive technology
- Stigma and low expectations
- Financial barriers (disability-related costs without support systems)
Disabled students and organizations are organizing in every region. Look for DPOs (Disabled People’s Organizations) in your country advocating for educational access.
Intersectionality in Higher Education
Section titled “Intersectionality in Higher Education”Disabled students hold multiple identities that shape their experiences.
Disabled Students of Color
Section titled “Disabled Students of Color”May face both ableism and racism, including: being seen as “not belonging” in academic spaces, stereotypes affecting how disability is perceived, less access to diagnosis and documentation, and microaggressions from multiple directions.
Who’s organizing: Groups like Disability Justice Culture Club, Black Disabled Creatives, and campus-specific organizations center disabled students of color.
LGBTQ+ Disabled Students
Section titled “LGBTQ+ Disabled Students”Navigate ableism alongside homophobia and transphobia. May face challenges with housing assignments, healthcare access on campus, and finding community that fully includes them.
Who’s organizing: Intersectional groups on campus, Sins Invalid (arts and activism), and LGBTQ+ disability organizations.
First-Generation and Low-Income Disabled Students
Section titled “First-Generation and Low-Income Disabled Students”May lack family knowledge of college systems, face financial barriers to documentation, and have less access to expensive assistive technology or tutoring.
Who’s organizing: First-gen student organizations, disability services financial assistance programs (where they exist).
International Disabled Students
Section titled “International Disabled Students”Face additional visa-related challenges, may come from countries with different disability frameworks, and may not have documentation that US/UK/etc. systems recognize.
Who’s organizing: International student offices, disability services, international disabled student networks.
Disabled Students with Multiple Disabilities
Section titled “Disabled Students with Multiple Disabilities”May need coordinated accommodations that address multiple conditions. Can face skepticism when needs are complex.
Scenarios: Finding What You Need
Section titled “Scenarios: Finding What You Need””I’m applying to college and have a disability”
Section titled “”I’m applying to college and have a disability””Research disability services at schools you’re considering. You can contact them before applying to ask about services. Disclosure in applications is optional and should not affect admissions decisions (though this is hard to enforce). Some students find that disability-related essays strengthen applications by showing resilience and self-awareness.
”I developed a disability during college”
Section titled “”I developed a disability during college””Contact disability services immediately. You don’t need complete documentation to start the conversation. Many conditions (chronic illness, mental health, injuries) develop during college—services exist for you too, not just students with lifelong disabilities.
”My accommodations aren’t working”
Section titled “”My accommodations aren’t working””Return to disability services to discuss adjustments. If the issue is professor non-compliance, disability services can intervene. If the issue is inadequate accommodations, request a reassessment. If the issue is systemic, consider connecting with disabled student organizations or filing complaints.
”I’m in graduate or professional school”
Section titled “”I’m in graduate or professional school””The same laws apply, but culture and implementation differ. Clinical programs, lab work, and professional standards create additional barriers and require creative accommodation solutions. Connect with disability services early and be prepared to advocate strongly.
”I need accommodations but don’t have documentation”
Section titled “”I need accommodations but don’t have documentation””Talk to disability services anyway—they may accept alternative documentation or help you obtain evaluations. Some schools have funds for low-income students to get assessments. Your own statement of disability history and functional limitations matters too.
”I’m facing discrimination”
Section titled “”I’m facing discrimination””Document everything. Report to disability services, ADA/civil rights coordinators, and consider external complaints (OCR in the US, human rights commissions elsewhere). Connect with disability rights organizations for guidance.
Resources
Section titled “Resources”Global
Section titled “Global”- CRPD Article 24 (Education): The international standard
- International Disability Alliance: Global advocacy network
United States
Section titled “United States”- U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights: ocr@ed.gov, 1-800-421-3481
- National Center for College Students with Disabilities: nccsd.ici.umn.edu
- AHEAD (Association on Higher Education and Disability): www.ahead.org
- Disability Rights Advocates: dralegal.org
Canada
Section titled “Canada”- National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS): www.neads.ca
United Kingdom
Section titled “United Kingdom”- Disabled Students’ Allowance: www.gov.uk/disabled-students-allowance-dsa
- Disabled Students UK: disabledstudents.co.uk
Australia
Section titled “Australia”- Disability Standards for Education: education.gov.au
- People with Disability Australia: pwd.org.au
Contribute to This Page
Section titled “Contribute to This Page”Have experience navigating higher education as a disabled student? Know about resources in your country? Experienced barriers or found solutions?
Share your knowledge: Contribution Form
We especially welcome contributions from:
- Disabled students in countries not yet covered
- Students with specific disability experiences (chronic illness, mental health, intellectual disability, etc.)
- People who’ve navigated professional/graduate school
- Those involved in disability organizing in higher education
This page centers disabled students’ expertise. Content is based on disabled people’s organizing and lived experience.