Shortly before my second year of college, I received a few orientation and mobility lessons for learning how to navigate with low vision and a blindness cane. These lessons were helpful for learning general travel skills, but I noticed they didn’t get into specifics about navigating college campuses or using university resources available for students with vision loss. One lesson that would have been really helpful is how to navigate the satellite campus where some of my information technology classes took place, so I’ve created the College O&M series to share my most-used tips and strategies for learning about this topic and others. Here are my tips for commuting and navigating around college satellite campuses as a student with low vision who uses a blindness cane.
What is a satellite campus? Why do students travel to satellite campuses?
In this context, a satellite campus is a separate location from the primary college or university campus that is often smaller and designed for commuter students. Some departments or majors may offer some or all of their classes at a satellite campus to accommodate students, faculty, and staff from other geographic areas or offer more flexible scheduling options such as early morning or night classes. Satellite campuses typically have fewer buildings than the primary/main campus and may also have smaller class sizes, and some institutions may provide bus transportation from the main campus depending on the location.
At my university, enrolled students can register for classes on the satellite campus or on the main campus, assuming they meet other program and/or class prerequisites. The satellite campus I traveled to for Information Technology classes was located about thirty minutes from the main campus.
Related links
- How To Schedule College Classes
- College Scheduling Hacks For Students With Chronic Illness
- Ten Questions to Ask When Choosing a College
Considerations for taking classes on a satellite campus
Depending on the student’s major or minor, students may take some or all of their major classes at the satellite campus or have the opportunity to take classes at more than one campus. While the smaller campus size can be easier to navigate, students will need to consider the following before registering for classes on a satellite campus:
- How will accommodations for testing or proctored exams be administered? Is there a Disability Services testing center on the satellite campus, or will students have to travel to the main campus/make alternate arrangements with their professor?
- What assistive technology resources are available? Can students access tools like video magnifiers or specialty software on other campuses?
- How long does it take to get to class on a “good” day? Will students have to travel during rush hour or peak travel times?
- Are there specific services that are only offered on the main campus, such as tutoring or paratransit services?
- How do meal plans work? Can students get food on campus?
In my experience, I discovered that professors on the satellite campuses were often less aware of services like the Disability Services testing center, and I would often end up taking exams or quizzes on the main campus instead of on the satellite campus. Also, services like the disability transportation service that traveled between campus buildings was not available on the satellite campus, but I didn’t need it due to the short distance between the bus stop and my class building.
Related links
- Using Disability Transportation Services In College
- Testing Accommodations For Low Vision Students
- What To Bring To The Disability Services Testing Center
- Common Classroom Accommodations For Low Vision
Planning travel to the satellite campus
Before I registered for my first class on the satellite campus, I took a trip on the campus shuttle that travels between the two campuses to get an idea of how long the route would take and where the different stops were located on both campuses. This included identifying the bus stop locations that were closest to my dorm, as well as the building for where I would be taking all of my classes on the satellite campus.
Strategies that helped me figure out how to use the bus system to travel to the satellite campus would include:
- Downloading the mobile app for the bus route to learn about the bus schedule.
- Accessing the shuttle tracker to determine where the bus is located, along with expected arrival times (helpful to compare against the schedule).
- Using a phone camera or magnifier app to read signs at the bus stop.
- Reading the bus schedule and stop times— I had to use a visual assistance tool like Be My Eyes or Aira to access this information, since the font was very small.
- Learning what the buses to the satellite campus looked like, such as the colored signs or labels associated with buses on that route. I would also double-check with the driver that I was getting on the right bus.
Having the “practice round” where I could figure out how to get to campus without the pressure of a specific class time helped me feel more confident about traveling to campus on the first day of class.
Related links
- How I Learned To Use The City Bus System With Low Vision
- iOS Magnifier and Low Vision Accessibility
- All About Visual Assistance Apps For Visually Impaired
Establishing a routine for commuting to class
Since some of the classes for my major were only offered on the satellite campus, I realized quickly how important it was to set a routine for how I would travel to class. The shuttle would run every twenty minutes, and depending on traffic it could take up to an hour to get to class. With this in mind, I wrote down the scheduled bus stop times for the bus stop closest to my dorm, along with two other stops— one that was close to the dining hall and another that was also close to my dorm but departed at a later time. If I got to campus early, I could use my meal plan to grab a snack or just relax before class.
I only missed the bus one time in the entire time I was commuting to the satellite campus, and in that situation I ended up using a ridesharing service to get to class. Again, this was something I had practiced with before, so I knew how to use it and still got to class on time.
Related links
- Smartphone Apps For Orientation and Mobility
- Using GPS Apps On College Campuses: College O&M
- How To Create A Custom Dorm Skill With Amazon Alexa
- What If I Miss Assignments Or Classes In College?
Locating classes on the satellite campus
While the main university campus has lots of maps, signs, people, and detailed directions for how to get from one building to another, the satellite campus has less information available due to its smaller size. My class building was theoretically behind the bus stop, but I was having trouble figuring out where the door/entrance was based on the map. I asked my professor where the class building was in relation to the bus stop, and if there was a visual landmark/sign I should look for. The professor helpfully responded with easy walking directions and sent me a video of themselves walking from the bus stop to the main entrance of the class building, letting me know that I would pass a stone walkway and a statue before reaching the door.
When a friend asked me for directions to the same building, I created a quick video in the Clips app which showed me annotating a photo of the path between two buildings and recording myself speaking about different landmarks and where to go, drawing lines along the way. Some students may find the video recordings that incorporate photos or other realistic images to be more useful than 2D images of a map, while others may prefer to practice walking routes and orienting themselves to their surroundings.
Related links
- Building Identification: College O&M
- Finding College Classrooms: College O&M
- How To Create Accessible Videos and Narrated Images With Clips
- Creating Audio Narrated Images For Low Vision
Finding classes and classroom buildings on satellite campuses
Finding classrooms on the satellite campus isn’t much different than finding them on the main campus, but since I was less familiar with these buildings I would often rely on tools like Google Lens or other magnification aids to enlarge signs or help me figure out where I was going. One thing I noticed was that the satellite campus was quieter and that there was less noise as students walked between classes/buildings, so I was less likely to bump into crowds of students when trying to figure out where I was going. To help students locate classes, my professors would often give directions to the classroom from the elevator or stairs in their introductory email, or I would ask them for directions when providing a copy of my accommodations letter via email if it was in an area I had never been before.
Related links
- Finding College Classrooms: College O&M
- Learning To Navigate My Internship Building: PM Intern With Low Vision
- How I Use Google Lens With Low Vision
- How To Explain Disability Accommodations To Professors
Locating other areas of interest on the satellite campus
When learning how to navigate a satellite campus with low vision, I found it helpful to also learn the following locations in addition to classrooms:
- Campus library.
- Assistive technology/accessibility lab, which may have tools like desktop magnifiers, scanners, computers, or quiet spaces for studying.
- Cafe or other places to get food.
- Information desk for getting directions.
- Bus stop(s) that travel to the main campus or other locations of interest, along with their schedules.
Some campus resources may have shorter hours or alternate hours compared to the same services on the main campus.
Related links
- Awesome On-Campus College Library Resources
- What To Know About College Assistive Technology Specialists
- Online College Library Resources For Digital Access
Other tips for traveling to satellite campuses for students with visual impairments
- I typically would schedule all of my classes on the satellite campus on one day so I didn’t have to worry about commuting back to the main campus to make another class. Learn more in What’s In My Backpack: Commuting To Satellite Campus
- Wondering how I store my cane in class? It usually gets folded and placed in a side compartment in my backpack during class and rests in my lap on the bus— read more options at Twelve Blindness Cane Storage Solutions
- I mentioned that I took classes for Information Technology on the satellite campus, but I ended up graduating with a degree in Computational and Data Sciences— learn more in Ten Questions To Ask When Changing Your Major
- Interested in taking online classes? Read Tips For Taking Online Classes As An On-Campus Student
Published December 2, 2019. Updated February 2025