Even though I always imagined attending college after graduating from high school, I didn’t have a particular college or university in mind until shortly after I started high school. While program rankings and acceptance rates are useful to know, I spent the majority of my time researching disability services, campus accessibility, and figuring out if a particular institution would be feasible for me to attend as a visually impaired student. After years of dealing with access barriers in high school, I wanted to prioritize colleges and universities that had existing services for students with visual impairments.
Here are my favorite tips and strategies for creating a college shortlist with low vision, including how to find colleges to apply to, resources for finding information about attending college with a disability, and strategies for researching college disability services.
Start with geographic area and budget
Before beginning the college search process, students will need to consider where they want to attend college, as well as their budget for tuition, room and board, or other college-related costs. This isn’t unique to students with visual impairments, but setting these expectations can help tremendously with shortlisting colleges and minimizing financial stress.
When figuring out the “where” part of attending college, it helps to start with in-state colleges and universities, especially if there is somewhere local that the student can visit in-person. Even though I didn’t attend the college closest to my high school, it was helpful to visit campus and experience how I would navigate campus on foot or how students get around without a car. Other helpful information to research can include:
- Weather/climate (which can impact independent navigation)
- City or county-based resources for paratransit or services for people with disabilities
- Walkability and public transportation
- Availability of ridesharing/delivery services
For students and families researching tuition and other costs, the Net Price Calculator Center is a fantastic resource for finding information about college pricing. In this context, the Net Price is the amount that a student pays to attend an institution in a single academic year, calculated after subtracting scholarships and grants the student receives; students can use this tool to further shortlist colleges after creating a list of colleges to apply to.
Related links
- Net Price Calculator Center
- Ten More Questions to Ask When Choosing A College
- Using Disability Transportation Services In College
- Ten Things To Know About Going To College With A Blindness Cane
- Touring Colleges With A Blindness Cane: College O&M
- Places Every Visually Impaired Student Should Visit On College Tours
Searching for institutions with the Institutional Profile and Common Data Set
The Common Data Set is a collection of standardized questions about a college or university’s admissions and financial aid process, graduation rate, student demographics, and other relevant information for prospective students. Virtually every college and university in the United States completes the Common Data Set, and this can be an incredibly helpful resource when shortlisting colleges or figuring out information like test scores. The Common Data Set can be found by searching the institution name and the phrase “Common Data Set”; this information is typically listed on an institution’s website as a PDF or Excel worksheet.
Common Data Set information can also be found online through the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS); profiles can also be downloaded as an xlsx file (spreadsheet) for offline viewing.
Related links
- IPEDS Data Center
- IPEDS: Use The Data
- NCES: Search For Schools and Colleges
- Home – BigFuture | College Board
- SAT Accommodations for Low Vision
Connect with state unit for visual impairment and/or vocational rehabilitation
Many U.S. states have a state department for visual impairment/state unit for visual impairment or a similar government agency that offers services for residents with disabilities. These agencies often offer Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) services, which help people with disabilities prepare, locate, and maintain employment by providing services related to job training and education. Students with visual impairments typically qualify for VR services starting at age 14 and can receive assistance with college transition goals or the college application process.
I started receiving vocational rehabilitation services at age eighteen, as my family and I had no idea these services existed until I graduated from high school. My case manager maintained an unofficial list of in-state colleges and universities that their clients had attended and had positive experiences with; while they could not guarantee that a particular college or program would offer a stress-free experience, they had pre-existing relationships with faculty and staff at these institutions so it would be easier for me to get assistance. I was thrilled (but not surprised) to find out my top-choice college was at the top of their list!
Related links
- Services Provided By State Unit/State Department for Visual Impairment
- Vocational Rehabilitation for College Students
- What To Know About College Assistive Technology Specialists
- College Interview Tips For Disabled Students
- Disclosing Disability In College Applications
For transition-age students, reach out to TVI/TSVI/TBVI
Middle school or high school students with visual impairments often have access to a teacher of students with visual impairments (TSVI) or similar staff member that specializes in providing resources for blind students and students with low vision. Other common titles include teacher of the visually impaired (TVI), teacher of blind/visually impaired (TBVI), vision specialist, vision itinerant teacher, or similar.
Many TSVIs work with their high school or transition-aged students as part of the college transition process, which includes researching potential institutions, applying to colleges, and sometimes going on campus tours. Ask the TSVI if they can share colleges or universities that their current or former students have been accepted to, as well as any resources about receiving disability accommodations after high school. They might also have contact information for former students who can answer questions as well.
Related links
- Ten Things I Wish My TVI Taught Me About Transition
- Eight Things I’m Glad My TVI Taught Me About College Transition
- Ten Lessons My TVI Taught Me
- Seeing The Future: College Transition for Visual Impairment
Talk to other students or alumni about their college experiences
I didn’t meet anyone else with a visual impairment until I was already in college, but if I had met someone while I was figuring out what colleges to apply to, one of the first questions I would have asked them would have been “where did you go to school?” Talking to current students or former students with visual impairments is a great way to learn more about colleges and universities, especially if they transferred to another institution or if there were any accommodations that were particularly useful. Even if someone graduated many years ago, they may be able to provide insight about navigating campus with a cane or guide dog, or how they handled walking in the snow. Local and state visual impairment/blindness organizations can be a great resource for this too.
Even though I didn’t know anyone who was blind or that had low vision, I still learned a lot from talking to older friends, family members, and my teachers about their college experiences. I especially learned a lot from students I met in band; one of my best friends had me visit their college when I was still in high school and gave me a personalized tour, which was a lot of fun!
Related links
- Questions To Ask Other Students With Low Vision
- Ten Questions to Ask When Choosing a College
- Ten More Questions to Ask When Choosing A College
- Walking In The Snow: College O&M
- How To Explain Disability Accommodations To Professors
Check out disability services and visual impairment keywords
One of the first resources that prospective students with visual impairments should check when shortlisting colleges is disability services; this may also be referred to as accessibility services, access services, or similar. While many colleges post information about disability services online, another great resource is the Campus Disability Resource Database (CEDAR), which can provide comprehensive information about the size of the disability services office and the types of accommodations that are frequently provided. It’s worth noting that visual impairment is not likely to show up as one of the most common disabilities, but common visual impairment accommodations are often included in CEDAR data.
Another helpful strategy for researching disability-related services at colleges and universities can be searching for the institution name and one of the following keywords:
- Accessibility
- Accessibility lawsuit
- Alternative formats
- Assistive technology
- Blind students
- Braille
- Disability accommodations
- Disability technology
- Legally blind
- Low vision
- Vision impairment or vision impaired
- Visual impairment or visually impaired
To further filter results for institution-specific websites, use the search operator site:edu
Related links
- College & University Search | Campus Disability Resource Database
- Web Search Tips and Operators For Low Vision
- File Formats For Low Vision and Print Disabilities
- How I Find Research Sources In Accessible Formats
Search for graduation announcements from blind students
While every student’s experience with a college or university is unique, one strategy that I have found useful when shortlisting colleges with low vision is to find articles about blind students, legally blind students, or visually impaired students that are graduating, which are often published around April or May. This can be useful for researching information about specific majors as well as finding colleges to apply to, as these articles often include students talking about specific resources or experiences that helped them at a specific institution.
It’s worth noting that these articles can vary in terms of quality/relevant information included and that many students with visual impairments graduate from college and university without having articles written about them. That said, this can be a helpful way to find potential colleges to apply to or help students envision themselves in a particular major or field of study.
Related links
- Must-Have Tech Skills For Online Classes
- What I Wish I Learned About Assistive Technology Before Starting College
- What I Wish I Learned About Assistive Technology Before Starting Grad School
- Navigating College Campuses Archives | Veronica With Four Eyes
Research professional organizations for higher education: who is presenting on disability?
This strategy requires more careful research compared to the others on this list and can be challenging for students that use screen readers due to inconsistent accessibility across websites. That said, this can be really helpful for identifying colleges or universities that are providing innovative services for students with disabilities or finding contacts in a specific area of interest.
Many professional organizations that serve students with visual impairments and/or college students with disabilities host annual conferences and year-round events that highlight how institutions are supporting blind and low vision students, including providing accessible materials, tips for implementing accommodations, or innovative ways of teaching visually impaired students. These organizations often provide a list of presenters that includes names, college/universities, and location for those in attendance.
While acceptance to a conference or an invitation to present on accessibility topics is not necessarily a guarantee that a particular institution will be suitable for every prospective student with a disability, this can be another starting point for shortlisting colleges or locating further information. Some examples of organizations or conferences to search for can include:
- Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD)
- Accessing Higher Ground conference
- Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA)
- Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER)
- Consumer organizations for visual impairment (NFB, ACB, etc.)
- CSUN Assistive Technology Conference
This is not an all-inclusive list of accessibility conferences or professional organizations that cover higher education for visually impaired students, but these are the ones I have interacted with frequently in my academic career that include members from several types of colleges and universities.
Related links
- Home – AHEAD – Association on Higher Education And Disability
- Accessing Higher Ground
- ATIA | Assistive Technology Industry Association
- Home Page – AERBVI
- Conference | CSU Northridge
- How I Write Research Papers On Accessibility Topics
Reading about student experiences on social media
As I mentioned earlier in the post, I didn’t meet anyone else with a visual impairment until I was in college, and I frequently get emails from other students who are in the same position. Social media posts or blog posts from college students with visual impairments or recent alumni can be a great way to learn more about different institutions, especially on websites like Reddit that have campus-specific groups and disability groups.
With that in mind, many people use social media to vent or ask for help with addressing barriers at their institutions, and there are factors beyond visual impairment that can influence someone’s experience. It is important to search for multiple perspectives and information sources when possible and acknowledge that no institution is a perfect fit for everyone.
Related links
- How To Create A Disability Services File
- Common Classroom Accommodations For Low Vision
- How To Request Accessible Textbooks In College
More tips for creating a college shortlist and finding colleges to apply to with low vision
- While there is no single “best college for visually impaired students” or “top university for blind and low vision students”, I have had a wonderful experience as a low vision student/legally blind student at George Mason University in Virginia. I’m now a doctoral student at GMU and am happy to answer questions from prospective students; use Contact to send me a message!
- Another strategy for learning more about college campuses is to participate in a virtual tour. I share more about this in Touring Colleges With Virtual Reality
- One of the reasons why I removed a college from my list of potential institutions is because it would be challenging to get campus housing after freshman year. Learn more about how I further narrowed down colleges in Ten Questions to Ask When Choosing a College
Published September 12, 2017. Updated June 2026