Back in 2018, I was one of ten winners for the 10Ideas policywriting competition hosted by the Roosevelt Institute, a nonpartisan student-run think tank. My policy idea was entitled “Seeing The Future,” and was centered around a proposed state-level resource that would contain information for students with visual impairments that were preparing to attend a two-year or four-year college or university. This was inspired by my own experiences in preparing for college transition as a student with low vision.
In 2025, many elements of “Seeing The Future” exist online, and there are numerous resources for finding information about college transition for blind students/college transition for visually impaired students, including state-specific resources. Several states also have their own listed resources that families can use to find information about attending college with visual impairment. Below, I have updated my original proposal for “Seeing the future: A proposed resource for students with visual impairment” to include links from outside sources that are helping students with visual impairments find the information they need to thrive in college and university.
Definition of visual impairment
For the purposes of this post, the term visual impairment is used to describe vision loss that cannot be corrected by glasses, contacts, or surgery. This is inclusive of blindness/Blind individuals, low vision, and neurological visual impairment (sometimes referred to as cortical visual impairment/cerebral visual impairment or CVI). State agencies for rehabilitation services, visual impairment departments, vocational rehabilitation, and others may have specific criteria or definitions that they use for providing services related to visual impairment and assistive technology.
Again, this is a very basic introduction to college transition for visual impairment, and is by no means an all-inclusive list of everything someone would need to know. I strongly encourage readers to browse my post categories on college-related topics linked below!
Related links
- College and Low Vision Archives | Veroniiiica
- College Transition for Visually Impaired | Veroniiiica
- Dorm and On-Campus Housing Archives | Veroniiiica
- Assistive Technology Archives | Veroniiiica
- Ten Things I Wish My TVI Taught Me About Transition
- Eight Things I’m Glad My TVI Taught Me About College Transition
- My Talk At A Future Date: What I Wish I Learned About AT Before Starting College
- Online Activities That Help Students Prepare For College
Part 1: Seeing the potential
Depending on the institution, prospective students often have to find out information about their college(s) of choice, submit test scores, send in applications, and prepare for graduating from high school. For students with visual impairments, they often have to spend time figuring out how they will access something before they can actually do it, which can be an exhausting process. Here are examples of information to research when applying to a college or university with visual impairment:
- How to apply for and receive accommodations for standardized tests, such as the SAT and ACT.
- Links to disability services at individual institutions.
- If available, links to information about accessible tours. These can include step-free tours, live virtual tours, and accessible virtual tours.
- Information about accessing the Common Application (Common App) with assistive technology, including their accessible PDF forms.
- A list of pre-college or vocational rehabilitation programs for students with visual impairments, including state programs.
- Information about the state unit for visual impairment and how to apply for services. In Virginia, this is the Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired (DBVI).
- Scholarships for visually impaired students and other financial aid information. These are often provided by consumer organizations (e.g. NFB, ACB), by colleges and universities, and through mailing lists maintained by state agencies.
Another helpful resource to have is a document where students can list their current accommodations that they receive in the classroom, if they already have an IEP, 504 plan, or Student Assistance Plan. This can include information about font size, document preferences, types of assistive technology devices, and formats for accessible educational materials.
Related links
- SAT Accommodations for Low Vision | Veroniiiica
- SAT Accommodations | College Board
- ACT Accommodations For Low Vision | Veroniiiica
- ACT Accommodations | The ACT Test
- Common App Accessibility Support
- Places Every Visually Impaired Student Should Visit On College Tours
- Services Provided By State Department/State Unit for Visual Impairment
- Eight Things You Need To Know About Your Disability Accommodations
Part 2: Seeing the beginning
Once the student has been accepted to a college/university, they can start preparing for their first day of classes and take a proactive approach to ensuring they can get the support they need. This information can be useful for students who have paid an enrollment deposit or registered for classes, as well as students who wish to start receiving services at any point during the academic year. Here are examples of information to research when starting college or university with visual impairment:
- How to register with Disability Services to receive accommodations. Professors cannot provide disability accommodations to students unless they are approved via Disability Services.
- Information about how to get disability accommodations for housing, which may be listed as disability housing or special housing. Students cannot be charged extra for medically necessary housing accommodations, such as a single room.
- How to request orientation and mobility (O&M) instruction on campus, which helps students learn to navigate indoor and outdoor environments independently. This can be organized through the state unit for visual impairment or a similar agency, and should be provided by a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS).
- Information about state vocational rehabilitation services (VR services), which can provide assistive technology and financial resources to qualifying students.
- Information about the state Protection and Advocacy organization, which can provide pro bono legal assistance in certain situations for students with disabilities.
- How to request accessible textbooks from an institution, or resources for acquiring accessible textbooks or materials.
- Information about how to request an assistive technology assessment— this may be available through the state unit for visual impairment, another disability agency, or through disability services at the college/university.
Something else that I personally found helpful when researching colleges was to figure out what Learning Management System (LMS) is used for hosting online class pages, so that students can practice with using assistive technology to navigate these types of pages. Examples can include (but are not limited to) Canvas, Blackboard, Desire2Learn, and Moodle.
Related links
- How To Create A Disability Services File
- Why You Should Register With Disability Services in College
- How To Get Disability Accommodations In Community College
- How To Choose A Dorm And Pick College Housing
- Vocational Rehabilitation for College Students
- My Experience With Disability Law Center of Virginia
- What To Know About College Assistive Technology Specialists
Part 3: Seeing the experience
Once classes begin, students with visual impairments often benefit from ongoing access to resources and support so that they can learn to self-advocate for their own needs and ensure they have continued access to the assistive technology and accessibility tools required. Here are examples of information to research for current college students with visual impairment:
- How to use the campus library, including on-campus and online resources for research.
- Location of assistive technology on campus, such as video magnifiers or computers with screen readers installed.
- Strategies for communicating accessibility needs or explaining disability accommodations to professors.
- Information on career services and internships for students with visual impairments, or more broad career services and internships for students with disabilities. This may be offered through the institution or as part of vocational rehabilitation.
- Tips for implementing accommodations, which can include using testing centers, requesting accessible media from disability services, and tutoring centers.
- Resources for free or discounted assistive technology software— some institutions offer free access to text-to-speech programs, JAWS, and premium notetaking software for eligible students.
- Information about paratransit or accessible transportation within the city/county or region (e.g. MetroAccess in the DC area).
To stay up-to-date on the latest technologies, students can subscribe to updates from their college or university’s disability services department and other local and state resources and organizations for visual impairment and assistive technology. Consumer organizations like the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) and American Council of the Blind (ACB) also maintain national, state, and local chapters that can provide information for students, as do other nonprofit organizations like the Lighthouse Guild.
Related links
- Awesome On-Campus College Library Resources
- Online College Library Resources For Digital Access
- How To Explain Disability Accommodations To Professors
- Common Classroom Accommodations For Low Vision
- How I Receive Accessible Quizzes and Tests in the Classroom
- Tips For Taking Online Classes As An On-Campus Student
- Getting a Reduced Fare SmarTrip Card With Low Vision
Part 4: Seeing the results
Once a student is preparing for graduation, it is helpful to research information about transitioning to employment and having disability accommodations implemented in the workplace. Here are examples of information to research for students with visual impairments preparing for employment:
- Information about vocational rehabilitation, which can be useful for searching for and maintaining employment.
- Examples of how to initiate requests for disability accommodations in the workplace.
- List of common workplace accommodations for individuals with visual impairment, such as those listed on the Job Accommodation Network.
- Information about accessibility or reasonable accommodation programs within state or federal agencies (e.g. Computer/Electronics Accommodation Program at the Department of Defense).
- Other city, county, or local programs for disability services or accessibility related resources, such as library for the print disabled, adapted recreation, or paratransit programs.
The ultimate goal of “Seeing the Future” is to ensure that individuals with visual impairments are able to pursue higher education, gain meaningful employment, and engage with their community and other resources as they desire. Staying involved or getting involved with consumer organizations, advocacy groups, nonprofit organizations, and other local or state services for visual impairment and assistive technology can offer benefits across the lifespan and beyond the classroom/workplace.
Related links
- Vision Impairment accommodations | Ask JAN
- Learning To Navigate My Internship Building: PM Intern With Low Vision
- How To Create Accessible Workspaces For Chiari Malformation
- US Government Programs For Blind/Low Vision Residents
- How I Use Accessible Voting Machines With Low Vision
Examples of resources for college transition for families and students with visual impairments
While this is by no means an all-encompassing list, here are several resources for college transition that can be useful for families and students with visual impairments. Inclusion of an organization or resource on this list is for informational purposes only and does not imply endorsement.
- 4to24 for employment and independent living | Mississippi State University
- APH ConnectCenter
- Transition Center at Perkins School for the Blind
- PEATC Transition to Adulthood
- EMPOWER VI | Tennessee
- Transition | Texas School for the Blind
- Transition Resources | Wisconsin
Published April 1, 2019. Updated June 2025