A prospective student recently asked me if they really needed to get a Disability Services file for college, because they didn’t want to go through the intake process or go to a bunch of meetings when they would primarily be taking online classes and could enlarge their own assignments. I can understand why they didn’t want to deal with the accommodations approval process, but having a Disability Services file or getting accommodations approved in college is essential for students with visual impairments that require modifications or adaptations such as large print, extended time on tests, and using assistive technology.
Here is a list of reasons why you should get a Disability Services file for college, and why they are helpful for students with visual impairments, from the perspective of a student with low vision and a neurological condition.
Can I just transfer my previous accommodations?
IEPs expire a moment a student graduates from high school, and having a 504 Plan alone is not enough to receive disability accommodations in college. Students will need to register with Disability Services and can use their previous accommodations to get approved for services at their college/university. In many cases, these accommodations will be valid for as long as the student is enrolled at the institution, but some students may still need to periodically meet with Disability Services to ensure their accommodations are up-to-date. Since I attended the same college for both undergraduate and graduate school, I didn’t have to re-apply for accommodations in graduate school.
Visiting students and students studying abroad are not automatically approved for disability accommodations at another institution. When I was taking classes at another college, I presented my home university’s Disability Services file/accommodations list to the access coordinator at the other institution and was able to skip some of the steps for submitting documentation.
Related links
- How To Get Disability Accommodations In Community College
- Taking Online English Classes With Low Vision
- Taking Online History Classes With Low Vision
- How I Use Moodle With Low Vision
- How I Use Canvas With Low Vision
- How I Use Blackboard With Low Vision
There are specific accommodations listed for professors to follow
On my first day of a graphic design class, my professor panicked when they noticed I use a white cane (blindness cane) and asked me how I was going to be able to complete assignments for class if I can’t see well. This was an opportunity to educate them on how blindness is a spectrum and not a binary, and I also shared my Disability Services file with them to show the specific accommodations I would need to be successful in their class. Once I learned how to use keyboard shortcuts with the design program for the class and the professor provided me with copies of lecture notes and presentations in digital formats, I could fully participate in activities and access everything on my own device— I even got an A in the class!
Some other examples of specific accommodations that have helped me in my classes include:
- Testing accommodations for proctored exams and quizzes, which is especially helpful since the default testing software is difficult to use with large print
- Instructions on how to share file formats so they can be read with assistive technology— doc/docx file formats are preferred over PDFs
- What “large print” looks like to me. This is highly subjective and can be anywhere from 14 pt font to over 72 pt font!
Having strong self-advocacy skills helped me handle the panicked comments from my graphic design professor who had no idea “what to do” to support a student with visual impairment, and knowing what my accommodations are and how I receive them made it easier to answer any questions they had.
Related links
- Common Classroom Accommodations For Low Vision
- How I Access PowerPoints with Microsoft Sway
- How To Make Things On The Board Easier To See
- What To Bring To The Disability Services Testing Center
- Eight Things You Need To Know About Your Disability Accommodations
- How I Receive Accessible Quizzes and Tests in the Classroom
- Using Anthology Ally With Low Vision
Registering provides documentation for your disability
During high school and college, I had a then-undiagnosed neurological condition and secondary medical condition that impacted how I accessed classroom materials. In high school, a lot of teachers would question why I didn’t have a diagnosis or think I was faking or exaggerating my condition because my disability was not obvious and would fluctuate due to environmental factors (things like fatigue and flashing lights could make it more obvious).
Even without an official diagnosis, I was able to receive Disability Services accommodations by submitting documentation from my doctors that confirmed I had a disability and would benefit from specific accommodations. I rarely had to deal with professors second-guessing whether I actually had a disability or not, because Disability Services had already confirmed I had one and qualified for services— it was not the professor’s job to determine if I was disabled or chronically ill.
Related links
- How To Create A Disability Services File
- Tips For Taking Online Classes As An On-Campus Student
- How To Get Disability Accommodations In Community College
- Having An Undiagnosed Chronic Illness In High School
- College Scheduling Hacks For Students With Chronic Illness
- How I Explain My Brain With Chiari Malformation
There is no need to disclose medical information unless necessary
The student’s disability and/or diagnoses is not listed on Disability Services accommodation letters, so students do not have to disclose their exact disability if they don’t feel comfortable doing so. Unlike IEPs or 504 Plans in high school, Disability Services files and accommodations letters do not provide any background information about the student’s disability or how it impacts them. Professors would not know the name or nature of my disability unless I told them.
Since I openly talk about my disability online, I tell my professors that I have low vision and a neurological condition that impact how I access visual information— I also do this because sometimes I would have professors assume I was completely blind when they saw my blindness cane or that didn’t understand how my vision could fluctuate or change in different environments. Some of my friends that have more “well-known” vision conditions (e.g. glaucoma) will share the name of their eye condition with professors, but this isn’t super helpful for my uncommon diagnosis.
One of my best friends keeps their exact disability diagnosis secret because they fear being treated differently by professors, facing stigma, or having their disability diagnosis questioned, which is totally understandable. However, students with visual impairments should expect to explain their usable vision and how they access information, as masking visual impairment or pretending to be fully sighted can lead to overwhelming visual fatigue and cognitive burnout from eye strain.
Related links
- How To Explain Disability Accommodations To Professors
- Managing Chronic Migraines in College
- Disability Accommodations For Fluctuating Eyesight
- Disability and Classroom Accommodations For Chiari Malformation
- Disability and Classroom Accommodations For POTS
- How I Talk To Professors About Photosensitivity
- Ten “Odd” Things I Do With Double Vision
Professors have to follow the accommodations
Professors are required to follow accommodations that have been approved by Disability Services, starting from the day the student shares an accommodations letter or similar documentation. Without this additional documentation, professors are not supposed to adapt or modify assignments, exams, or other class policies for individual students.
One semester, I didn’t realize that my math professor had never received my Disability Services accommodation letter and tried to send it to them a few hours before our first exam so I could utilize my previously approved accommodations for extended time, a large print calculator, and related items. The professor told me that they could not accommodate this on such short notice and reminded me of how unprofessional this was, and I earned a 13 on the exam. I was able to improve my grade through other extra credit opportunities, but this was a valuable lesson to double-check that professors received accommodation letters.
Related links
- How To Explain Disability Accommodations To Professors
- Learning to Self-Advocate
- Tips For Handling Academic Ableism In The Classroom
- Computer Lab Accommodations For Low Vision Students
- Math Test Accommodations For Low Vision
Students can take a proactive approach, not a reactive approach to accessibility issues
In college, I don’t have to wait to start failing classes or receiving assignments in inaccessible formats to get approved for disability accommodations. I can set up my accommodations before my first day of classes, which gave my professors and I time to address any accessibility barriers that might come up before the first day of classes, as well as track down accessible books.
Students can apply for disability accommodations at any point in the semester, but they cannot be applied retroactively to classes— in the previous story with my math exam, I couldn’t go back and retake the exam after sharing my accommodations letter, but I could make sure that I could take my other exams with my approved disability accommodations.
Related links
- Ten Templates For Emailing Professors
- How I Find Research Sources In Accessible Formats
- How To Get Disability Accommodations In Community College
- Low Vision Accommodations For Print Materials From My Low Vision IEP
Connect students with other campus resources
Disability Services maintains an email list, campus website, and several other listings for campus resources that are available for students registered with their office. This can include:
- Scholarships and paid opportunities
- Events hosted across various departments
- Information from local, state, and national organizations, i.e state unit for visual impairment
- Invitations to meetings with campus visitors and faculty/staff
- Free tutoring and study resources
- Links to helpful websites or other campus departments
- Tutoring services such as the writing center, math center, or other academic support options
Disability Services can also connect students with extracurricular organizations and clubs that support students with disabilities, as well as provide ideas for participating in campus activities.
Related links
- Services Provided By State Department/State Unit for Visual Impairment
- Vocational Rehabilitation for College Students
- US Government Programs For Blind/Low Vision Residents
- How I Organize Emails In College With Low Vision
- The Best Study Tips For Visually Impaired Students
- National Homework Hotline: Free Tutoring For Blind and Visually Impaired Students
- Requesting Extracurricular Accommodations
Get access to the testing center and priority registration
Instead of professors having to figure out how to implement my disability accommodations in the general classroom, Disability Services offers a testing center where students can use approved accommodations such as extended time, video magnifiers, and stretch breaks on timed assignments such as timed exams, assignments, quizzes, and similar items. Disability Services can take care of everything, including picking up and returning the completed assessment to the professor.
Another benefit of registering with Disability Services is the ability to receive priority registration for classes, which can make it easier for students to plan out their schedule.
Related links
- What To Bring To The Disability Services Testing Center
- How I Receive Accessible Quizzes and Tests in the Classroom
- Remote Testing Accommodations For Low Vision
- Testing Accommodations For Low Vision Students
- College Scheduling Hacks For Students With Chronic Illness
- How To Schedule College Classes
Assistance with on-campus housing
Living with a neurological condition and chronic migraines qualified me for on-campus disability housing accommodations, which make it possible for me to live in a dorm room that is accessible for me. This was especially helpful when registering for freshman housing, as my doctor had determined I needed to live in a single room with no roommate, which can be difficult to request as a new freshman student. Having disability housing accommodations meant that I wasn’t charged extra for a single dorm since this was determined to be medically necessary.
As an additional bonus, many students that are registered for disability housing accommodations have guaranteed housing for the entire duration of their program, or priority housing registration. Upperclassmen can apply to live in the same dorm for multiple years, though they may still have to move items out of their dorm in the summer.
Related links
- How To Choose A Dorm And Pick College Housing
- Seven Things I Tell My College Suitemates About My Disability
- How I Decorate My Dorm Room With Low Vision
- Tips For Keeping A Dorm Room Clean With Chronic Illness
- Dorm Room Disability Hacks For Chronically Ill Students
- How To Create A Custom Dorm Skill With Amazon Alexa
Take advantage of assistive technology resources
I spent a lot of time with the assistive technology specialists at my college, who taught me a lot about how to implement my disability accommodations in the classroom and served as a resource for my professors. Students are required to have a Disability Services file to receive assistance from the assistive technology specialist(s), but this alone is an invaluable reason to have a Disability Services file.
Some of my favorite assistive technology resources at the college level include:
- Requesting accessible copies of textbooks and other course materials. I would get digital versions of all my textbooks, even if they weren’t otherwise available as eBooks
- Technical support for accessing course websites and assignments
- Free or discounted licenses for assistive technology programs, such as JAWS, screen magnification, dictation programs and simplified displays
- Informational assistive technology assessments to learn about options for accessing information
- Opportunities to learn how to use specialty software, such as JAWS and ZoomText
- Use of video magnifiers and other on-campus specialty technologies in assistive technology labs and libraries
- Free access to visual interpreting applications, e.g. Aira (if the school is an Aira Access location)
Admittedly, I’m a bit biased because I have a Master’s degree in Assistive Technology, but during undergraduate I spent more time working with assistive technology specialists than Disability Services because they helped me a lot with day-to-day accessibility challenges.
Related links
- What To Know About College Assistive Technology Specialists
- How To Request Accessible Textbooks In College
- A to Z of Assistive Technology for Reading Digital Text
- Awesome On-Campus College Library Resources
- All About Visual Assistance Apps For Visually Impaired
- Ways To Use Visual Assistance Apps For Virtual Classes
- My Talk At A Future Date: What I Wish I Learned About AT Before Starting College
- What I Wish I Learned About Assistive Technology Before Starting Grad School
More resources on college disability accommodations
- Thinking of transitioning from an IEP for visual impairment to a 504 Plan before starting college? I did this, and it wasn’t necessary for getting disability accommodations approved for college— my expired IEP was sufficient.
- Some of my disability accommodations had to be changed to accommodate virtual learning. Read more about this in Seven Unexpected Disability Accommodations For Virtual Learning
- Not sure what to ask for from Disability Services? Read How To Come Up With Sample Accommodations and Common Classroom Accommodations For Low Vision
Published October 31, 2019. Updated January 2025