Study Abroad Options for Disabled Students Colorado Springs CO

Study Abroad Options for Disabled Students

If you've gone through life with a disability, you may have encountered hurdles along the way. Fortunately, ever expanding global awareness and education about disabilities has cleared some of those hurdles, enabling you to experience one of life's most exciting, challenging, and transforming opportunities —studying, living, working, or volunteering abroad.

The Americans with Disabilities Act requires international exchange programs, study-abroad offices and international community service projects to offer the same services to you as they do to everyone else. They may not be able to guarantee accessible services and sites everywhere, but they do need to assist you by finding and making international programs as accessible as possible. However, most programs don't need a mandate to motivate them to help you fulfill your dream — they want to do it!

A helping hand
If you can't find a program that suits your needs through your own school, there are other organizations that can help. Mobility International USA (MIUSA) and its National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange promote the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in international programs and assist international exchange organizations in the process of increasing general program accessibility. The Clearinghouse provides free information and referral services for academic, volunteer, or work opportunities abroad.

Author: Amy Ambler

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