Students with physical, brain injury and/or health impairments are entitled to an accessible education at the post-secondary level. Their disorders or disabilities may be temporary or permanent and interfere with their learning. There are many types of physical, brain injury, and/or health impairments which may require adaptation of the physical environment.
The most common of these physical impairments include but are not limited to:
- Brain injury and neuromuscular impairments include strokes, epilepsy, and cerebral palsy. Degenerative conditions include muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, and cystic fibrosis. Spinal cord injuries may occur from a broken neck or back and spina bifida.
- Orthopedic problems consist of amputations, deformities of the spine or limbs, cleft palate, and club foot.
- Chronic health problems include diabetes, hemophilia, heart disease, arthritis, asthma, severe allergies, cancer, lupus, sickle cell anemia, leukemia, digestive disorders, traumatic brain injury and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
Listed below are helpful hints for students with physical, brain and/or health impairments to follow when services are needed:
- Request services one to two weeks before the semester starts or the first week of the semester.
- Allow yourself enough extended time for completion of assignments and exams with appropriate SDS staff assistance.
- Arrange for technical assistance with center staff, e.g. large button calculator, adapted writing utensils, computer software, communication device/boards, tape recorders, etc.
- Pair with class peers for note taking and study groups.
- Consider the time factor for getting to and from classroom buildings and discuss problems with center staff and/or faculty instructor.
- Avoid sitting in classroom aisles or the back of the room.
- Contact the instructor if you are tardy or absent because of illness, transportation, elevator and/or wheelchair malfunction, and/or inclement weather.
