HOW TO CHOOSE A COLLEGE WITH A DISABILITY

MDA QUEST MEDIA

In addition to visiting a college campus, talking with students — especially students with similar disabilities — can give you a fuller picture of campus life.

Jonathan Lengel, who lives with congenital muscular dystrophy, (CMD) and uses a power wheelchair, is pursuing a double major in digital technologies/emerging media and music at Fordham University’s Lincoln Center campus in New York City, asked Fordham to connect him to another wheelchair user on campus.

He asked them if campus facilities have accessible entrances, if elevators are well-maintained, and whether the university does a good job of clearing ice and snow from the accessible paths of travel.

It was invaluable to get this information from a source with lived experience.

“They are the keys to the kingdom — find out how their experience has been,” he says.

 

HOW TO CHOOSE A COLLEGE WITH A DISABILITY

MDA QUEST MEDIA

“Start early.

Visit the school in your sophomore or junior year of high school. Reach out to the disability office and gauge how proactive it is.

This saved me a lot of time,” said Jonathan Lengel, who lives with congenital muscular dystrophy, (CMD) and uses a power wheelchair, is pursuing a double major in digital technologies/emerging media and music at Fordham University’s Lincoln Center campus in New York City.

…noting that he used in-person visits to weed out some campuses with old buildings that weren’t retrofitted with ramps and elevators.

However, if there are accessibility issues at a school you like, don’t write them off until you’ve asked if they will address the issues.

When Jonathan committed to Fordham, the school began modifying his on-campus residence and had it ready for his fall move-in.

“Always remember, self-advocacy is the most powerful tool,” he says.

 

HOW TO CHOOSE A COLLEGE WITH A DISABILITY

MDA QUEST MEDIA

Jonathan Lengel, who lives with congenital muscular dystrophy, (CMD) and uses a power wheelchair, is pursuing a double major in digital technologies/emerging media and music at Fordham University’s Lincoln Center campus in New York City.

In high school, Jonathan worked with Annie Tulkin, MS, CEO and Founder of Accessible College, LLC. to create a list of questions to ask disability offices about housing, transportation, and overall accessibility at the schools he was considering.

HOW TO CHOOSE A COLLEGE WITH A DISABILITY

MDA QUEST MEDIA

If you need accommodations in college, you’ll request them through your school’s disability services office, which requires disclosing information about your disability.

“It’s important to understand that the disability services office is separate from the admissions department,” says Annie Tulkin, MS, CEO and Founder of Accessible College, LLC.

“Information that a student may share with the office prior to acceptance and enrollment is not shared with the admissions department.”

HOW TO CHOOSE A COLLEGE WITH A DISABILITY

MDA QUEST MEDIA

When choosing a college, a student with a disability should consider access to specialized care.

If you’re moving away from home, you’ll probably need to build a new team of physicians, physical therapists, and other specialists.

An isolated college campus, or one far from a neuromuscular care center, may not have appropriate providers nearby.

Most colleges have a disability services office (sometimes called an accessibility, access, or ADA office) to ensure access for students with disabilities in compliance with federal law.

Some offices go beyond compliance to serve as advocates for their students and promote inclusive campus life.

 

 

HOW TO CHOOSE A COLLEGE WITH A DISABILITY

MDA QUEST MEDIA

It’s important for college students with disabilities to think about transportation on and off campus.

Connor Stager is studying economics and genetics at the University of Georgia.

He lives with distal arthrogryposis, which impairs the senses of touch and proprioception (the sense of the body’s movement and position) and affects his walking.

“When I met with the University of Georgia, they told me about the networks and systems in place, including the paratransit system,” he says.

The campus has a paratransit system linking all the buildings, and the Athens-Clarke County public transit system has accessible buses that allow him to travel off campus.

HOW TO CHOOSE A COLLEGE WITH A DISABILITY

MDA QUEST MEDIA

Annie Tulkin, MS, CEO and Founder of Accessible College, LLC., notes that several factors contribute to campus accessibility beyond accessible buildings.

For example, consider geography and climate.

A college that feels comfortable during a typical spring or summer visit could be harder to navigate in winter, with snow or ice.

A hilly or spread-out campus will take more energy to get around.

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOW TO CHOOSE A COLLEGE WITH A DISABILITY

MDA QUEST MEDIA

Annie Tulkin, MS, CEO and Founder of Accessible College, LLC., notes that under the ADA, colleges are not required to provide personal care services as an accommodation, so it’s up to students to hire their own personal care attendants (PCAs) for daily living tasks.

Typically, schools will allow a PCA to share a student’s room at no additional charge.

HOW TO CHOOSE A COLLEGE WITH A DISABILITY

MDA QUEST MEDIA

“Any college that receives federal funding has to be ADA compliant, but what that looks and feels like can be different from place to place,” says Annie Tulkin, MS, CEO and Founder of Accessible College, LLC.

She advises students with disabilities to search for the right academic fit while also balancing the college’s built environment and dedication to being inclusive.

Historic buildings are not exempt from the ADA, but they may have alternative accessibility requirements.

The ADA requires colleges to reduce barriers for students with disabilities and provide reasonable accommodations to ensure they can access the classroom.

In some cases, this may mean moving the class to a more accessible building.

 

 

HOW TO CHOOSE A COLLEGE WITH A DISABILITY

MDA QUEST MEDIA

“Investigate the attitude of the accessibility office — if they don’t get it, they are not going to fight for you, and it will be harder to advocate for yourself,” says Abby Dreyer, a sophomore at Eastern Connecticut State University.

Along with the basics of finding a good college match — location, affordability, size, academic and cultural fit — students with disabilities must do some extra digging.

 

 

HOW TO CHOOSE A COLLEGE WITH A DISABILITY

MDA QUEST MEDIA

Abby Dreyer, a sophomore at Eastern Connecticut State University, had a very different experience at ECSU.

“When I toured ECSU, the Office of AccessAbility Services was very understanding.

The person who runs the office actually has multiple disabilities.

The college even has a disability cultural center,” she says.

Now, Abby is studying business administration at ECSU.

Her advice to college-bound students with disabilities is to make on-site visits and ask lots of questions.

HOW TO CHOOSE A COLLEGE WITH A DISABILITY

MDA QUEST MEDIA

When Abby Dreyer, a sophomore at Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU), was choosing a college, she scheduled tours at ECSU and another college on the same day.

Abby lives with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and uses a power wheelchair, so she contacted the schools ahead of time to tell them about her accessibility needs.

“I told the other college that I need accommodations and an accessible route,” she says.

“I got there, and the elevator was broken in the building where you check in.

The tour started 20 minutes late.

The accessibility office was not helpful and didn’t understand my requests.”

 

IS TRAIN TRAVEL A WHEELCHAIR-FRIENDLY

ALTERNATIVE TO FLYING OR DRIVING?

Know Your Rights on Trains

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to trains and train stations. Here are a few key points.

Train cars

• Any train cars acquired after 1990 must be ADA-compliant, including designated wheelchair spaces and accessible bathrooms.
• Older train cars should be modified to improve accessibility but do not have to be fully retrofitted.
• Sleeper cars should have accessible bedrooms, restrooms, and access to dining and lounge areas.
• Service animals must be permitted on trains at no additional charge.

Train stations

• All intercity train stations are required to be ADA-compliant.
• Any new station or significant alteration to an existing one must comply with ADA standards, including ramps, elevators, and accessible ticket counters.
• Level boarding (when the boarding platform is level with the train floor) must be provided in new or altered stations, where feasible.
• Staff must assist with boarding and deboarding, using lifts or bridge plates for wheelchair users.

IS TRAIN TRAVEL A WHEELCHAIR-FRIENDLY

ALTERNATIVE TO FLYING OR DRIVING?

Leah and Bevi Zelaya praise the barrier-free restrooms aboard Amtrak trains they have taken in the Northeast.

Both noted that it is difficult to walk down a plane aisle to a restroom that is too tiny to fit a second person to assist.

“The Red Caps must have good training because they are polite, accommodating, and don’t look at you like you have three heads,” Leah says.

“Travel by train is very relaxed.”

Train travel does have some drawbacks: 

It can take more time than flying or driving, and service and accessibility are inconsistent nationally. 

However, in some cases, these disadvantages are outweighed by the opportunity to travel with greater access and dignity.

IS TRAIN TRAVEL A WHEELCHAIR-FRIENDLY

ALTERNATIVE TO FLYING OR DRIVING?

Even though the trip takes longer, Vanessa O’Connell says train travel takes the stress and hassles out of her regular trip.

She notes that Amtrak’s Red Caps help with her luggage on board the train and deliver a meal to her room.

“As a person with a disability, you have an accessible restroom right in your room,” Vanessa says.

“On a plane, the restrooms are typically extremely small.

Many people that I know must dehydrate for a few days before flying, as the restroom is not accessible or large enough to accommodate them.”

IS TRAIN TRAVEL A WHEELCHAIR-FRIENDLY

ALTERNATIVE TO FLYING OR DRIVING?

Vanessa O’Connell walks on the train, though she is careful with her balance. She has an electric scooter for long distances but generally does not bring it on the train. 

“The accessible sleeper is the first room from the boarding door. It’s a pretty good size and has windows to take in the view. 

The in-room bathroom is big enough to fit a wheelchair in the shower,” she says.

IS TRAIN TRAVEL A WHEELCHAIR-FRIENDLY

ALTERNATIVE TO FLYING OR DRIVING?

Vanessa O’Connell is an MDA Ambassador in the Orlando area who lives with Pompe disease. 

She travels twice a year on Amtrak’s Floridian from Winter Park, Florida, to Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, to visit family and see specialists at Duke University.

Although a nonstop flight from Orlando to Raleigh-Durham would take less than two hours, Vanessa swears by the overnight, 13-hour Amtrak trip.

“I used to drive it before my diagnosis. Since then, I take the train,” Vanessa says.

“I have a breathing disorder, and my physician says the train’s air is much better than the air on a plane. 

The station in Raleigh-Durham has excellent access.

The one in Winter Park is a quaint little whistle stop, but I can make do with the access.”

IS TRAIN TRAVEL A WHEELCHAIR-FRIENDLY

ALTERNATIVE TO FLYING OR DRIVING?

Mindy Henderson, MDA’s Vice President of Disability Outreach and Empowerment and Editor-in-Chief of Quest Media, rode on the Texas Eagle, which has bilevel Superliner cars.

She says the aisles were too narrow to maneuver her power wheelchair easily.

There were tie-down restraints to secure her wheelchair; however, the Red Caps (Amtrak attendants) didn’t offer to help, so her personal care attendant (PCA) did the work.

The dining area was up steps with no ramp or lift, so her PCA also did the food run.

Overall, Mindy rated the experience higher than flying, but because of significant delays during her train trip to Dallas, she would prefer driving in an accessible van to taking the train for a journey of that length.

IS TRAIN TRAVEL A WHEELCHAIR-FRIENDLY

ALTERNATIVE TO FLYING OR DRIVING?

Mindy Henderson, MDA’s Vice President of Disability Outreach and Empowerment and Editor-in-Chief of Quest Media, who lives with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), recently took her first Amtrak ride. 

She described the five-hour trip from her home in Austin, Texas, to Dallas as a “mixed bag.”

“Getting on the train was dreamy compared to air travel. 

I could stay in my chair, and I didn’t have to worry about being lifted or dropped,” she says.

“The portable ramp from the platform to the train was a bit steep, but the staff were good about standing behind me so I didn’t flip.”

IS TRAIN TRAVEL A WHEELCHAIR-FRIENDLY

ALTERNATIVE TO FLYING OR DRIVING?

Dr. Christopher Rosa praises the new Acela cars for wider aisles, more integrated accessible seating, and better shock absorbers for a smooth ride.

“From my home in Queens, I can take an accessible bus to the Long Island Railroad to the Amtrak station. From there, I can get to DC, Boston, and Philly,” he says.

“For most of my life, I couldn’t take trips independently.

I can’t tell you how liberating it is to be totally independent.”

While the heavily traveled Northeast corridor has many modern, accessible train cars, experiences on trains can vary in other regions.