All disabled people have the right to education on an equal basis with others. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) Article 24 requires that disabled people can access higher education without discrimination, with reasonable accommodations provided.
This page centers disabled students' expertise and is informed by disabled-led organizing in higher education globally.
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Higher education opens doors to careers, research, and community leadership. Disabled students have always been part of universities—often fighting to be recognized and accommodated.
Under international human rights frameworks, disabled students have the right to:
Accommodations are adjustments that remove barriers while maintaining academic standards. Common ones include:
Testing accommodations: Extended time, separate testing rooms, breaks, alternative formats, use of assistive technology during exams.
Classroom accommodations: Note-taking services, captioning, sign language interpreters, preferential seating, recording lectures, flexible attendance policies for flare-ups.
Assignment accommodations: Extended deadlines during health crises, alternative formats for assignments, substitutions for requirements that create barriers (like foreign language requirements for some learning disabilities).
Housing accommodations: Single rooms, specific building locations, emotional support animals, modified furniture, refrigerators for medications.
Technology: Screen readers, speech-to-text software, accessible learning management systems, FM systems for deaf/hard of hearing students.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protect disabled students in higher education.
Key points:
Important shift from high school: In K-12, schools are responsible for identifying and serving disabled students. In college, you must advocate for yourself, register with disability services, and request what you need.
You can:
National Center for College Students with Disabilities (NCCSD) provides resources, training, and advocacy support for disabled students navigating higher education.
Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) works to improve policies and practices, and offers resources for students and professionals.
Disability Rights Advocates has brought major lawsuits improving accessibility in higher education.
Student-led disability organizations on many campuses advocate for policy changes and peer support.
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and provincial/territorial human rights legislation protect disabled students from discrimination.
Each province has its own human rights code. Universities must provide accommodations to the point of "undue hardship."
Like the US, Canadian students must self-identify and register with accessibility services. Processes vary by province and institution, but generally:
Ontario: Ontario Human Rights Commission has specific guidance on disability and education. Ontario universities often have robust accessibility offices.
British Columbia: BC Human Rights Tribunal handles complaints. BC Campus provides accessibility resources.
Other provinces: Check provincial human rights commissions and your institution's accessibility office.
National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS) is a cross-disability consumer organization led by disabled students, advocating for full access to post-secondary education.
Student Accessibility Services offices vary by institution—connect with yours for local support.
The Equality Act 2010 requires universities to make "reasonable adjustments" for disabled students. Universities must not discriminate in admissions, teaching, or assessment.
The Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) provides funding for disability-related support in higher education, including equipment, non-medical helpers, and other assistance.
Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA):
DSA can cover: specialist equipment, non-medical helper support (note-takers, readers, interpreters), extra travel costs, other disability-related costs.
University disability services: Register with your institution's disability/accessibility service for exam arrangements, lecture support, and other accommodations.
Disabled Students UK is a network amplifying disabled students' voices and advocating for systemic change.
National Union of Students (NUS) Disabled Students Campaign works on policy and representation.
The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights prohibits discrimination based on disability. Individual countries implement this differently, but all EU member states have signed the CRPD.
Germany: Students register with the "Beratungsstelle für Studierende mit Behinderung oder chronischer Erkrankung" (advising center for students with disabilities). Documentation requirements and support vary by state (Bundesland) and institution.
France: The "Mission Handicap" or "Relais Handicap" at each university coordinates accommodations. Students may also access support through MDPH (Maison Départementale des Personnes Handicapées).
Netherlands: Students work with institutional disability support services and may access additional support through DUO or municipalities.
Spain: Most universities have dedicated disability services ("Unidades de Atención a la Diversidad" or similar).
European Disability Forum (EDF) advocates at the EU level for disabled people's rights, including in education.
National disability organizations in each country advocate for accessible higher education.
The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) and the Disability Standards for Education 2005 require educational institutions to make reasonable adjustments.
Australian universities have disability/accessibility services where students can register. Services typically include:
NDIS: If you're an NDIS participant, some education-related supports may be funded. However, academic accommodations are generally the university's responsibility, not NDIS.
Australian Disability Students Network advocates for disabled students across Australian universities.
People with Disability Australia (PWDA) is a cross-disability rights organization that addresses education access.
If your country has signed the CRPD (most have), you have a right to non-discriminatory access to higher education with reasonable accommodations.
Higher education access varies dramatically. In many countries, disabled students face:
Disabled students and organizations are organizing in every region. Look for DPOs (Disabled People's Organizations) in your country advocating for educational access.
Disabled students hold multiple identities that shape their experiences.
May face both ableism and racism, including: being seen as "not belonging" in academic spaces, stereotypes affecting how disability is perceived, less access to diagnosis and documentation, and microaggressions from multiple directions.
Who's organizing: Groups like Disability Justice Culture Club, Black Disabled Creatives, and campus-specific organizations center disabled students of color.
Navigate ableism alongside homophobia and transphobia. May face challenges with housing assignments, healthcare access on campus, and finding community that fully includes them.
Who's organizing: Intersectional groups on campus, Sins Invalid (arts and activism), and LGBTQ+ disability organizations.
May lack family knowledge of college systems, face financial barriers to documentation, and have less access to expensive assistive technology or tutoring.
Who's organizing: First-gen student organizations, disability services financial assistance programs (where they exist).
Face additional visa-related challenges, may come from countries with different disability frameworks, and may not have documentation that US/UK/etc. systems recognize.
Who's organizing: International student offices, disability services, international disabled student networks.
May need coordinated accommodations that address multiple conditions. Can face skepticism when needs are complex.
Research disability services at schools you're considering. You can contact them before applying to ask about services. Disclosure in applications is optional and should not affect admissions decisions (though this is hard to enforce). Some students find that disability-related essays strengthen applications by showing resilience and self-awareness.
Contact disability services immediately. You don't need complete documentation to start the conversation. Many conditions (chronic illness, mental health, injuries) develop during college—services exist for you too, not just students with lifelong disabilities.
Return to disability services to discuss adjustments. If the issue is professor non-compliance, disability services can intervene. If the issue is inadequate accommodations, request a reassessment. If the issue is systemic, consider connecting with disabled student organizations or filing complaints.
The same laws apply, but culture and implementation differ. Clinical programs, lab work, and professional standards create additional barriers and require creative accommodation solutions. Connect with disability services early and be prepared to advocate strongly.
Talk to disability services anyway—they may accept alternative documentation or help you obtain evaluations. Some schools have funds for low-income students to get assessments. Your own statement of disability history and functional limitations matters too.
Document everything. Report to disability services, ADA/civil rights coordinators, and consider external complaints (OCR in the US, human rights commissions elsewhere). Connect with disability rights organizations for guidance.
Have experience navigating higher education as a disabled student? Know about resources in your country? Experienced barriers or found solutions?
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This page centers disabled students' expertise. Content is based on disabled people's organizing and lived experience.
Last updated: November 2025