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No Disability Too Small

Picture of man at computer with his right hand in a brace

Be sure to check out the NCCSD Clearinghouse for more information designed for Current College Students.

Learn more about how Disability Resources works on campus.

What are Accommodations?

Do I have rights as a person with a disability?

 


Connect with other disabled students through DREAM

Learn more about Disability Documentation in our Two-Minute Training, Prove It!

I Just Need a Little Help

Many people think that the campus Disability Resources (DR) office is only for students with major, life-long disabilities.

That's not true. Disability Resources works with a wide range of students who have all levels of disabilities and conditions, permanent or temporary.1

An example would be Julie, who has limited use of her left hand due to an injury she had as a child. She can do most of her work in school just fine, but finds that she can't type fast in an Accounting class which requires a certain typing speed.

Julie could try to do it on her own and struggle through it, but the Disability Resources office might have tools or technology that could help her with the typing task that she hadn't known about.

So, something that a student might think is minor, might actually impact one or more unanticipated "major life activity"2 in college. Think about such activities as:
  • Taking lecture notes or typing papers
  • Getting between classes in time
  • Keeping up with reading assignments, with vision in one eye
  • Hearing class discussions, with mild hearing loss or hearing in one ear
Even though you don't think you'd use DR throughout your time at college, because you have a "small" disability, it's still a good idea to contact them and register with the office just in case.

The Americans with Disabilities Act protects people with disabilities from discrimination in school and work. If you register with DR, they can verify that you do have a disability and are protected.
Is your disability temporary? Learn more -->
1 A 2014 ruling by the Fourth Circuit Court in 2014 determined that the ADA Amendments Act considers severe temporary impairments (those of 6 months or less)  to be “disabilities” and protects people who have them [Summers vs. Altarum Institute Corp., No. 13-1645 (4th Cir. January 23, 2014)].
2 Major life activities are described in the Americans with Disabilities Act



Logo for NCCSD-blue letters NCCSD surrounded by laurel leaves on both sides; beneath this:
Logo for AHEAD Black lettering Association on Higher Education And Disability
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The National Center for College Students with Disabilities (NCCSD) is funded through a four-year grant from the Office of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education (P116D150005), and administered through the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE).  

The NCCSD is based with the Association on Higher Education And Disability (AHEAD).  Please see caveats on the home page about assuming the NCCSD, AHEAD or the US Dept. of Education agree with all content on linked pages, and we can't guarantee the accessibility of other sites.

All images are from Bigstock.com or public domain except where noted. The material on this website is available in alternative formats upon request. Questions, concerns or requests about accessibility should be sent to nccsd@ahead.org.

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