Education isn’t what it used to be — it’s better. Opportunities for adults with disabilities to pursue higher education or vocational training have never been more abundant, and with the advancement of adaptive resources and personalized accommodations, your goals are now more accessible than ever.
Knowing what is available to you is the vital first step, so to help you on your path to succeed in your education aspirations, read on for some of our top tools, opportunities, and tips for adults with disability pursuing higher education or vocational training.
Assistive and Adaptive Technology
Technological advances have skyrocketed in recent years, and this has proven to be hugely important for accessibility in education. Tools like screen readers, voice recognition, adaptive keyboards, speech to text, and much more have been revolutionary in the way individuals with disabilities learn.
These tools can be integrated into a classroom setting in any level of education. Another vital technological advancement in recent years for disabled adults has been the refinement of online learning.
Since the pandemic, many educational institutions have not only integrated but expanded and promoted online learning for their students.
For many individuals with disabilities, getting to class and learning in a traditional environment can be some of the biggest challenges. With robust online learning technology, you can learn from home and on your own terms, eliminating one of the biggest barriers barring many disabled adults from educational success.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
Higher education becomes more expensive every year, and this can be a significant problem for adults with disabilities that may not have the ability to support themselves financially or deal with the burden of student loan debt.
Luckily, there are numerous scholarship and financial aid programs tailored to help disabled students reach their academic and professional goals.
In addition to federal aid, scholarships such as those offered by the National Federation of the Blind and the American Association of People with Disabilities can play a huge role in making education accessible to the communities they serve. We recommend looking into scholarships created to help students with your disability and reaching out to the organizations that offer them for more information.
Vocational Rehabilitation Programs
You may know of vocational rehabilitation programs from the employment point of view, but did you know that they also provide training services? If you are looking to learn the skills for a particular job or field, a VR program could be the best option for you.
They are tailored to help individuals with disabilities train for, obtain, and secure employment, and can serve as a major resource for educational accommodations, training with assistive technology, career counseling, and much more.
Missouri’s VR services are robust and offer a range of support to help you access and achieve whatever your vocational goals are.
Disability Services Offices
Most colleges, universities, and vocational training programs across the country have offices dedicated to helping students with disabilities access education and succeed.
Whatever you want to study, your institution’s disability services office is a great place to connect with early into your education to learn what resources are available to you through the school.
Some of the most helpful accommodations they provide often include note taking assistance, extended exam time, classroom adaptations, and much more. They are also a good connection to have in case any of your needs are not being met in class or you experience discrimination.
Disability services offices are one of the most important institutions in education to help students with disabilities reach their academic goals with all the support they need.
Knowing what resources and tools are available to you is a huge step in achieving your academic goals—let us help you with this. Delta Center’s connection to resources is only one of the many ways we can help you on this journey.
One of the best things we can offer you is to help you find your voice as a self-advocate through our one-on-one advocacy coaching program. Our team of advocates will get to know you and your specific goals, using this knowledge to help you find the best accommodations for your needs and have the best chances of getting them. Delta Center is here to help you reach your goals, academic or otherwise.