Self-advocacy | Exploring Careers | Entrance Exams | College Selection |
Admission and Financial Aid | Next Steps | Rights and Responsibilities

What is a self-advocate? Self-advocates are those who:

• make choices based on their preferences, beliefs, and abilities
• take control and make decisions that impact the quality of their lives
• take risks and assume responsibility for their actions
• advocate on behalf of themselves and others

As a "self-advocate" you communicate your needs with logical and positive language. To be an effective self-advocate, you must understand your disability, know how it impacts your learning, and become comfortable with describing your disability and academic-related needs to others.

These practices will help you become a self-advocate:

Review your case file with your parents and Individual Education Plan (IEP) team to better understand your disability and its effect on your learning. Ask for copies of your IEP and other assessment reports. Ask these questions:

• What is my disability?
• How does it affect how I learn?
• What are my academic strengths?
• How do I learn best?
• What strategies can I use to help me learn?

Consider meeting with the doctor or school psychologist who performed your assessment (testing) for the terms needed to explain your disability.

Take an active part in the discussions at your IEP meetings. Understanding your learning strengths and weaknesses gives you valuable knowledge that can influence your IEP planning and the services you may request in college.

Before each IEP meeting:

• Understand the purpose of the meeting.
• Know who will be there and their role at the meeting.
• Review the report from your last IEP meeting. Understand the goals listed on the report.
• Practice saying how you accomplished the goals.
• Establish new goals and be prepared to state them.

At the IEP meeting:

• Summarize your past goals and accomplishments.
• State your new goals.
• Ask for ideas and feedback from other members.
• Know what support and help you will need to accomplish your goals — and ask for it.
• Ask questions if you don't understand.

Step 1: Ask your guidance counselor or school transition specialist about career interest inventories and a vocational assessment to help you explore and identify your career interests. Ask how your learning needs may influence these career areas.

Step 2: Discuss career options with your parents, friends, and people working in jobs that interest you. Look into job shadowing, attend local career fairs and explore volunteer opportunities in your areas of interest.

Step 3: Become involved in extracurricular activities. Volunteer and paid work can teach responsibility, reliability and teamwork. A part-time job is also a good way to earn money for college.

ACT/SAT entrance exams
You typically take the ACT and/or SAT entrance exams in the spring of your junior year and again in the fall of your senior year. When you schedule your exams, you may need to request accommodations. When requesting accommodations, you must provide documentation of your disability. For details, visit www.act.org/aap/disab/index.html and www.collegeboard.com/prof/counselors/tests/articles/2.html.

ASSET and COMPASS
Test-taking accommodations also apply to the ASSET (Assessment of Skills for Successful Entry and Transfer) or COMPASS (Computer Adaptive Placement Assessment and Support System) tests - a series of short placement exams often required by community colleges. These exams are designed to help identify your strengths and needs. For more information, visit www.act.org/compass or www.act.org/asset/index.html.

Accommodations for the SAT, ACT, ASSET and COMPASS may include:

• Individual administration of the test
• Audiocassette tape or large print test editions
• Special answer sheets
• Extended testing time and breaks
• Interpreter
• Braille editions

Another resource is Educational Opportunities Beyond High School in Nebraska at http://edweblab.unl.edu/edopportunities/intro.html which provides options for postsecondary education in Nebraska. It contains information for students with disabilities including accommodations and support services.

The disability services coordinator
Most colleges have an office that provides services to students with disabilities. If not, the school will have a person who coordinates these services. The office or disability services coordinator is usually located in the college's counseling center or in student services.

Once you narrow your college choices, it's important that you meet with the disability services coordinator at each college to determine services and accommodations that may be available. This may help determine the college that will best meet your needs.

How disability-related expenses may affect financial aid
As a student with a disability, you may face expenses that other students do not encounter. When you apply for financial aid, inform the financial aid administrator of your disability-related expenses keeping in mind that financial aid will not cover expenses already covered by assisting agencies.

Possible disability-related expenses include:

• services for personal care attendants
• special education equipment related to your disability and its maintenance
• special transportation
• medical expenses relating directly to your disability not covered by insurance

Seek help
The financial aid process can be overwhelming and frustrating at times so ask for help. EducationQuest Foundation and the college financial aid staff will answer your questions and help you complete this process.

• contact the coordinator of disability services
• provide the required documentation
• request services each term or semester

Step 1: Gather required documentation
All colleges require documentation of a student's disability to determine eligibility for services and specific services that are needed. To ensure you have the most recent documentation:

• Request a copy of your high school IEP before you graduate. If you had an IEP in high school, that means you were tested by the school psychologist or a medical doctor. A copy of that assessment may be sufficient documentation of your disability.
• Update your tests. Some colleges have a three-year time limit on accepting certain documentation, particularly if you have a learning disability or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). If you received testing in high school, work with your school to have your tests updated the last year you receive special education services. Disability testing after high school graduation can be expensive.

Step 2: Meet with the disability services coordinator
Meet with the disability services coordinator at your college to review the documentation and discuss accommodations. After meeting with you and evaluating your documentation, the disability services coordinator will understand how your disability impacts your learning and can determine possible accommodations. The law does NOT state that all students with a disability must receive ALL accommodations.

Step 3: Request accommodations
Partner with the disability services coordinator and the course instructor to find accommodations that work best for you. Although the college may not always agree to your request for a specific accommodation, they are required by law to provide an effective accommodation. Determining effective accommodations may involve experimenting and making adjustments.

You must request services from the disability services office each term or semester. You will not receive services unless you make the request.

Step 4: Become familiar with the campus environment

Register for campus orientation. The disability services coordinator may also provide a special campus orientation.

Determine where to go and who to contact in case of an emergency. If you have special needs (especially medical needs) inform appropriate college personnel of any advance preparation that should be in place.

Ask the admissions office if a summer transition program is offered.

Obtain a copy of your class schedule and visit all buildings where your classes will be held to become familiar with locations and layout.

If you are commuting and will drive yourself, become familiar with parking facilities and procedures.

Consider signing a release of information so the school has permission to share information with your parents.

Federal laws
Following is a description of laws and how they pertain to you as a college student with a disability.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
This civil rights statute is designed to prevent discrimination against persons with disabilities, as amended in 1990. It provides that:

The Americans with Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is also a civil rights law. It helps to implement and enforce Section 504, and also outlines additional protections. While Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act states that public institutions cannot discriminate on the basis of disability if they receive federal funds, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 states that with or without federal funds, public institutions cannot discriminate on the basis of disability. Private colleges and universities are covered under the ADA, unless they are completely owned and operated by religious organizations.

Discrimination complaints
Some individual instructors are not familiar with ADA or Section 504 requirements, or with the purpose of accommodating students with disabilities. The disability services coordinator can serve as a liaison between you and the instructor, and can advocate for reasonable accommodations.

Some colleges have an appeals committee that conducts informal hearings related to alleged violations of student rights.

If you cannot resolve your situation informally, follow the school's internal grievance procedure. All colleges are required to have complaint or grievance procedures related to discrimination. The procedures are formal steps outlined to resolve the issue.

• The formal process usually begins with the faculty or staff member most directly involved, the student and a mediator. If satisfactory resolution is not reached, the process may continue with the person's supervisor, then the department head, a Dean, and possibly members of the college's Board of Education.
• All colleges are required by law to designate at least one staff person to coordinate compliance with Section 504 and the ADA. That person may be located in the Disability Services Office. If not, inquire there to find out who to contact. If you believe you were discriminated against on the basis of disability, you can receive help from the Section 504/ADA compliance coordinator.
• You also have the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights for investigation. You must submit the complaint within 180 days of the alleged discrimination. You can contact the region representing Nebraska at:

U.S. Department of Education
Office of Civil Rights
Region VII
10220 North Executive Hills Boulevard
Kansas City, MO 64153-1367
816-891-8026