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This is the first time that our study abroad program has had a person with a disability apply, what do I do?  Listen.  Ask questions. Network. And present real-life scenarios to the person. When a person with a disability applies to an overseas program, find out where the individual wants to go, what types of accommodations he or she is typically utilizing, and bring the Disability Services office and your overseas partners into the discussion.  Act as an empowerer, rather than a protector. Like any other student, the individual has the right to decide the country and the program by realizing how flexible and  adaptable he/she is willing to be with his/her independence and accommodations.

The National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange (NCDE) staff can work with you and the student one-on-one and provide informational resources for you throughout the process.  NCDE has information specific to countries, air travel, low-cost accommodations, in-country contacts, and a peer and colleague network.  Just contact us at (541) 343-1284. Our services are free.

Access Abroad via the University of Minnesota has some excellent tools to utilize while working with the student.  And publications such as Building Bridges: A Manual on Including People with Disabilities in International Exchange Programs or A Practice of Yes! Working with Overseas Partners to Include Student with  Disabilities or Rights and Responsibilities are excellent tools utilizing a variety of suggestions, guidelines and tools.  If this is the first student with a disability that has applied for one of your overseas programs and disclosed a disability, you may also want to work with NCDE on how to recruit more individuals with disabilities into your programs.

I have a student with a disability who is coming to the United States to study at a high school.  The principal of the high school has told me that they do not have the money to accommodate a student with a disability. I'm not sure what to do now.  According to Silvia Yee and Larisa Cummings of the Disability Rights and Defense Fund (DREDF), "A school cannot outright refuse to provide special education services to a foreign exchange student that has been accepted into the program.  Equally important, and before that point is even reached, no school can simply state that foreign students with disabilities are ineligible for placement at the school." There are three major federal lasws that address these entitlement rights; the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

NCDE suggests that you have the principal contact us or you can work with the principal and introduce him/her to some of the low-cost accommodations that can be offered to the student.  Community organizations such as the Rotary Club have been very good about assisting with purchasing necessary equipment.  Student clubs or groups have conducted fund-raising events for assistive devices.  And parent centers, independent living centers, disability organizations, and assistive technology centers often have access to loaner equipment or second-hand equipment at a low-cost. 

NCDE can also connect the principal with other principals who have sponsored foreign students with disabilities.  The accommodation factor is usually much easier than some people anticipate. The experience of having a student from another country with the additional cultural aspect of being a student with a disability from another country brings a uniqueness that has been recognized and valued by other schools across the United States.

We always have difficulty finding homestay families for students without disabilities, how are we going to find them for students with disabilities? You can use the same families that you already have recruited for students without disabilities and you can find families who may have more accessible homes through parent centers, adapted sports groups, assistive technology and independence centers and disability organizations.  These families don't need to be set aside for 'students with disabilities only.'  Since many individuals working or belonging to these groups have family members with disabilities, it will open a new culture awareness to the student or individual without a disability.  You can read about more tips on this subject on our Finding Homestays for Participants with Disabilities tip sheet.