The Real Cost of Accommodations

Cutting-edge international exchange organizations weave diversity into the design of their program.

Reasonable accommodations for a person with a disability includes services, tools, or procedures that allow a person with a disability participate equally and have access in all aspects of the program.

A major myth surrounding accommodations is that they are expensive. Many programs are surprised to learn that fully half of all reasonable accommodations requested incur no financial cost! Another 30% costing between $1 and $500. Only 10% of all accommodations cost more than $1000 (the last 10% cost between $500-$1000).

For a more in-depth definition please see Reasonable Accommodation in the Glossary. For information about disability adaptations including sample accommodation forms, please see the publication Building Bridges: A Manual on Including People with Disabilities in International Exchange programs.

Take a closer look

Remind your staff to think analytically about what a participant with a disability is really requesting when they ask for an accommodation (i.e. what barrier are they trying to eliminate, what need or aspect of their disability are they trying to accommodate?). Reasonable accommodations serve to provide a person with a disability equal access to goods, services, and/or programs offered to other participants. Reasonable accommodations do not give the person with a disability an advantage or privilege not given to other participants. An accommodation is intended to remove barriers to participation and to provide equal access and opportunity.

Examples

An inaccessible classroom

Barrier: Participant uses a wheelchair and cannot get to a classroom on the third level of the building.

Request: Participant requests an elevator.

Accommodation: Move classroom to the first floor.

An unfamiliar environment

Barrier: Participant with a visual disability needs guidance in unfamiliar environment.

Request: Participant requests a sighted guide.

Accommodation: Connect the participant with another participant on the program until the environment becomes familiar. Also, connect the participant with a local organization that can assist in learning to navigate the new environment.

Considerations

• Many items bought for reasonable accommodation for one participant may be used again in the future (i.e. shower chairs, desks, curtains, tape recorders.)
• Connections with interpreters, Braille providers, home stays, and disability organization will be helpful with future participants.

Did you know?

The NCDE has many resources to help exchange programs plan for and discover a participant's reasonable accommodation needs.

Exchange programs can find all of these forms at Assessing the Disability-Related Needs of Exchange Participants. Other useful resources are the accommodation forms developed by Access Abroad.