Much of the information that we have provided to you so far is broadly applicable to almost everyone’s experience regardless of disability. This pathway really would not be complete without information that covers specific disability experiences. Rather than arranging this section in a chronology, we have put it together as a single webpage with potential resources of interest divided up under different sections based on disability. Feel free to browse the different resources that apply to your situation.
Travelers with Physical Disabilities
Travelers with physical disabilities may experience fatigue from walking long distances requiring them to take a taxi or occasionally sit out group hikes. Others may have more severe conditions up to quadriplegia necessitating the use of a power chair and/or the services of a personal attendant. Sometimes travelers find that due to longer walking distances, more hills or less wheelchair adapted spaces, that more support is needed than they expected while abroad.
- “Preparations for Travel with a Physical Disability”, is where we cover a variety of topics from avoiding broken equipment, to traveling with a wheelchair, to accessible bathrooms. Be sure and read all of the materials under resources.
- “Advising Exchange Participants with Physical Disabilities”, is a bit more directed to professionals, but it may include some helpful tidbits for travelers as well. Like the previous section on preparations, be sure and review all of the articles in the resources of the page.
- Finally, we already shared our resource on “Traveling with a Personal Assistant”, but it’s worth sharing again.
- An alumnus of our 2024 Access to Exchange Externship created a series of interviews with individuals with physical disabilities who successfully traveled with a personal attendant. Anyone planning on relying on personal assistance while traveling should listen to all of these interviews, as there is a great deal to be learned from the rich variety of experiences shared.
Travelers Who Are Blind or Low-Vision
Travelers who are blind or low-vision may use a variety of different tools and skills to succeed while abroad. Some may prefer braille and working with a screen reader, while others may rely more on their residual vision and the use of text enlargement.
- “Advising Blind and Low Vision Exchange Participants” is largely directed at professionals, but it may contain some useful bits of information for travelers as well.
- The more independent one can be, the better when abroad. In this resource we talk about ways of being independent abroad as a blind person.
- One aspect of independence involves the use of smartphone apps. On this page we discuss some key applications for blind or low vision travelers. Though these are for iPhone, many of them also work for android.
- Braille can still have many applications for maintaining notes in a way that is safe and independent of your smart phone’s battery level. It can also be an effective way to type out information quickly and efficiently using an on-screen braille keyboard. In this article we talk about braille around the world.
- we interviewed blind and low vision travelers about their experiences for the Ripple Effects Podcast.
- An alumnus of our 2024 Access to Exchange Externship wrote a guide for blind and low vision travelers planning on studying abroad in Spain. Whether you plan to go to Spain or a different country, this booklet may have a lot of great information to guide you on your way.
Travelers Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Travelers who are deaf or hard of hearing may have a variety of experiences, but they all have a wonderful advantage for navigating challenging situations involving cultural communication. Some may prefer to communicate through a sign language interpreter. Others may use a hearing aid or a cochlear implant. Some of the resources shared in this section are a bit more directed to international education professionals supporting participants, but we think that it is beneficial for an exchange participant to also review them.
- Our resources on sign language interpreters are recommended reading for anyone planning to go abroad on a university exchange program with the support of this accommodation. Note the recommended reading under the resources heading.
- We discuss other types of accommodations for deaf or hard of hearing individuals in this resource.
- types of exchange opportunities that are specifically available to deaf or hard of hearing participants.
- This student traveled on a short-term exchange program accompanied by two interpreters paid for by her college.
- This participant had his interpreters covered by his community college’s student government after a false start.
Travelers with Mental Health Disabilities
Travelers with mental health disabilities may experience a variety of conditions such as bipolar disorder, depression or anxiety. Although we included a resource on mental wellness earlier in the pathway, this section is focused on travelers who experience chronic rather than temporary mental health conditions.
- “Preparations for Travel with a Mental Health Condition” is a great place to start. We recommend reviewing the articles under the resources heading as well.
- This traveler with bipolar disorder shares a moment from their education abroad experience in Ireland.
- This student from the UK described different approaches between her country and the U.S. in the approach to chronic depression.
- This traveler who has hearing loss and agoraphobia created a support system of fellow students while studying abroad in Whales.
Travelers with Learning Disabilities
Travelers with learning disabilities are those who have conditions related to learning such as ADHD, dysgraphia or dyslexia. People with learning disabilities benefit from academic accommodations such as notetakers and extra time on exams, which are largely available overseas as in the United States, although other countries may impose certain limitations on how much extra time someone can get. Although some of the resources in this section are directed at professionals, we think that they also contain useful information for travelers.
- information about types of accommodations available to people with learning disabilities. Although it is primarily directed at professionals, we think that it is a useful resource for travelers to understand the options that may be available.
- Although this was already included in the pathway, we recommend a review of our section on traveling with medications if applicable.
- This resource gives a broad overview of the process for taking medications to Japan.
- Japan is a unique case study for individuals who travel with medications like Adderall. We share this resource outlining one traveler’s experience of studying in Japan while adjusting to a different ADHD medication.
- This traveler with autism enjoyed studying the language and culture of Spain.
- This traveler with anxiety and a learning disability experienced India.
- We interviewed this traveler with ADHD and learning disabilities about his exchange program in South Korea.
Travelers with Chronic Health Disabilities
Travelers with chronic health disabilities may experience a variety of conditions including Crohn’s Disease, EDS, chronic pain or others.
- Tips to Prepare for Travel with a Chronic Health Disability
- Although it appeared in the pathway, we recommend a review of our resources on health insurance and coverage for pre-existing conditions.
- This resource offers a helpful view of different traveler experiences obtaining coverage for their chronic health conditions while abroad.
- It may also be beneficial to review the resources on traveling with medication again.
NCDE is a project of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, designed to increase the participation of people with disabilities in international exchange between the United States and other countries, and is supported in its implementation by Mobility International USA.
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