Check out the suggested tips and strategies below that can help make international exchange a possibility for you.
- Apply for disability-specific fellowships, scholarships and financial aid.
- Get in touch with other Deaf and hard of hearing people interested in going abroad. Consider going on a program together in order to share accommodation costs.
- Consider fundraising through crowd-sourcing websites. View the examples in the Related Links section.
- Advocate for funding from your Disability Services Office if you are attending college or university. Request that the office at least provide funding for accommodations similar or equal to what you would have received at your home campus.
- Consider participating in Deaf and hard of hearing specific exchange programs.
- In the U.S., contact your local vocational rehabilitation (VR) office. They may be able to work with you to fund part or all of your accommodations.
- Contact disability organizations in the host country and do your own research. You may be able to find local interpreters or methods that provide cost savings.
- Go independently and find your own way. Many Deaf and hard of hearing travelers choose to volunteer or participate in other exchange programs, and use their own personal methods to communicate, from sharing notes to connecting with Deaf people abroad.