Disabilities and Accommodations

Traveling With Disabilities

Traveling abroad with visible or invisible disabilities can be challenging, but with proper planning and preparation well in advance, your experience abroad can be positive and rewarding. We encourage all students to meet with one of our team members to discuss the study abroad process and discuss programming that can suit your specific needs. If you do have a disability, we ask that you also meet with CU Denver’s Disability Resources & Services (DRSS) office to discuss accommodations.

Considerations:

• Will I need an accommodation to manage my disability while abroad?
• Is my necessary accommodation available in my preferred host country?
• Are there alternative strategies or ways to manage my disability?
• What laws and infrastructure are in place in my preferred host country to support people with disabilities?
• Will in-country infrastructure—such as stone roads or availability of ramps and elevators—impact my experience?
• Will my disability be impacted by the style of teaching and learning in my preferred host country?
• Is there a local community of people with similar disabilities to connect with?
• Will my medications be available to me in my preferred host country?

Frequently Asked Questions:

Will my medications be available in my preferred host country?

The University of Colorado utilizes International SOS (ISOS) as our security and medical provider. All students are encouraged to contact ISOS via phone or via the app to discuss their specific needs and questions. ISOS can give information about the availability of medications, access to accommodations, and much more!

Should I disclose my disability when I apply for a study abroad program?

Disability information is an educational record protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). You may disclose disability information to the Office of Global Education and are strongly encouraged to do so. You may also disclose disability information to the Disability Resources & Services Office, International SOS, your third-party study abroad provider, and/or your program faculty leader. Early and prompt disclosure allows our office time to determine if accommodations can be made in your preferred host country.

Are accommodations the same as in the U.S.?

Each country has different laws surrounding disabilities and accommodation. For example, the Americans with Disabilities Act only applies to the United States. Sometimes, requested accommodations are not available and alternative strategies or ways to manage your disability can be considered. Ultimately, each study abroad program and host country is different, so accommodations are carefully considered on a case-by-case basis to determine whether your needs can be reasonably met.

Resources for traveling abroad with a disability:

• Travelers with Disabilities – U.S. Department of State
• Mobility International USA (MIUSA)

Next Steps:

The process of studying abroad can take several months to a year in advance to plan. If you have a disability, we recommend starting your research as early as possible. Take into account the above considerations and review available resources. Once you have decided to study abroad, meet with our office. We are happy to discuss your study abroad options and talk about possible accommodations. It is important to recognize that accommodation planning can take time and accommodations cannot always be reasonably managed. Our goal is to help you find a study abroad program that will work with your specific needs so that you have an enjoyable and enriching academic experience abroad.