Four Things Prospective Blind College Students Need to Know

Before enrolling as a blind college student, we highly recommend that you conduct detailed research to get a good understanding of what blind college students require throughout their degree. In this post, we will cover four things that future blind college students should research when evaluating the colleges they are considering.

Office of Disability Services

Most colleges and universities today have an office of disability services. These offices provide assistance in finding the right assistive technologies and helpful tools for academic success and participation in the classroom. These offices also often provide benefits such as social events and field trips. Such activities can help you meet new people and provide more enjoying activities throughout your degree. Volunteer students also provide assistance for blind college students. The administration helps connect disabled students with fellow students who wish to volunteer. These students are available to help you whenever you need.

An active and helpful office of disability services makes a significant difference in the college experience for disabled students. We recommend that prospective blind college students contact the disability services office while evaluating any college so you can determine their attitude and willingness to help students that are disabled. The U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights provides a detailed FAQ which can help them understand your rights and responsibilities as a blind college student. Prospective students should conduct detailed research on the means of transportation, disability accommodation and accessibility on campus.

Scholarships for Disabled Students

Not every blind college student requires a scholarship or meets eligibility for a scholarship. However, there are some who will find them useful. There are over 2.7 Million disability scholarships that can provide blind university students with financing opportunities for their degree. We recommend that you apply to more than one to increase the chances of receiving financial aid throughout your degree.

Career Center

It’s important that students receive as much assistance as possible to land their dream job upon graduating. Add researching the college’s career center to your research checklist. Many college graduates use the help of the career center when searching for their first job. A career center with experience and connections in finding employment for disabled graduates will most likely improve disabled students’ chances of finding a suitable job after graduation. The career center will know from experience which companies are the most accommodating for disabled employees. 

In addition, it would be wise to research government laws regarding employers’ responsibilities for hiring people with disabilities to get a good understanding of your rights as an employee that is disabled. The U.S. Department of Labor provides detailed information on this topic which is relevant for anyone interested in working in the US upon completing their degree.

Adapting to a New Campus Through Technology

The need to get around an unfamiliar campus serves as a challenge for blind students. In addition, the average high school has only a few thousand students. They provide a less crowded atmosphere. However, a college or university can potentially have tens of thousands of students. While the average college student can read direction signs on their own to find their way around campus, blind college students require assistive technology to read those signs for them. Finding a comfortable, portable, wearable device is essential for independently getting around campus. Among others, the American Council of the Blind provides a helpful list of funding resources to consider.

Assistive Technology for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Many blind and visually impaired college students use the assistance of guide dogs in their daily lives. Guide dogs are great for helping students cross streets and walk through campus. However, there are tasks that guide dogs simply can’t do. Dogs can’t read text, and they can’t identify different people for their owners.

Reading text and facial recognition are flagship features of the world’s most advanced assistive wearable device for people who are blind or visually impaired, OrCam MyEye 2. OrCam has developed a breakthrough AI device that reads text, recognizes faces, identify products and more. More information about OrCam devices can be found here.