Resources and Support for Earning Your Master’s with a Visual Disability

Enacted in 1990, the ADA prohibits public and private colleges and universities from discriminating against students based on disabilities. Any institution that receives public funding must ensure equal access for all students and ensure all programs maintain accessibility. This also includes extracurricular activities, student housing, allowances for service animals, and other types of student life outside academic studies. Accommodations and modifications must also be tailored to individual student needs.

Passed into law in 1975, IDEA requires free public education that caters to the needs of students with disabilities. The Act states, “Improving educational results for children with disabilities is an essential element of our national policy of ensuring equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities.” IDEA provides two different types of grants to institutions providing specialized education services to these populations.

First passed into law in 1973, the Rehabilitation Act set forth important rules against discrimination of any individuals with disabilities within the federal sector or any entities that receive federal grants. In 1998, Congress updated the Act to include additional provisions for accessibility. Section 508 of the law requires federal agencies to develop, procure, maintain or use Information and Communications Technology (ICT) that is accessible to people with disabilities. This means colleges and universities must maintain accessibility standards that ensure all students are on an even playing field when receiving information via technology, from computers to peripheral equipment and beyond.

Section 504, another safeguard addressed in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, requires schools to make reasonable accommodations to help students with disabilities. That said, some schools are more equipped to provide valuable accommodations than others. Schools with large offices of disability services or large populations of students with blindness or low vision are naturally more equipped and well-versed in ensuring you have the accommodations needed to learn effectively. Be sure to speak with a disability representative from any school under consideration.

If you cannot easily find an answer to this question on the school’s website, this could be a red flag. At Virginia Western, for instance, a quick search reveals that the university provides a wide range of services for students with visual disabilities. These include tape recorders, advance duplication of materials in accessible formats, readers, extended time, alternative text, and access to assistive technologies.

While some learners appreciate the flexibility online learning provides, others desire additional support from in-person learning. Depending on the severity of your visual disability, you may find that a mix of in-person and online learning best suits your needs. If you have a robust community, accessible living quarters, and a strong internet connection, an online master’s degree may offer the best fit. If you’re looking for a traditional campus experience, in-person learning could work best.

As any student with a disability knows, self-advocacy is often part of their experience — especially when attending a school that may have less experience serving this population. If you attend a school with fewer students with visual disabilities, you will likely need to advocate more for yourself. Administrators and faculty members who regularly work with these learners will better understand the services they should provide and be nimbler when it comes to helping you succeed.

The answer to this question will depend on you as a student, so think carefully about the services or support you need to find success in higher education. Some students may find that they benefit from studying alongside other students with visual disabilities, as this creates a spirit of camaraderie. Others may find that a guide dog makes it easier to get around campus and keep up with their busy schedules.

If the school uses a learning management platform that does not provide specific accommodations and services for students with visual disabilities, this can create obstacles to learning. For instance, BlackBoard Learn offers specific services for students with blindness or low vision, including compatibility with the latest versions of assistive technology, alternative tags for images, high-contrast styles on pages, and keyboard shortcuts. Ask about the educational tools used, and research them to learn about their effectiveness.

Colleges and universities are required to provide certain levels of accommodations, including alternative formats of materials, adaptive technologies, and learning platforms that cater to visual disabilities. But you will likely need to invest in other accessibility tools for your personal convenience. These vary based on your specific disability and its level of severity. Still, common items include Braille printers, screen magnifiers, recording devices, and word-processing software to help write papers.

Online master’s programs can provide myriad benefits if you have a visual disability. Well known for their flexibility, these programs can make it easier to maintain independence and work at a pace that fits your learning needs. Some schools even provide a self-paced learning option. Because all learning takes place digitally, online programs typically offer a broader spectrum of accessible materials.

While digital learning provides many benefits, there can be some drawbacks. For instance, students with low vision or colorblindness may struggle to differentiate texts written in different colors. Those who rely heavily on audio transcription services and screen readers may not have enough bandwidth to run these programs effectively; they may also need to regularly update software, which can be cost-prohibitive. Some of these issues can be avoided by learning more about the online offerings of a school before enrolling.

Just because a university provides disability services does not mean that those transfer adequately to online learning environments. When looking at prospective online master’s programs, make a point to ask about disability services specific to distance learners. Is there a specific contact within the office for online learners? Is 24/7 help available? Affirmative answers to these questions provide insight into the support you’ll potentially experience as a digital student.