Highschool Vs University/College:
There are a lot of differences between high school and university. The freedom, the choices but the biggest switch for those with disabilities is self advocacy. In high school, the teachers and administration are supposed to be looking out for you. This comes in many forms from diagnosing disabilities to finding ways for you to graduate to the next year. From kindergarten to grade 8 as long as you show up, it is almost impossible to not graduate into the next year. When switching between teachers, grades and even schools your student file is transferred as well. This allows for new teachers and schools to have a heads up about your particular disability and give them a chance to prepare for you. When going to university or college, this is not the case. Not to say that there is no support but no one will know your situation. It is up to you, to know what help your are going to need and ask for it. You need to prepare in advance and make sure that the administration, professors and TA are all on the same page. To have ways to accommodate your needs to in order for you to complete projects, assignments, exams and deal with student life.
Know Yourself
I have said it before and I will say it again, know your disability and what you can and cannot do. Know what are the must haves, what are negotiables and what are the good to haves. If you need a wheelchair you can’t live on the 3rd floor of a building with no elevator.
Know Your Environment:
Try to find people who have a your disability or something similar, who have either recently graduated or are currently enrolled in university/college. It is a good way to gain insight on what are common problems and helpful solutions to dealing with challenges that you may face on your post secondary journey.
When doing the campus tours of your university/college make sure to make a stop at SDS (Student Disability Services) or SAS (Student Accessibility Services). Most of the major universities have one. These services are to provide students help so that they are able to learn and succeed. These can include being placed in accessible housing, arranging transportation to get around the campus or having increased time during exams. Make sure to meet with SDS or SAS staff and iron out all the details regarding your accessibility needs prior to your first day of class. Check out the link below of list of SAS websites for universities in Ontario.
http://www.canadian-universities.net/Campus/Disabled-Students-Services-Ontario.html
Financial Help:
There is no getting around it, universities and colleges are expensive and getting more so every year. Unless you win the lottery, getting financial assistance is most likely in your future. Scholarships and bursaries are the easiest ways to get free money. It is important to know that even though completing these applications can be difficult it is far better bang for the buck than anything else you will do. Think about it, even the smallest scholarships can give out $500 on average. At a low wage job of $15/hr you would have to work over 33 hours to make the same amount. That’s almost a week’s wage. Not to mention that you have to pay tax on top of that while bursaries and scholarships are tax free. Every application you send out could at worst case be saving you a week’s worth of time so fill out as many applications as possible.
Check out Ramit Sethi blog post from I will teach you to be rich for strategies. It is a great read but I will summarize it quickly here. Firstly it’s a numbers game. The more applications you put out there the more chances you will have a winning scholarships. Even if they are only small amounts they will start adding up. Next is where to look. Most high schools have a career center or at least a binder with a list of scholarship/bursaries. Check if you or your family members are part of organizations (can be their employment) that give out scholarships. A lot of these are not advertised to the public, giving you better odds of snagging a win. Finally do some digging online for scholarship database websites. Also specific to people with disabilities make sure to visit ODSP and other similar services for financial funding. Before are a few link to also check out.
https://www.scholarshipportal.com/bachelor/scholarships/canada
https://www.disabilityawards.ca
Arrived On Campus:
Great now you have arrived on campus, now what? You have to keep searching for information and advocating for yourself. I have a friend that suffers from RA. This made holding a pencil fairly difficult. It wasn’t until halfway through university, did she find out that she could ask for additional time on exams due to her condition. It was as simple as speaking to her professor and giving in some documentation. The SDS is not just for the enrollment process but a point of contact for you throughout your university career.
Be on the lookout for clubs that are centered around individuals with disabilities. It is a good place to meet other people who may be going through similar situations. If no such group exists then take it upon yourself to start one. Having these types of group helps with making friends, finding solutions to common problems and with enough time the group can start working with the university to help make the university a more accessible place.