Examination of Online Accommodation Information for College Students with Disabilities in New England

The purpose of this study is to report on the status of information available to college students with disabilities on the websites of New England colleges’ centers for students with disabilities. Primarily, this study focused on information about the application process for a student to receive accommodations. Data was generated by compiling a list of common factors on the websites of centers for students with disabilities at colleges not in New England, and then searching the New England websites to see if they included these factors on their own websites. Three separate categories of schools were included in the study: 2-year schools, 4-year public schools, and 4-year private schools. The data was analyzed to find what information is most common on centers for students with disabilities websites and to describe any patterns by specific types of schools. The most common features on the websites were guidelines for disability documentation and a phone number or email address for a point of contact at the center for students with disabilities. Most schools also stated on their websites that IEPs, 504-Plans, and Summaries of Performance would not be sufficient documentation. It is hoped that the findings from this study will inform transitioning high school students with disabilities when they are researching the accommodation process in college