An important part of self-advocacy is to know the laws that protect you as you continue school or training after high school.
Training programs, colleges and universities are required by federal and state laws to make their campuses and services accessible to people with disabilities.
One of these laws, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in all places open to the public, including educational institutions:
They must provide equal opportunity for participation in all activities and services.
Title II applies to public training programs, colleges and universities.
Title III applies to private training programs, colleges and universities.
The U.S. Department of Justice defines effective communication as communication with individuals that is “equally effective as communication with people without disabilities.”
Effective communication is an important part of the ADA. This means training programs, colleges and universities need to provide appropriate accommodations such as sign language interpreters, speech-to-text services, captioned media, assistive listening devices, or others to ensure effective communication.
To learn more about various types of accommodations, see Accommodations 101.
