If you are a student with a disability, or a parent of a student with a disability, we encourage you to thoroughly review the material below:
- On-Campus Resources
- General Disability Resources
- Specific Disabilities (alphabetical)
- For Veterans
- College & Career
- Assistive Technology
- Community Resources
- Peer Mentoring Program
On-Campus Resources
- Academic Advising
- Office of Student Success
- Career Development Center
- Center for Health and Wellness
- Counseling
- Housing & Residence Life
- Lacerte Family Writing and Academic Resource Center
General Disability Resources
Tuition Reimbursement Plan for Medical and Mental Health Withdrawals
An elective insurance plan that provides coverage for Tuition in addition to Room and Board.
Massachusetts Office on Disability
A state advocacy agency that seeks to ensure the full and equal participation of people of all ages with disabilities in many life activities. It focuses on legal rights, opportunities, support services, accommodations, and accessibility.
This government site contains information on legal rights and responsibilities of students with disabilities entering post-secondary education.
Specific Disabilities (Alphabetical)
ADD/ADHD
National Resource Center on ADHD
Information on ADHD science, general information, resources, and support.
Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA)
Lists directories of support groups and professionals who work with people who have ADD. It also publishes a newsletter and hosts webinars on coping with ADD.
A magazine about living with ADHD. Its site provides tips and strategies for people with ADHD to incorporate into their social, academic, and work lives, including tips on planning for college and study tips.
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Asperger’s Association of New England (AANE)
Provides community support and education for adults, teens, children, and families with Asperger’s Syndrome.
Springboard is a social club for adolescents and adults with Asperger’s and other learning challenges. Members meet to participate in a wide variety of activities in the Boston area.
College Autism Spectrum (CAS) is an independent organization of professionals whose purpose is to assist students with autism spectrum disorders, and their families. We help students with ASD explore and navigate college options before, during and through the college process.
Hearing Impairment
Devoted to furthering educational opportunities for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Massachusetts Committee for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MCDHH)
Provides services to Massachusetts residents who are deaf or hard of hearing.
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
NIDCD supports and conducts research and distributes information to improve the lives of millions of individuals with communication disorders.
Learning Disabilities
Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDAA)
A support association for people with learning disabilities, which has a large resource network.
The International Dyslexia Association
A nonprofit organization that provides education and support for people with dyslexia.
Physical Disabilities
A magazine for wheelchair users. Its website features blogs and a message board.
The MBTA’s transport service for people with disabilities, not limited to Massachusetts residents.
Free educational information, financial options, and emotional support for those affected by cerebral palsy.
Visual Disabilities
American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)
Offers information about vision loss, links to support organizations, job listings, and message boards.
National Federation of the Blind (NFB)
Advocates for people with vision loss and runs programs to improve the quality of life of people with vision loss.
A free service for listening to newspapers and magazines over the phone.
Massachusetts Commission for the Blind (MCB)
Provides services for legally blind residents of Massachusetts.
For Veterans
Provides information on legal rights of veterans returning to school, advocates for members to make sure they receive full benefits and transition successfully, and also has scholarships available.
Office for Civil Rights: “So You Want to Go Back to School”
This government site has information on the legal rights of disabled veterans who want to return to school.
Answers questions about post-traumatic stress disorder and offers treatment and self-help advice.
Disabled American Veterans (DAV)
A nonprofit organization whose website provides information on services and benefits available to disabled veterans.
Wounded Warrior Project: Connect
A social network for injured veterans to connect with other veterans, their families, and friends for support and information.
College & Career Resources
Transition to College
U.S. Department of Education: Transition to Postsecondary School
Contains a helpful list of questions and answers about legal rights and responsibilities of students with disabilities in college and how they differ from those in high school.
NCSET (National Center on Secondary Education and Transition)
These FAQs address the support students with disabilities can receive in college and differences from high school supports.
Career
Office of Disability Employment Policy
This government site has information regarding disclosure of a disability in work settings.
Emerging Leaders Summer Internship
A competitive program that places undergraduate and graduate students with disabilities in paid summer internships, to help students gain experience that may lead to future leadership opportunities.
Job Accommodation Network (JAN)
Explains workplace accommodations and rights under the ADA.
Assistive Technology
An updated Adaptive Station can be found in the library. It features a range of assistive technology software options such as Kurzweil, Dragon Naturally Speaking, screen reading software, etc. We also have Livescribe SmartPens available for demo/loan. If you'd like assistance learning to use software or would like to find out more information please contact Matt Fisher at matthew_fisher [at] emerson.edutitle="Email Matt Fisher".
Tools
A popular screen reading software for Windows only.
Mac's built in screen reading software.
Allows the user to scan printed pages or image files, converts them to text and reads them out loud to the user. Kurzweil 3000 also has additional study tools such as highlighting, notetaking, reading the web, dictionary and thesaurus.
An accessible online library for people with print disabilities. Free for those who qualify with over 170,000 titles.
Non-profit group that provides audiobooks and textbooks to students with learning disabilities and visual impairments.
For visual mapping, outlining, writing and making presentations, use Inspiration® 9, a full-featured thinking and learning tool.
As you type, Co:Writer interprets spelling and grammar mistakes and offers word suggestions in real time. It predicts completed words as your beginning typing them.
Dragon Speech Recognition Software
Use your voice to create and edit documents or emails, launch applications, open files, control your mouse, and more.
The pen records all audio, writing, and drawing which then can be synced to a computer. Works well for notetaking, studying, homework, and more.
Emerson is not endorsing any of the above products. These tools or those similar may be beneficial to help students with disabilities.
Resource Sites
Educational research & development organization that works to expand learning opportunities for all individuals through Universal Design for Learning.
Massachusetts initiative to maximize assistive technology in the consumer's hands.
Community Resources
Disability Social History Project
Dedicated to a community history project enabling the disabled community to work together to reclaim its own history.
Society for Disability Studies (SDS)
The SDS promotes Disability Studies as an academic discipline.
American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD)
A national nonprofit organization for people with disabilities that seeks to unite and serve as a voice for the community of people with disabilities.
Peer Mentoring Program
Student Accessibility Services has created a peer mentoring program (no fee) to help qualifying students receive social support to address specific goals. Transitioning from high school to college is challenging for all students. Those with communication difficulties may endure additional hardships. SAS will match students with mentors to allow them to work towards achieving goals in a variety of areas. Weekly meetings will take place in which mentors will help mentees address their goals in a safe, consistent environment. Additional meetings may occur such as attending events on or around campus.
If you are interested in requesting a peer mentor, please contact SAS for more information.