For Graduate & Professional Students
Graduate and professional degree programs carry their own set of complexities for students with disabilities. The application process, high-stakes testing, courses, internships, and clinical requirements each have nuances, and sometimes barriers to address.
Most campus Disability Services offices serve graduate students, though some have separate offices and procedures within their professional schools.
This growing set of resources will help you find information, strategies, and support as you seek advanced degrees.
If you are teaching, also check out our information for faculty, especially our resources for faculty and TAs with disabilities
Medical Field
- Coalition for Disability Access in Health Science and Medical Education
- The Exceptional Nurse
- Also check out our resources for faculty teaching in STEM fields
- Self-Care for Medical Students and Professionals from EDUMED
- National Organization of Nurses with Disabilities
Disability Accommodations for Professional Exams
Most of the agencies that administer exams for entrance to graduate or professional school, or professional licensing, offer accommodations to test-takers with disabilities. Below are links to their sites that explain their procedures.
Note that the accommodations request process can be stringent and time-consuming. In some cases you need to start the process 10 or more months in advance in order to collect disability documentation and wait for a decision from the testing agency. Make sure to read the instructions for reserving a date to take the exam as well.
If you receive exam accommodations as an undergraduate student, make sure that the Disability Services office clearly documents the accommodations that you receive, and how long you've received them. You may also need to make sure that your disability documentation is current.
The document Testing Accommodations from the Office for Civil Rights explains your rights as well as some of the issues in applying for accommodations.