Adapted from the Education Abroad Program page, "What
Students with Disabilities Should Know."
Students with disabilities can and do study abroad, and are encouraged to explore
their options with a Quarter Abroad program coordinator. Quarter Abroad staff can
assist students in identifying the availability of academic accommodations and accessible
facilities at various study sites and their approximate cost. Although Quarter Abroad
cannot guarantee the accessibility of all study sites, specific services may be
arranged at a given site, depending on when the student requests accommodation and
clarifies her or his specific needs.
Students who anticipate specific accommodation requests (such as note taking or
wheelchair access) should consider the following topics.
Students should be aware that federal and state laws do not require the University
to provide funding for accommodations and/or facilities beyond U.S. borders. It
is the student’s responsibility to pay for all costs associated with special services
abroad.
After students enroll in a Quarter Abroad program, they should provide their Quarter
Abroad Program Coordinator with a
letter documenting their accommodation needs from the Student Disability
Center on their home campus. (UC Davis students should work with the
Student Disability Center in 160 South Silo.) This step will initiate an
interactive conversation between the student, Student Disability Specialists, the
Quarter Abroad Program Coordinator, and the program instructor about securing accommodations
for their needs. The earlier this process begins the more effective it can be.
Sharing accommodation requirements with UC Davis Quarter Abroad does not affect
a student’s enrollment in the program. However, Quarter Abroad cannot guarantee
that facilities and/or support services will be available at each location abroad
in the same range and quality as on a UC campus. Quarter Abroad programs are each
unique and the situation with housing, facilities and other services in each location
will vary. In the event that accessible facilities are not available at the destination
and it is not possible to provide alternative reasonable accommodations, Quarter
Abroad will refund any fees charged to the student’s account, including the $300
deposit. However, the student is responsible for all other trip-related expenses.
Quarter Abroad is part of the University of California and is bound by all laws
that affect the University of California. The Office of Civil Rights has opined
that Section 504 and Title II do not apply extra-territorially. In addition, the
State of California does not mandate that the University of California fund accommodations
for students with disabilities who study outside the U.S.
Find more information and resources on the
Education Abroad Center Accessibility page.
- Will you need note takers for class?
- If you need to see a doctor or therapist for psychological concerns while abroad,
have you established this contact prior to departure?
- Have you considered bringing a personal recording device for lectures? Do you have
permission to record lectures?
- Are books available on tape or CD?
- Who will fund any special accommodations?
Chronic Systemic Disorders
- If you have respiratory problems or severe allergies, what is the air and environmental
quality in the city you are considering?
- If your condition is affected by temperatures, what is the climate in your prospective
host city?
- What prior notification has been given to the instructors regarding potential absences
should your condition flare up unexpectedly?
- Will you need extended time on assignments?
- What special dietary considerations might you have?
- If there are extra expenses associated with special accommodations, who will fund
these?
- Will you need an interpreter or Realtime Captioning? Who will fund this accommodation?
- Where/how will the interpreter be hired?
- What is the hourly rate for interpreters in the host country? (Note that interpreter
costs vary widely from country to country and within the same country.)
- Does the interpreter know American Sign Language? Sign language is not universal
and may differ between countries that have the same spoken language. Students should
find out the differences before leaving. It may be possible to depart early to learn
the new sign language.
- If you are taking a personal FM system, can you obtain batteries in your host country
that work for your device?
- Who will notify your instructor of the need to wear the FM microphone?
- Will you need a note taker?
- Are captioned videos available?
- Who will fund other special accommodations?
- Will you take one or two wheelchairs? Electric or manual?
- Do you need a transformer? Is the voltage in your host country compatible with your
transformer?
- How will you ship your chairs abroad?
- Where can your chair be repaired abroad?
- Do you need to make additional arrangements to get from the airport to your accommodations?
- Are the streets and/or sidewalks paved or cobblestone? Are there curb cuts for wheelchair
access?
- What is the accessibility of the housing and city (elevators, bathrooms, classrooms,
housing, transportation, etc.)?
- Is voice recognition software available?
- Will you need note takers, scribes or transcribers?
- What kind of field trips might your program go on? Are they accessible?
- If field trips are not accessible and are required for the course, will alternative
access (video footage, online resources) be available?
- Do you need extended time on assignments or exams?
- Who will fund any special accommodations?
- Have you contacted the consulate of your host country to determine whether you will
need to put your guide dog in quarantine?
- Will special housing or food arrangements be necessary for your dog? Is your dog
allowed into the classroom?
- Are alternate formats available? (books on tape, Braille, e-text, scanning, CCTV,
etc.).
- Will you need a mobility assistant to help you?
- Have you obtained maps of your host city and enlarged them to become familiar with
directions before departure?
- What kind of test accommodations will you need?
- Is there Braille signage on buildings, elevators, classroom, ATMs, etc.?
- Will you have access to computer software in order to write papers or read assignments?
- Who will fund any special accommodations?
Students who will need to take medication abroad, should:
- Consult the embassy pages of the countries they will visit before departing the
U.S. to see which medications are permitted. A list of foreign embassies and consulates
in the U.S. is available on the Department of State’s website at
http://www.state.gov/s/cpr/rls/dpl/32122.htm.
- Bring an adequate supply for the duration of the trip (provided it is permitted
and not perishable).
- Carry a letter from the attending physician, describing the medical condition and
any prescription medications, including the generic names of prescribed drugs. Any
medications being carried overseas should be left in their original containers and
be clearly labeled.
- Bring a copy of the prescription—including the brand name and generic name of the
drug—in case a refill is needed.
- Be cautious when purchasing prescription drugs abroad. It cannot be guaranteed that
the same pharmaceutical standards have been used in preparation and/or storage of
the prescription, and the medicine may not be up to the standards of the highly
regulated U.S. pharmaceutical industry. Poor storage in high heat and/or humidity,
for example, could alter the effectiveness of some drugs.
- Keep in mind that many prescription drugs do not work as effectively when mixed
with alcohol (and can be harmful).
UC Davis Quarter Abroad can assist students in locating English-speaking doctors,
psychiatrists and counselors abroad—for many program locations.
In addition, students who may need medical assistance while abroad, should:
- Talk with their doctor about managing medical care needs while abroad. Quarter Abroad
programs are ten weeks long – and advance planning will be helpful in securing any
special services.
- Talk with their doctor about his or her availability for consultations from abroad.
Past students have found that checking in with their regular physician or counselor
has helped them navigate any challenges related to adjusting to a new environment.
- Be aware that the UC Davis Counseling and Psychiatric Services Center provides a
24-hour emergency hotline. While toll-free calls are not accepted from abroad, students
in UC Davis Quarter Abroad programs may use this service by calling: 01 (from most
countries) + 530 752-0871 then 0.
- Follow any other advice or instructions from their medical care provider, particularly
those related to prescription medications.
- Talk with their Quarter Abroad Faculty Program Leader about any needs before they
arise.
Many countries have restrictions on what may be brought into the country, including
medications. Even over-the-counter medications may be prohibited in some countries.
Check with the embassies of your destination countries as to prohibited items.
A listing of foreign embassies and consulates in the U.S. is available on the Department
of State’s website at http://www.state.gov/s/cpr/rls/dpl/32122.htm
Students bringing a personal attendant with them must make sure the attendant has
the necessary passport, visa, documentation, insurance, and immunizations for traveling
and living abroad. Where will he or she live? (Some program accommodations can only
house students.) What kind of funding will he or she need? Before departure, students
who will need to hire an attendant abroad should find out what steps to follow and
identify funding that will support this cost.
