Disabilities and Accommodations in Higher Education - A Handbook For Disability Advisors

This book fills a significant gap that has existed within the field of disability advising in post-secondary institutions. Prior to this publication, there was no textbook that provided comprehensive coverage of topics exclusively pertaining to disability advising as a profession.

Although the chapters are written from a college disability advising perspective, with a primary focus on personnel who serve students in disability service offices (DSO) it is also useful to  ehabilitation counselors, veterans student office personnel, academic advisors, and social workers whose clientele include transitional and non-traditional students. Indeed, it is particularly useful to students and graduates of rehabilitation counseling programs, including Certified Rehabilitation Counselors ( CRC) who may want to work in disability service offices as an alternative to pursuing employment in traditional rehabilitation counseling settings.

The goal of this book is to provide disability advisors with current information on all topics relevant to the profession. Starting with an in-depth definition of disability, the book covers  sychological and social aspects of disability, disability laws in higher education, methods of assessing and evaluating disabilities, the process of determining appropriate accommodations, common types of disabilities, types of accommodations available in higher education, assistive technology, universal design in education, self-advocacy skills, and service animals, among many other
pertinent topics.

It is our expectation that this book will serve not only as a comprehensive resource for all who work with students with disabilities in higher education and transitional settings; but also, as a means of helping to define disability advising as the distinct profession it is, by highlighting the body of knowledge specific to the profession.