Higher Education Access
Download Higher Education Needs Assessment for Students with Disabilities
(link opens the PDF form in a new window and can be filled in and emailed by hitting the Send by Email button at the end of the form)
A Universal Design Demonstration
Higher Education Access: A Universal Design Demonstration is a federally funded project located at the Center for Excellence in Disabilities (CED) at West Virginia University. The project provides professional development, technical assistance, accessibility information and training for faculty and administration to ensure that students with disabilities are receiving an equal opportunity for a quality education at West Virginia University.
The project will demonstrate and provide technical assistance through use of Universal Design for Instruction (UDI) principles.
UDI is an approach to teaching that blends proactive design with inclusive instructional strategies to benefit a broad range of learners including students with disabilities.
Students with Disabilities at WVU:
During the 2007-2008 school year, five percent of students at WVU reported having a disability. This percentage only includes students who reported their disability to the WVU Office of Disability Services. Some students, particularly those with hidden disabilities, may not wish to disclose their disability for a variety of reasons:
- Some students want to try their first semester or year in college without accommodations.
- Students may be too embarrassed to ask for assistance. These students may have experienced harassment in elementary, middle, or high school as a result of having a disability and receiving special services.
- Students either do not know they are eligible or they do not feel entitled to services. Those with psychiatric disabilities, for instance, may not realize that they, too, are covered under the ADA and may be eligible to receive services.
Higher Education Access wants to assure that all WVU students with disabilities, disclosed or not, receive classroom instruction that is accessible to them. To help achieve this, Higher Education Access is offering the following services to WVU faculty and administration:
- Online professional development
- Training on universal design for instruction
- Training on assistive technology and classroom accommodations
- Accessibility
- Training on developing accessible web sites
- Alternate formats
- Informative website:
- Technical assistance through a toll free hot line or e-mail
Through this project, West Virginia University, including its satellite campuses: Potomac State College and the Institute of Technology WVU, has become a part of a nationwide collaboration with 21 other universities all with the goal of improving outcomes for students with disabilities.
For information contact:
Higher Education Access
Center for Excellence in Disabilities
959 Hartman Run Road
Morgantown, WV 26505
Phone: (800) 841-8436
E-mail: higheredaccess@hsc.wvu.edu
