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Cross-Cultural Considerations for Students with Disabilities Abroad
AU Abroad works collaboratively with both the Academic Support Center and the Office of Disability Support Services to ensure that AU students with learning or physical disabilities have access to educational experiences abroad. Students should follow the following steps to insure success abroad:
- Talk to your counselor in the ASC or the DSS director about your particular needs, study abroad options, and possible site-specific information about disability issues.
- Consult with multiple resources before making a decision about whether and where to study (e.g., a site coordinator overseas, the AU Abroad staff, your academic advisor, students who have participated in a program of interest, etc.).
- Identify a study abroad site of your choice.
- Submit the application to the AU Abroad office.
- Complete and submit a Disability Accommodations Request form to the AU Abroad office; this form will be shared with the ASC or DSS.
- Follow up to coordinate your accommodation request between your ASC counselor or DSS director, the AU Abroad office, and the site coordinator overseas.
In terms of cross-cultural considerations, the Access Abroad organization of the University of Minnesota suggests the following guidelines:
- Remember that other cultures may provide disability access in a different way --learn about what types of accommodation are typically provided in your host country, and be flexible and open to different ways of accommodating your disability.
- Before you go, find out as much as you can about your host culture and how they view disability by reading, talking to other students, and attending pre-departure orientation sessions. The more you know, the better prepared you will be for the interaction between your disability and the new environment.
- Think about how you will answer questions about your disability in the language of your host country - look up key vocabulary words ahead of time.
The following resources may provide further helpful information:
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