Advising International Students with Disabilities
By Megan Ritchie
A publication of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, 2013
This publication is available on the NAFSA Web site at www.nafsa.org/epubs
Advising International Students with Disabilities
About the Author
Megan Ritchie is an author and educational program coordinator based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Previously, she served as academic adviser for English Language Programs (ELP) at the University of
Pennsylvania. In addition to her advising duties, she coordinated both the university’s Fulbright PreAcademic Program and a bridge program for students from King Abdullah University of Science and
Technology (KAUST). Ritchie has lived in five countries, most recently Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates,
where she developed English programs for private and public hospitals, schools, and government agencies.
She earned her MA in TESOL from the University of Pennsylvania and has a BA in Italian from Rutgers
University.
About NAFSA
NAFSA is an association of individuals advancing international education and exchange. NAFSA serves
international educators and their institutions and organizations by establishing principles of good practice,
providing professional learning and development opportunities, providing networking opportunities, and
advocating for international education.
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Released 2013.
© 2013 NAFSA: Association of International Educators. All rights reserved
Acknowledgements
NAFSA heartily thanks the following international education professionals for their continued feedback,
guidance, and expertise regarding the creation of this guide: Rose McKain, director, Academic Support
Services at ECPI University, for her collaboration with our author from conception to publication; Michele
Scheib, project specialist at Mobility International USA, for her close, thoughtful readings and important
perspective; and former Fulbright scholar Sushil Lamsal, under secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nepal,
for sharing his experiences. Invaluable comments and questions were also received from a round of reviewers
in the field. They include Sara Spiegel, student support and disability services coordinator and international
student adviser at the Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago; Amanda Niguidula, director, Disability Resource Center
at Florida International University; Katherine Haan, international services coordinator at Governors State
University; and Amy Lehman, associate director of International Gateways at San Jose State University.
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Advising International Students with Disabilities
Table of Contents
Advising International Students with Disabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Working with International Students with Disabilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Building a List of Contacts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Contact Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Defining your Role and Responsibilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Part I: Predeparture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Initial Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Identifying Student and Disability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Invisible and Visible Disabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Know Your Institution’s Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Contacting Office for Students with Disabilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Contacting your Student . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Managing Expectations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Etiquette When Speaking About Disabilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Getting the Student Here . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Basic Visa Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Facilitating Communication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Personal Care Assistants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Admissions Requirements and Alternate Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Completing Admissions or Language Testing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Acquiring Course Materials in Alternate Formats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Insurance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Housing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
The Search for Affordable, Appropriate Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Air Travel and Customs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Traveling with a Disability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Transportation from the Airport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Finalizing Details for Student Arrival. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
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Advising International Students with Disabilities
Table of Contents (continued)
Part II: On U.S. Campuses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Cultural Nuances Surrounding “Free Time”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Initial Meetings with Support Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Special Equipment and Arrival Date. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Suggested Orientation Folder Contents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Continual Follow-Up. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Student Perspectives: Making Friends and Joining Groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Culture Shock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Conclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Appendix: Useful Resources and Links. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Information on Disabilities: Defining, Etiquette. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Visa Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Finding and Hiring a Personal Assistant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Accessibility for Standardized Tests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Assistive Technology and Materials Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Medical Insurance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Air Travel with Disabilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Information on Culture Shock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
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Advising International Students with Disabilities
Advising International Students with Disabilities
“Curiouser and curiouser! I wonder if I’ve been changed in the night? Let me think.
Was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think
I can remember feeling a little different. But if I’m not the same, the next
question is ‘Who in the world am I?’ Ah, that’s the great puzzle!”
-Alice, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll
Introduction
shift in expectations from their home country
regarding what it means be a person with disabilities. Whether students need assistance walking
down the street, or need help decluttering letters
floating on a page, they are first and foremost
students, here to learn, to grow, and evolve—the
same as every other student.
We are porous creatures. When we travel abroad,
perhaps for a week or perhaps for a year, it is
inevitable that we pick up aspects of the culture
in which we’ve immersed ourselves. The more we
explore outside of ourselves, the more we understand our own selves, too, and the better we are
able to communicate with those around us. In
this way, travel and exploration help create more
understanding, patience, and harmony within the
international community.
As advisers of international students with disabilities, it is our duty to help plan our students’
arrival in such a manner that at the soonest minute
possible, they can get down to the b
­ usiness of
However, when we travel abroad, there are still
pieces of ourselves that remain completely ours
and ours alone. The curl of our legs when we
sleep, the intonation we use when answering
the phone, the memory of home that a whiff of
morning coffee invokes—these things stay with
us no matter how far we roam. Part of the adventure of traveling abroad is that we grow and we
evolve. We return home still “us,” yet somehow
different. Exactly how different we return for the
most part depends on us, and what we choose to
internalize or reject.
Traveling abroad as a student with a disability
poses its unique set of challenges. All of us have
surely gotten lost on public transportation at
least once in our lives. If in a wheelchair, getting
off at the wrong subway station may make the
difference of whether it is possible to ascend to
the surface. All of us have surely asked, perhaps
in a foreign language, where the bathrooms are
in a restaurant or other establishment. Asking
for accessible restrooms and listening for the
answer poses a whole new set of linguistic challenges. But a language barrier is the least of
students’ worries. Students with disabilities have
to navigate a new country, a new culture, a new
language, and also succeed in their courses. They
have to do these things all while navigating a
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Advising International Students with Disabilities
being a student, chock full of microwaveable
noodles, late nights at the library, innocent college
pranks on housemates, and packing in all the
knowledge they can possibly muster.
With effective planning and a few candid discussions,
we can make sure that our students have the adventure that they expect to have. They, too, can choose
aspects of this foreign culture to take with them
when they go home that hopefully will spark positive change in their own lives and the lives of those
around them. For when they look at themselves in
the mirror, they will see someone who was brave
enough to travel outside of their comfort zone, and
who will, upon return home, be able to share their
stories with others, who will hopefully be inspired to
make a similar journey.
Working with International
Students with Disabilities
check first to see whether a department or individual on this contact list is the person most likely to
best solve an issue. Instead of trying to reinvent the
wheel—which may also lead to misunderstandings
or perhaps even a violation of the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA)—work to use resources and
procedures already in place as much as possible.
Building a List of Contacts
To get started, you should first:
1. Identify any and all personnel you should be in
contact with when working with students with
disabilities.
Make sure to update your contact chart regularly,
as people move into and out of positions, or roles
are redefined. It should be your first point of reference from the moment you begin contact with a
student.
2. Be clear on policies of confidentiality (FERPA,
HIPAA, university/school policies, etc.) when
working with any students, including those with
disabilities. This will help guide what information you can share with third parties, such as staff,
instructors, community agencies, and so on.
An initial meeting with your direct supervisor
or your director will help solidify any roles and
responsibilities that you carry, or those that lie
elsewhere in your organization. Keep him or her
in the loop at all times by copying him or her on
correspondence with the student or other individuals in your organization.
For all aspects of bringing students with disabilities to your institution or department, from prearrival planning, orientation, or supporting the student
while he or she is studying with your organization,
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Advising International Students with Disabilities
Contact Chart
Complete this chart before you begin working with students so that once students arrive, you can focus on working
with them, and not who to call with questions. Print out the chart and hang it somewhere that is easily accessible—you
might be referencing it multiple times each day.
Job Title/Role
Main responsibilities in
your organization—how can
they help you through
this process?
Admissions Personnel
Student Services
Personnel
Office of Disability
Services
International Student
Adviser or DSO (Designated School Official)
For issues with visas and course
enrollment
Campus Housing
Office of Academic
Affairs
Facilities Office or
Manager
External Community
Resources (rental equipment/transportation,
etc.)
Other
3
Telephone and E-mail
Advising International Students with Disabilities
Defining your Role and Responsibilities
For many advisers, the task of assisting students with issues directly related to students’ disabilities
may not fall on their shoulders. However, if you are an adviser in an Intensive English Program (IEP), for
example, you may find that many aspects of your students’ arrival and matriculation into your program
fall into your realm of responsibility.
If you work in an IEP or short program for non-matriculated students, services and support organizations
may not be available to you, based on your institution’s policies. In this regard, you may end up being
the person responsible for finding housing, arranging transport, and even renting specialized equipment
for your student. Use the contact chart you’ve completed to first consider more appropriate parties to
handle certain situations before tackling something on your own (with, of course, the knowledge and
go-ahead of your supervisor/director).
Don’t be offended if the campus office for students with disabilities refuses or is reticent to work with
you if you are a part of an IEP or other short-term program for non-matriculated students. The office
already has its hands full with matriculated students, and working with non-matriculated students may
fall outside of what the office is able or comfortable to work with. If this is the case, try to get as much
information from the office as possible, and then be prepared to buckle down and do a lot of the work
yourself. If you are outside your comfort zone, stop immediately and ask for help. If disability services is
unable or unwilling to help, the campus legal department may be able to be of assistance in answering
your questions or getting greater cooperation among departments. The legal department at most institutions will know exactly the importance of following the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as
it relates to all students, matriculated or not. Do not be afraid to use all your contacts to ensure your
students are getting the assistance they need.
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Advising International Students with Disabilities
Part I: Predeparture
Initial Communication
Invisible and Visible Disabilities
Identifying Student and Disability
Not all disabilities are visible to the
eye. ­Examples of invisible disabilities
include:
Your first step in working with a student with a
disability is identifying the student and his or
her disability. One major issue is how this information comes to you, if it comes to you at all.
Does your organization or department send out a
student survey so that students can self-­identify
as a student with a disability? If so, work with
your department so that you are kept in the loop
with any and all pertinent information students
may include on this survey. If not, it will be up to
you to put the pieces in place, so that if a student
does arrive with a visible or invisible disability
(please see the section, “Invisible and Visible
Disabilities”), you will know immediately who to
contact and what your organization can do to
support him or her.
88 Learning disabilities
88 Chronic health conditions/illnesses
88 Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
88 Some mental health or psychological
­conditions
The Invisible Disabilities Association (IDA)
maintains a useful website that discusses
­invisible disabilities and gives more examples
at invisibledisabilities.org.
The University of Minnesota also has a useful
website that refers to different disability
conditions at diversity.umn.edu/disability/
doihaveadisability.
Know Your Institution’s Policies
A student may come to you if he or she is having
problems with accessibility or keeping up with
coursework. If he or she does not approach you,
Some students may come to you having already
declared or shared a disability. However, situations may arise where someone in your organization, such as another adviser or a professor,
suspects that the student may have a disability
that either he or she doesn’t know about or
hasn’t shared. Because of the diverse ways in
which disabilities are treated internationally, this
may occur more frequently when working with
international students.
however, learn about privacy policies regarding
speaking to a student directly about a disability
and clear the conversation with your supervisor. It is most likely that you will act as a
bridge between the student and the office for
students with disabilities or counseling office.
It may also be that you have to act first as a
concerned adviser to a student who may feel
lost, depressed, and anxious. Choose your words
wisely and be careful not to diagnose or overstep your role—listen and direct the student as
appropriate.
5
Advising International Students with Disabilities
Contacting Office for Students with Disabilities
with anyone unless checking first with your
­organization’s policies on confidentiality and
your director. For example, instead of e-mail
correspondence that says: “Gloria is arriving
tomorrow and will need transportation,” you
should write to most third parties, “My student is
arriving tomorrow.”
Once you are aware that an international student
has a disability, your role should be to immediately
connect the students with the appropriate staff
on campus, most likely the office for students with
disabilities. Most likely they will be able to help guide
your contact with the student, and provide information on accessibility options. This office will be a
key partner moving forward—don’t be surprised if
you have to have the student register with the office
before their arrival.
Once you’ve worked with the office of students
with disabilities about who you can or should speak
with regarding assisting your student, and once
you’ve set in motion the people and departments
that need to be in the know, it’s time to contact the
student directly—of course, always copying your
director or supervisor.
In fact, many university emergency plans require
that students needing assistance in a fire or
­emergency preregister with this office so that
evacuation plans are put in place in the state
of an emergency. Remember to consult with
this office regarding issues of confidentiality
and specific offices or groups you can consult
with depending on your student’s particular
disability.
Contacting your Student
You are going to be discussing information that will
be confidential, so at this point it is wise to make a
list of the people or parties you need to contact in
order to work effectively in bringing the student to
the United States. If you haven’t filled in the chart at
the beginning of this guide, it may come in handy
right about now.
Please note: When working with third parties,
remember student confidentiality at all times,
and do not share biographical information
6
Advising International Students with Disabilities
Identify which individuals from your chart you should
include in this initial contact. Again, consult with the
students with disabilities office to get an idea of who
should be included in the initial e-mail, and make sure
you get permission from the student before sharing
information with other parties. For example, you
might include in initial contact:
Etiquette When Speaking
About Disabilities
Briefly, some important points to remember
when working with a person with a disability are
as follows:
a. your own director/supervisor;
1. Ask before you help.
b. the student;
2. Always speak directly to the person with a
disability, not to his companion, aide, or sign
language interpreter. This may be different if
the companion or aide speaks more English
than your student, so use your instincts when
negotiating this point.
c. your institution’s students with disabilities office; and
d. a point person to include in predeparture correspondence if a language barrier is involved,
suggested by either the student’s sponsor or
the student. It is important you get the student’s
permission to share personal information such as
his or her disability with this third party.
3. Don’t make assumptions about what a
person can or cannot do, or what he or she
wants to or does not want to do.
It is crucial at this point that you begin managing
expectations regarding your own role. You are here
as an adviser, tutor, sighted guide, or psychologist. You may, however, be needed as an advocate or
networker, if these other services are not set up and
need to be located. The student also needs to take
on responsibilities they are not used to. You should
be sending links and other relevant resources to
students, for example, and not actually making the
related phone calls. Of course, anything regarding the
university (housing, insurance, visa), you may have
to be a part of, but for things such as airline tickets
and setting up accessible facilities to take an exam,
the student should be doing this coordination him or
herself after being connected to available services.
It’s important to remember that when dealing
with students from the international community, they may have different points of etiquette
from their own culture that you may not be
familiar with. Don’t be afraid to ask a student
questions to gauge how they prefer to be identified. Listen to how the student refers to his or
her own disability. This is a learning curve for
both of you; thus, humility and open communication will go a long way. Be prepared to answer
questions about how people with disabilities are
referred to or treated in the United States, and
when in doubt, ask someone from the office for
students with disabilities to clarify whether a
term is offensive or outdated.
(Source: Adapted from the United Spinal Association, 2013.
http://www.unitedspinal.org/disability-etiquette/.)
Managing Expectations
It’s a part of your job to ascertain students’
expectations about travel and living abroad, and
then to help manage these expectations. You
can do this in a series of e-mails. For example,
when asked about aspects of managing expectation in the United States, one former student with
disabilities from Nepal, Sushil Lamsal, said:
a chair manually over long distances. How
relieved I have been at times wheeling around
the streets to be offered help! I personally hate
motorized wheelchairs (they are bulky, not
collapsible into a regular car or cab, and likely
to break down in heavy rain), but feel now that
they may actually be very convenient even if I
don’t use them.”
“The first culture shock I got when I came to
[Washington, D.C.] was that few if any people
offered to push my chair. While that is at first
very nice to see that people don’t just assume
you are helpless, and thus need help, it can
sometimes be practically very difficult to push
—Sushil Lamsal is under secretary,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nepal, and
a former Fulbright scholar
7
Advising International Students with Disabilities
Getting the Student Here
Feeling comfortable to ask for assistance or to selfadvocate may be a new concept for international
students with disabilities. Some of these conversations can seem delicate, and some may not even
happen until the student arrives on campus, but your
awareness that there may be differences in expectation will help guide your communication from this
point forward. Hopefully, too, it will predict some
difficulties that your student might have upon arrival.
Connecting the student with peers in the United
States who have disabilities may be useful in learning
new ropes.
Basic Visa Information
Familiarizing yourself with the different types of
visas your students may travel on will go a long way
in assisting your student through the process, even
though it will not be your responsibility to inform
your student regarding visa policies or manage visa
status upon arrival. However, knowing something
about the process will help you guide your student
to the appropriate party.
Facilitating Communication
Help your student become their own best advocate by requiring them to make several phone calls and
e-mails on their own. If English is a second language, you could offer to proof an e-mail or go over notes
for a phone call to reduce a student’s anxiety before communication, but they should still be responsible
for the following:
88 An introductory e-mail to the office of students with disabilities. At some point, the student
should make direct contact if it hasn’t already been done, so that a comfort level is established
from the beginning. Ideally, this is before the student’s arrival. Establishing personal contact is also
ideal in terms of keeping confidential issues between the student and the necessary parties only.
88 Contact with admissions personnel. The student should start and maintain contact with the
admissions office.
88 Any contact, if applicable, with a scholarship fund or third party financial organization.
Again, offer to look over any correspondence if you think it will help put your student’s mind at ease, but
the earlier he or she feels the empowering sense of autonomy in a new culture and country, the easier his
or her transition will be.
Alternately, e-mails or phone calls you can offer to make include:
88 Contact with the facilities department in your organization to arrange for accommodation in
housing or classrooms.
88 Arranging for equipment rental or materials acquisition. You will have to work with the student
regarding payment, but you or the students with disabilities office should be prepared to do some
digging to find local companies to provide the equipment you may need.
88 Arranging transportation from the airport. In some, but not all, programs you may be asked to
provide transportation for incoming students. Making these arrangements for a student with a
disability will help ease his or her transition to the new country and help your student relax after the
journey. Even if this is not typically done for incoming students, arrangements may be necessary
for some international students who are blind or other have other disabilities where orientation to a
new environment is necessary.
8
Advising International Students with Disabilities
Most students come to the United States in the
F-1 student nonimmigrant category, although you
may also come across students traveling on “J” or
“M” visas, or in other categories. For basic information regarding these visas, visit the U.S. Department of State website at http://travel.state.gov/visa/.
For more detailed information, make sure to consult
with your school’s International Student and Scholar
Services (ISSS) office.
88 F-1 Student Visa: This is for full-time students
maintaining a full-time course load.
88 J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa: This is for individuals
who are sponsored by a designated Exchange
Visitor Program. Exchange visitors sponsored by
college and university programs are usually classified as J-1 students, research scholars, or professors, but there are many other J-1 exchange
visitor categories as well.
a PCA that he or she inform both the students with
disabilities office as well as the office of international
student services.
Mobility International USA has good information for
students wanting to hire a PCA after arrival at http://
www.miusa.org/ncde/tipsheets/personalasst.
88 M-1 Vocational Student Visa: This is for students
attending non-academic programs such as those
offered by a vocational school.
The designated school official (DSO) from the
student’s home institution or your institution’s international stuent office will be involved in getting a
visa for the student as well as for obtaining one for
his or her personal care assistant. Help the student to
be prepared to answer questions regarding labor law
in the United States in relation to the length of work
hours for his or her personal care assistant. These
questions may need to be answered in the visa application process.
About Reduced Course Load: Student visa categories
require students to engage in a full course of study,
which is usually equated with studying full-time. The
regulations make only limited provision for temporary reduced courseloads due to medical conditions,
and are not well suited to students whose disability
would require a sustained reduction in courseload. All
reduced courseloads must be approved in advance
by the school’s Designated School Official (F-1) or
the exchange program’s Responsible Officer (J-1).
These individuals are designated to use the SEVIS
system, and are usually located in the ISSS office. If
your student’s disability might require a reduction in
courseload, you must discuss this thoroughly with the
DSO or RO before the student makes arrangements
to attend your school, to determine whether the immigration regulations will permit issuance of immigration
documents.
For more information regarding personal care assistants or other day-to-day concerns, the federal
government’s Disability Blog may be a resource for
you and your student.
Admissions Requirements and
Alternate Resources
Completing Admissions or Language Testing
Personal Care Assistants
If your student is required to take a placement test
such as the TOEFL or IELTS for English language
placement, or needs to take any other number of
tests in order to be admitted into the institution,
head to the official websites for the test(s) in order
to inform yourself about accessibility options.
There is specific visa information if your student has
a companion or personal care assistant (PCA) traveling with him or her.
Aspects of visas and labor law can become complicated, as personal care assistants can be considered
employees under the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA). Make sure if the student plans on bringing
Some useful links to pages regarding accessibility for
these tests are as follows:
9
Advising International Students with Disabilities
88 TOEFL: http://www.ets.org/toefl/ibt/register/­
disabilities
88 The National Center for Learning Disabilities, to
research assistive technology for your students:
http://www.ncld.org/adults-learning-disabilities/
post-high-school/getting-access-assistive-­
technology-college
88 SAT: http://student.collegeboard.org/servicesfor-students-with-disabilities
88 IELTS: http://www.ielts.org/test_takers_information/
what_is_ielts.aspx
88 Bookshare: https://www.bookshare.org/
For this test, be aware that the assigned test
center needs to be notified at least three months
before exam time if a student has a disability that
affects the test-taking process. Students will need
to notify the test center directly.
Note: In order to access resources such as assistive
technology or accessibility in classrooms, students in
this country have to self-identify as a person with a
disability and disclose this information to necessary
parties. This may be a challenge to some students
depending on how their culture treats both visible
and invisible disabilities. It may be up to you and the
office of students with disabilities to help remove the
taboo nature of having a disability. Diversity Abroad
is a good resource for you and your students to help
initiate a conversation, though is specifically aimed at
U.S. students studying abroad. “Crossing Cultures,”
from A World Awaits You: A Journal of Success in
International Exchange from People with Disabilities
might also provide some guidance.
88 GRE: http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/
register/disabilities/
In order to arrange accommodations, you will need
to plan ahead and possibly send paperwork to the
testing service. Planning far ahead of time is an ideal
way to make sure there are no issues when it comes
time for your student to take the test.
Make sure you work with your student to gather the
information needed to send to the testing service so
that testing is not unnecessarily delayed because of a
lapse in paperwork. Some tests like the IELTS necessitate a 3-month lead time, whereas the GRE necessitates at least a 6-week lead time to get the necessary
approvals.
Insurance
At this point in preparing for a student’s arrival, their
funding should be secured and there should be no
surprises when the student arrives. Unfortunately,
many “additional” services are not covered by standard insurance carriers, so supplemental insurance or
funding may be needed. In fact, most insurance policies for international students are solely accident and
sickness policies and will not cover anything having
to do with a preexisting condition.
Acquiring Course Materials in Alternate Formats
You will want to check with the office for students
with disabilities as soon as possible to see about
acquiring the necessary materials and assistive technology that your student may need.
At first contact with the student, efforts should
be made to identify this additional funding; the
student’s expectations in terms of what will be
covered should be managed. Work with the student’s
sponsor(s), if any, to discern what will be paid for,
and what the student will be expected to pay for.
A great resource you can share with your student is
Learning Ally, the largest resource of spoken textbooks in the United States. Go through your office
for students with disabilities to see if you can gain
access to services such as these.
Institutional policy, and the Affordable Care Act
(ACA) determine whether or not a nonimmigrant
student, abled or disabled, is required to purchase
health insurance. Find out your institution’s policies
and any ACA requirements and refer the student to
the appropriate office or personnel.
Additional resources include:
88 The Access Text Network for acquiring course
­materials: http://www.accesstext.org/
88 The National Library Service for the Blind and
Physically Handicapped, to learn about how to
help your student acquire materials: http://www.
loc.gov/nls/
The PCA or companion will also need to be insured.
These are things that are necessary to sort out
through the visa application process. The student or
10
Advising International Students with Disabilities
work going to and from classes. Does your institution offer a shuttle or bus that goes to surrounding
neighborhoods or parts of the city? Can you help
the student acquire any passes, tokens, or tickets
that may be needed if he or she needs to take public
transportation? Suggest to the student to get passes
for at least two weeks worth of public transportation
so that the primary concern then will be the coursework, not the logistics of getting to class. Local
disability organizations may also have people who
PCA will have to sort out details in their own country
before coming to the United States.
Again, this is not the adviser’s responsibility.
However, the more you know about this process, the
more efficiently you’ll be able to refer your student
to the appropriate office.
For more information on international student
insurance, see NAFSA’s publication titled “Medical
­Insurance for International Students, Scholars, and
Their Families.”
The Search for Affordable, Appropriate Housing
Housing
Many of you will have to help find housing for your
students. In many ways, this may be the most difficult aspect of your job. Work with the office for
students with disabilities to discuss options for
accessible on-campus housing. Check the contact
chart you filled out at the beginning of this guide as
well, and ask yourself, “who should be included in
this communication?”
The following thoughts from a student
regarding housing may help you think about
some of the issues that may arise in this
process, and help remind you how pivotal
housing is in the process of bringing international students to your institution, whether they
have disabilities or not. Finding suitable housing
may mean the difference between a successful
program or school year or a multitude of problems that have the potential to snowball, rapidly.
For off-campus housing, ask: Does the student
have an option for a homestay? Some international
students choose a homestay for the language and
cultural benefits, but the host family needs to be
made aware of any accessibility needs that should
be addressed before the student arrives. Otherwise,
many students opt to live in their own apartments
or houses. It can get very easy to get overwhelmed
with this process, as it might involve landlords or
condo associations, lease agreements, and issues of
financing. It’s best to have the student go through
the office of off-campus housing, if there is one,
for all aspects of this process. However, an offer to
accompany the student to the office for the first
meeting may be greatly appreciated.
“I got an internship with the [United
Nations] in New York, but it did not actually work for me and I could not go. The
primary factor was my inability to find an
appropriate apartment at an affordable
cost. I talked with close to 10 realtors
on phone, but most of those [apartments], which were accessible, tended to
be too expensive to afford. On the other
hand, sharing an apartment with a nondisabled person to reduce costs is not a
feasible proposition for various obvious
reasons. (S.L.)”
For this student, some prearrival planning, or
in the case above, planning before transferring
from the student’s pre-academic program to the
student’s degree institution could have saved
some time, effort, and stress. It may be a wise
idea to remind students in an e-mail before they
arrive (all students, not just those with disabilities) how difficult it can be to secure housing
in and around a university. Inform them to
start their search early, and perhaps give them
contact information for the student housing
office so they can begin communicating with
the office before arriving.
Legal issues surrounding landlord-tenant relations vary
from state to state and even sometimes from county to
county, so it truly is best to go through the office of offcampus housing when helping your student rent his or
her own apartment. Students with disabilities are also
covered under the Fair Housing Act (Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968). This non-discrimination act
may come into play if modifications for accessibility or
exceptions to no dog policies are needed.
If the student is opting for off-campus housing, make
sure that he or she is clear on how transportation will
11
Advising International Students with Disabilities
particularly in the flurry of activity that is inevitable
when a new program or new school year is beginning. You’ll have other students and other program
needs to attend to, and it may be easy to fall behind
on your other duties while seeing to the needs of
one particular student, particularly if you are new to
aspects of working with students with disabilities.
can orient someone who is blind or has other disabilities to the public transportation system. It is best to
arrange for this to happen soon after arrival, so the
student can sooner navigate independently.
If student stays on-campus, he or she will probably
need to fill out more paperwork for the students
with disabilities office in case of an emergency. You
should work directly with the housing office and
perhaps facilities to make sure all accessibility needs
are met before the student arrives.
Air Travel and Customs
Air travel can be a fiasco no matter who you are, and
where you’re traveling. Try to manage a student’s
expectations as best as you can about the sheer
amount of time that may be involved getting through
customs and security. Extra items such as a wheelchair, box of medical supplies or medicine, service
Additionally, make yourself a checklist from e-mails
you have exchanged with the office for students
with disabilities, the housing office, facilities, and the
student. You’ll need to keep any appointments with
rental companies or facilities personnel organized,
Traveling with a Disability
Here is a list of some useful links regarding air travel with a disability.
88 Federal Aviation Administration: http://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/cabin_safety/disabilities/
88 Transportation Security Administration: http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/travelers-­
disabilities-and-medical-conditions
There is also a hotline for the TSA for questions regarding traveling with a disability: 1-855-787-2227. The
TSA recommends you call more than 72 hours ahead of traveling with any questions. Hours of operation
are 8 a.m.–11 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m.–8 p.m. weekends EST.
88 American Airlines: http://www.aa.com/i18n/travelInformation/specialAssistance/customersWithDisabilities.jsp
88 British Airways: http://www.britishairways.com/travel/disabilityassistanceinfo/public/en_gb#
88 Emirates Airlines: http://www.emirates.com/us/english/plan_book/essential_information/
special_needs.aspx
88 Etihad Airways: http://www.etihadairways.com/sites/etihad/trades/global/en/PoliciesandProcedure/
GuestAssistance/Pages/medicalpassengers.aspx
88 KLM: http://www.klm.com/travel/us_en/prepare_for_travel/travel_planning/physically_challenged/
index.htm
88 Lufthansa: http://www.lufthansa.com/us/en/Travelers-with-special-needs
88 Qantas: http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/mobility-assistance/global/en
88 United Airlines: http://www.united.com/web/en-us/Content/travel/specialneeds/disabilities/default.
aspx
88 US Airways: http://www.usairways.com/en-US/traveltools/specialneeds/default.html
88 Virgin Atlantic: http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/us/en/travel-information/special-assistance.html
12
Advising International Students with Disabilities
dog, or a need to request communication support for
those who are deaf or have speech disabilities can
increase the amount of time a student is in line at
customs or security.
from the airport to your institution. This will depend
on your conversations thus far with the student, and
what you feel is appropriate for him or her. This small
gesture will go a long way in making the student feel
taken care of, and to finally put a face to the name
he or she has been speaking with throughout the last
few months or weeks. Try to at least give detailed
information on how to get from airport to your institution or arranged housing, and give him or her
contact information on how to contact you when he
or she arrives.
The student should contact the airline company
or his or her airport to confirm any documentation
that is needed to bring certain items such as liquid
medicines or ventilators through security and onto
the plane. Documentation may also be needed to
report items such as pacemakers that may set off
the detectors through security. Through e-mail
or phone calls, work with the student to organize
all documentation needed several weeks before
travel. Mobility International USA offers tips for
traveling with a wheelchair or guide dog, along
with suggestions if problems arise at: http://www.
miusa.org/ncde/tipsheets/airlinetips.
Finalizing Details for
Student Arrival
Although to your student you may appear at all
times calm, it may likely be quite the opposite
behind-the-scenes. Not only do you have to arrange
for the orientation and arrival of possibly dozens
of other students, if not more, but you also need to
make sure that when your student with disabilities
arrives, he or she can get settled into housing and
classes along with his or her colleagues.
Transportation from the Airport
If you feel it is appropriate and necessary, try as best
you can to arrange for transportation for the student
Here is the outline of a checklist you should use to
make sure everything is up and running for your
students before they arrive:
✓✓ Double check with your student that his or her
travel documents are in order (visa paperwork;
any medical records for TSA; and so on).
✓✓ Personally check in on the housing arrangement.
Does it meet your student’s accessibility
requirements?
✓✓ Confirm transportation from the airport.
✓✓ Solidify your schedule for the first several
days after your student’s arrival as much as
possible. Things you didn’t plan for will most
certainly come up. With a solid schedule in
place, you’ll be able to immediately know
when the breaks in your schedule are, so that
you can handle any surprise situations, or
delegate certain activities to a colleague or
assistant so that you are freed up to handle an
emergency.
✓✓ Check with facilities that any special equipment
needs have been met.
✓✓ Double-check with the office of students with
disabilities that the student’s arrival is confirmed.
13
Advising International Students with Disabilities
Part II: On U.S. Campuses
Orientation
Initial Meetings with Support Services
First impressions are everything. It’s important to
help your student feel safe and at home as soon
as possible, though it’s a delicate balance between
supporting your student with most aspects of their
arrival and also letting him or her do some things on
their own to achieve this. What will make a big difference is at least a small orientation to the campus
area. We recommended that you especially focus on
accessible facilities and support services.
You will arrange for meetings for the student to
have with support services, so it’s important to line
up these meetings before the student arrives to the
United States. Try to accompany the student to these
initial meetings to run through what transportation
is like in your campus or area. You may not be able
to sit in the meetings with the students because of
confidentiality policies, but helping the student get
there is a good gesture of hospitality.
It’s a good idea to make a folder of pamphlets,
flyers, and informational sheets for your student
that includes information on student life as well as
accessibility options and services. This may need to
be made into an accessible format for blind or lowvision students. Give your student time in the first
few days to review these documents, and ample time
to navigate the campus or area before classes start.
Special Equipment and Arrival Date
You should already have been working to obtain any
special equipment or materials your student may
need, and all should have been delivered to your
institution or the student’s housing by the time he or
she arrives.
Cultural Nuances Surrounding “Free Time”
Keep in mind that depending on where your student is from, he or she may have different expectations in
terms of how much time he or she is left alone, at least in the first few days after arrival. For many cultures,
the idea that a host would leave a guest alone for an extended amount of time would be considered rude and
inhospitable. However, the demands of your program as well as the necessity of helping your student become
assimilated into U.S. culture may mean you leave your student alone for periods of time during the orientation
period. During these periods of free time, your student should consider joining orientation activities available
for international students or new students to meet new people and become familiar with the campus and its
surroundings. Arranging a meeting with a local trainer in orientation and mobility skills, or a local blind volunteer who knows the area, would be valuable for blind students. Even if the student is skilled in using a cane or
dog, he or she will need to become familiar with the new environment to begin safely exploring.
Help your students understand cultural nuances of free time in the United States and the idea that many
Americans value initiative and discovering things on their own.
Go over the orientation schedule with your student, and discuss options to fill the blanks in the schedule.
This way he or she will feel taken care of, and will have a valuable lesson in another nuance in U.S. culture.

International offices can create a welcoming and awareness-building environment by having interns with
disabilities or positive images of people with disabilities in their centers, and by adding a cultural or legal
piece about disability to international student orientations. For international students with and without
disabilities, learning about how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other legislation has
worked to include people with disabilities in all aspects of the community may be a valuable addition to
an introduction to U.S. culture.
14
Advising International Students with Disabilities
has nothing to do with being a student should be
worked out before classes start. After classes start,
his or her attention and energies will hopefully be
focused on course material, making friends, and
assimilating to U.S. culture.
Suggested Orientation Folder Contents
Helpful orientation information you collect for
your student may include:
88 Campus map
By the time the first semester begins, equipment
should be set up, housing should be solidified, the
student should be familiar with the campus and
surrounding area, and all aspects of daily campus
life should be reviewed so that once classes
start, your student can get started right away
with studies.
88 City/area map
88 Information about transportation (both oncampus and off)
88 Orientation schedule
88 Pamphlet about tourism activities in the
area and links to sites with free activities for
­students
Continual Follow-Up
88 Flyer/information about health and safety
Our work with our students is never finished. Issues
come up unexpectedly that one cannot plan for. It’s
important to keep in contact with your students and
make sure that they know they can contact you even
after they are settled in.
88 Informational sheet about banking in the
United States
88 Information about signing into your institution’s computer network and Internet policies including any assistive technology labs
on campus
Remember the saying that “an ounce of prevention
is worth a pound of cure.” Certain crises can possibly
88 Information about international calling cards
and cell phone use in the United States
88 Your institution or department’s list of important numbers and contact information,
including those for your student center, graduate student center, office of students with
disabilities, counseling and health centers,
international student services, and so on.
88 The latest copy of your institution’s newspaper or other publication—this is a great
way to get into the culture of the university
and find activities in which your student can
meet new people.
Perhaps suggesting the student arrive a few
days before his or her colleagues is a good idea,
depending on housing availability. This will give
you and him or her the opportunity to work out
any remaining details, and let the student test out
any support technologies that he or she may be
using during classes. Some students may need
training on new adaptive software or different
braille codes, which may not be available on
campus, so local resources may need to be tapped.
Remember, most aspects of the student’s life that
15
Advising International Students with Disabilities
Student Perspectives: Making Friends and Joining Groups
The following student with disabilities shared their feelings on making friends and joining groups:
“One expectation I had when I came [to study in the United States] was that I would be able to make lots
of friends, which turned out to be not a very realistic goal. Many factors for this, but one is more important: the students in a city like Washington, D.C. have so much to do, and so many commitments and
priorities, that they simply do not seem to have the time needed for a careful nurturing of friendship.
“And of course as a person challenged in mobility, I could not meet with many of them outside of
the classroom to the required degree of frequency and probably I did not engage much either. Most
of such events are of course late in the evening, whereas I prefer to go home earlier, mainly because
traveling late at night does not feel safe for somebody in a wheelchair.” (S.L.)
These are the aspects of acclimating to life in another country that can snowball and trigger depression,
culture shock, or anxiety. Keeping an open line of communication with your students and simply keeping
tabs on their general appearance and attitude might help you prevent things from getting to a point
where professional help is necessary.
or acting uncharacteristically introverted or extroverted. Building a relationship with your student
prearrival and through the first few weeks will ensure
that you know your student well enough to notice
any “red flags” as they go up.
be averted with regular contact and communication
with your students.
Ideally, your student will find a community or
group where they feel comfortable and at home.
Feel free to give him or her information about
extracurricular activities, but understand that it’s
better if actual contact with groups occurs organically. Deaf students, especially, may want to
connect with the Deaf community to share and
improve their communication. Connect them with
ASL teachers or interpreters who may know about
the Deaf community in the area, and available
student and community deaf clubs. However, do
not automatically think that your student will want
to be a part of a support group or will want to
meet with other students with disabilities. In many
cases, he or she will not. He or she might want to
join a writer’s group, a chess-playing group, or just
sit up all night in the library with classmates. Your
job is to provide information to the student so that
he or she can choose which groups or communities
to follow up with, and which to not.
Some signs of culture shock include:
88 Frequent crying, often at night and when encountering differences that are relatively minor.
88 General irritability.
88 Excessive emphasis on contact with family
and friends back home and on food, movies,
and books related to the home country. Lack
of interest in trying new things in the United
States.
88 Lethargy: lack of energy to go about daily tasks.
88 Withdrawal: refusal to go out of the dorm room
or apartment or meet new people.
88 Excessive sleep.
88 Compulsive eating or drinking, or refusal to eat
sufficiently.
Culture Shock
(Source: NAFSA, Bringing Family Members to the United States:
NAFSA 2013. P. 17)
Watch out for signs of culture shock, which may
appear as soon as a few weeks after arrival through
the third or fourth month post arrival. Your student
may seem overly tired or depressed, seem anxious,
In some cultures, the idea of seeking out professional
assistance for psychological issues is taboo. It is a
conversation that should only be broached after you:
16
Advising International Students with Disabilities
Conclusion
1. Inform your director or supervisor that you plan
on having a conversation with a student you feel
may be depressed.
Working in international education and helping
students from across the globe find their footing and
their path in the United States’ educational system
is an extremely rewarding experience. Working
with students with disabilities has its own unique
set of challenges and also its own rewards. When
students—no matter where they are from and no
matter what obstacle they face—are able to achieve
a life goal of coming to the United States to study,
you can feel proud that you played an important part
in the process. Helping students here means you’ve
also helped their community at home; when students
have returned after the program is finished, the new
skills they’ve learned will enrich the lives of those
around them, especially as they apply what they’ve
learned to better their community and country. Know
that you now are a person who is truly helping to
make the world a more accessible place, and therefore a better one.
2. Contact your office of mental health or student
psychological services for guidelines on how to
begin a conversation and get information on how
the student should make an appointment to see
a counselor.
Perhaps just beginning a conversation simply with:
“So how have you been feeling?” may go a long way
in helping the student feel comfortable in opening
up to you. In some cultures, mental distress can be
described in physical symptoms. Using labels such
as “depression” or “anxiety” may not be conducive
to your conversation and it is not your role to make
diagnosis. Students may feel pressure to represent
their family or country well, and this means they may
not show they are struggling. Talking about these
feelings in a neutral way and explaining about confidentiality practices in the United States may help.
17
Advising International Students with Disabilities
Appendix: Useful Resources and Links
Information on Disabilities: Defining, Etiquette
Finding and Hiring a Personal Assistant
Invisible Disabilities: http://www.invisibledisabilities.
org/invisible-no-more/the-visible-invisible-disability/
Mobility International Mobility International USA
Personal Assistants Tipsheet: http://www.miusa.org/
ncde/tipsheets/personalasst
Do I have a disability? https://diversity.umn.edu/
disability/doihaveadisability
Accessibility for Standardized Tests
Disability Etiquette: http://www.unitedspinal.org/
disability-etiquette/
TOEFL: http://www.ets.org/toefl/ibt/register/
disabilities
The Disability Blog: http://usodep.blogs.govdelivery.
com/
SAT: http://student.collegeboard.org/
services-for-students-with-disabilities
The UN’s Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities: http://www.un.org/en/globalissues/
disabilities/
IELTS: http://www.ielts.org/test_takers_information/
what_is_ielts.aspx
Disability Abroad: http://www.diversityabroad.com/
disable-students-abroad
GRE: http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/
register/disabilities/
Mobility International USA for students: http://www.
miusa.org/ncde/comingtousa.
Assistive Technology and Materials Resources
Spoken Textbooks Source: https://www.learningally.
org/
Mobility International USA for advisers: http://www.
miusa.org/ncde/tools/advisingtotheusa
Access Text Network: http://www.accesstext.org/
Visa Information
Visa Information: http://travel.state.gov/visa/
The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped: http://www.loc.gov/nls/
NAFSA, Immigration Classifications and Legal
Employment of Foreign Nationals in the United
States, 2012: http://www.nafsa.org/wcm/
Product?prodid=41
National Center for Learning Disabilities: http://www.ncld.org/adultslearning-disabilities/post-high-school/
getting-access-assistive-technology-college
NAFSA, Basic F-1 Procedures for Beginners, 2013:
http://www.nafsa.org/wcm/Product?prodid=33
Bookshare: https://www.bookshare.org/
Medical Insurance
NAFSA, NAFSA Adviser’s Manual 2.0, 2013.
http://www.nafsa.org/Find_Resources/
Supporting_International_Students_
And_Scholars/NAFSA_Advisers_Manual/
About_the_NAFSA_Adviser_s_Manual/
NAFSA’s Medical Insurance for International
Students, Scholars, and Their Families: http://www.
nafsa.org/wcm/Product?prodid=15
Mobility International USA’s Insurance Considerations
for Exchange Participants with Disabilities: http://
www.miusa.org/ncde/tipsheets/insurance
Reduced Course Load: http://internationalcenter.
umich.edu/immig/fvisa/fj_reducedcourse.html
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Advising International Students with Disabilities
Air Travel with Disabilities
Lufthansa: http://www.lufthansa.com/us/en/
Travelers-with-special-needs
Tips at Mobility International USA for traveling with
a disability: http://www.miusa.org/ncde/tipsheets/
airlinetips
Qantas: http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/
mobility-assistance/global/en
Federal Aviation Administration: http://www.faa.gov/
about/initiatives/cabin_safety/disabilities/
United Airlines: http://www.united.com/web/en-us/
Content/travel/specialneeds/disabilities/default.aspx
Transportation Security Administration:
http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/
travelers-disabilities-and-medical-conditions
US Airways: http://www.usairways.com/en-US/traveltools/specialneeds/default.html
Virgin Atlantic: http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/us/en/
travel-information/customer-service/special-assistance.html
American Airlines: http://www.aa.com/i18n/­
travelInformation/specialAssistance/
customersWithDisabilities.jsp
Information on Culture Shock
British Airways: http://www.britishairways.com/
travel/disabilityassistanceinfo/public/en_gb#
NAFSA, Bringing Family Members to the United
States (2013): 17. http://www.nafsa.org/wcm/
Product?prodid=51
Emirates Airlines: http://www.emirates.com/us/
english/plan_book/essential_information/special_
needs.aspx
NAFSA, Introduction to American Life, 2010. http://
www.nafsa.org/wcm/Product?prodid=45
Etihad Airways: http://www.etihadairways.com/sites/
etihad/trades/global/en/PoliciesandProcedure/
GuestAssistance/Pages/medicalpassengers.aspx
NAFSA, U.S. Classroom Culture, 2010. http://www.
nafsa.org/wcm/Product?prodid=44.
KLM: http://www.klm.com/travel/us_en/prepare_for_
travel/travel_planning/physically_challenged/index.htm
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Item No. 106E
To order: www.nafsa.org/publications