Study Abroad
Students with disabilities interested in studying abroad should take the necessary steps to plan ahead and prepare for the experience. It is important to fully research the program and understand well in advance what to expect when studying in a different country. SAS can be a resource for students with disabilities considering their study abroad options. Determine your country of interest and begin to create a research plan.
Exploring Accommodations
UCF Study Abroad offers different program options, which vary in terms of how accommodations can be considered and applied. The options and accommodation processes are listed below:
UCF-IN PROGRAMS
Complete the Medical Information Form from the UCF-In program application. Be sure to list the accommodations you will require while studying abroad. You can discuss your accommodation requests with Student Accessibility Services (SAS). Email sas@ucf.edu to request a meeting with an accessibility consultant. SAS will facilitate reasonable accommodations and work directly with the respective faculty, UCF Abroad, and program vendors necessary to provide equal access when feasible within the scope of the experience
OUTGOING EXCHANGE PROGRAMS
Complete the Medical Information Form from the Outgoing Exchange program application. Be sure to list the accommodations you will require while studying abroad. Even though students pay UCF tuition, SAS would NOT be responsible for accommodations for students while on these exchange experiences because SAS will have no control over how any accommodation would be facilitated. Students must work with the respective institution to explore the possibilities of reasonable accommodation within their system.
INCOMING EXCHANGE PROGRAMS
If a student from another country plans to attend UCF through the Incoming Exchange Program, they should navigate to and select the “Start Here” tab for information on how to request accommodations at UCF.
INTERNSHIP ABROAD
Students in the Internship abroad program work with a 3rd party program to coordinate their experience. SAS would NOT be responsible for accommodations because the program is operated by a separate entity distinct from UCF. Contact the 3rd party provider to request information on how to request accommodations.
PARTNER PROGRAMS
Students working with Partner Programs receive “pre-packaged” academic programs by a 3rd party provider. SAS would NOT be responsible for accommodations because the program is operated by a separate entity distinct from UCF. Students would need to contact the partner program to request information on how to request accommodations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Notify the program as early as possible so you can begin collecting data about the program and country as soon as possible. Consider what accommodations you will require and research how people with disabilities are viewed in that country.
The Accommodations process will vary depending on the type of study abroad program. Instructions on requesting accommodations for each program are above in the Exploring Accommodations section.
- What are the host country’s disability laws?
- How do you manage new situations?
- How accessible is the country? Will navigating it be a problem?
- Are your medications legal in this country?
- Would you need access to counseling services during this time?
- If attending a university abroad, research their accommodation process.
- Do you have dietary considerations?
- Is public transportation and housing accessible?
- What are the daily activity requirements (e.g. standing, walking tours, other activities)?
