The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires schools to ensure access to an education to students with disabilities. The law includes online schools. By law, online schools must make accommodations for disabled students. These accommodations include providing lessons in formats the student can use; allowing more time to complete classwork if necessary; and altering communication or test methods when needed.
Disabled students who have a difficult time navigating brick and mortar schools often benefit from online education. Online education is far less strenuous for students bound to a wheelchair or who have mobility problems. Many online schools provide anytime, anywhere access to course materials so students are not pressed by time restrictions. Some online schools offer self-paced courses, so students feel less pressure. Disabled students who are disfigured may feel more comfortable in an online learning environment. According to Scott Stevens, who has muscular dystrophy, one of the greatest benefits is that no one knew he was disabled. Stevens now teaches in an online environment.
The use of assistive technology (AT) provides many disabled students with a way to participate in online classes. Online classes require a computer and access to the Internet. Disabled students who cannot use their hands can make use of voice-recognition software and other AT technology to access course material. Online readers, translation software, switches, specialized keyboards and other AT devices allow students with a variety of disabilities to access the same course materials as other students.
The number of universities offering online courses greatly expands the educational opportunities for disabled individuals. Today, disabled students can earn their associates or their master's degrees online. Some universities offer doctorate programs as well. Some career choices allow the disabled individual to work from home after the degree is earned. Degreesandtraining.com lists five top career choices for disabled students: computers and computer science, legal, nursing, design and management. Online courses are offered in each of these fields.
Not all online schools are equal when it comes to ease of access and support. Some online formats are more user-friendly than others. Disabled students should select schools that offer the most benefits in terms of their particular disability. For example, disabled students who rely on screen readers will have difficulty with online classes that use scrolling text. People with hearing disabilities will have a hard time in online classrooms that do not support captioning. Online classrooms that use specialized technology or that move at a rapid pace make it difficult to use AT equipment. Before selecting a school, students should request information regarding how the school uses online technology. The student should also ask into special accommodations if the school of their choice does not offer a workable format.