In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted under federal law and prohibits discrimination based on a person's disability. Thus, all disabled students are entitled to equal access to education, including postsecondary opportunities.
Before beginning your search, assess the different ways that your disability can be classified. For instance, you could be considered legally deaf or have a hearing impaired or a sensory disorder. You might qualify for a general grant that is open to any disabled student as well as for grants aimed at visually, physically or learning impaired students. Understanding the ways that your disability might be described will maximize your grant search results.
Research all available sources of funding, such as at local, regional and national levels. You can start with you intended schools' Disability Support Service office, which should maintain information about grants and scholarships geared toward disabled students.
Because grant awards vary in amount, you should apply for as many grants as possible. There are grants that are offered by businesses, nonprofit foundations and even professional organizations. For instance, the National Federation for the Blind and the National Association of the Deaf provide multiple grants each year. Also apply for financial aid through your school, which often includes submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
You must review requirements and instructions so that you submit complete grant applications. Some grant programs requires applicants to send verifications of their disability, such as signed by a physician. Other grants are open only to students at traditional universities rather than at junior colleges or technical schools. Grants can be need based or available to students with financial need, perhaps because their family income levels are low. Grants also are merit based and promote achievement, such as academic or extracurricular related.