The transition from secondary to post-secondary education marks a significant change for students with disabilities. The legal framework shifts from education rights to human rights. Support structures change dramatically. Expectations for self-advocacy increase. Many students who were supported through secondary school struggle in post-secondary environments that assume different levels of independence. Understanding these transitions and the barriers that persist in post-secondary education illuminates both challenges and possibilities.
The Transition Cliff
>Secondary education operates under education law that requires schools to identify students with disabilities and provide appropriate education. Post-secondary education operates under human rights law that requires institutions to accommodate disclosed disabilities but doesn't require identification or initiation of support.
>This shift places responsibility on students who may not be prepared for it. They must disclose disabilities, request accommodations, and advocate for themselves. Students whose families handled advocacy in secondary school may not have developed these skills.
>Support levels often decrease significantly. The EA who provided daily support in high school isn't available at university. The special education teacher who coordinated services isn't there. Students move from intensive support to services they must seek out themselves.
>Transition planning should prepare students for this shift but often doesn't do so adequately. Building self-advocacy skills, understanding post-secondary systems, and developing independence should happen before students graduate, not after they're already struggling.
Disability Services
>Post-secondary institutions have disability services offices that coordinate accommodations. These offices assess documentation, determine appropriate accommodations, and communicate with faculty. The system depends on students initiating contact and following through on processes.
>Documentation requirements can be barriers. Post-secondary institutions often require recent professional assessment that may not be covered by provincial health insurance. Students from lower-income families may not be able to afford the assessments required to access accommodations.
>The scope of accommodations varies across institutions. Some provide extensive support; others offer minimal accommodation. Students' experiences depend significantly on where they attend and the resources their institution provides.
>Accommodation implementation depends on faculty cooperation. Disability services can specify accommodations, but faculty deliver them. Faculty who resist accommodations or implement them poorly limit students' access despite institutional policies.
Academic Accommodations
>Common academic accommodations include extended time on exams, alternative testing formats, note-taking support, accessible materials, and flexibility with attendance and deadlines. These accommodations parallel those in secondary school but with different processes.
>Extended time, the most common accommodation, requires accessible testing spaces with supervision—space that may be limited. Students may have to book weeks in advance, creating inflexibility that conflicts with last-minute exam changes.
>Course materials increasingly include online components that may or may not be accessible. When learning management systems, course videos, and digital materials aren't accessible, accommodations must address what should have been designed accessibly from the start.
>The fundamental structure of post-secondary education—lecture-based instruction, time-limited exams, competitive evaluation—may not fit all learning styles. Accommodations work within existing structures rather than transforming them. Universal Design for Learning principles could reduce accommodation needs but require curriculum redesign.
Social and Residential Access
>Post-secondary life extends beyond academics to social activities, residence life, and campus participation. Accessibility in these dimensions affects whether students with disabilities can participate fully in university or college life.
>Campus accessibility varies. Some institutions have invested in accessible infrastructure; others have significant barriers. Older campuses may have buildings that predate accessibility requirements. The physical environment shapes which students can navigate campus independently.
>Residence accommodations include accessible rooms, dietary accommodations, and support for daily living. But accessible housing may be limited, and students with significant support needs may find residence options inadequate.
>Social accessibility receives less attention than academic accessibility. Events, clubs, and social spaces may not be accessible. Students with disabilities may be academically included but socially excluded.
Mental Health Supports
>Post-secondary students face mental health challenges at high rates, and students with disabilities may face additional stress navigating inaccessible environments and managing accommodations. Campus mental health services are often inadequate for student demand.
>Wait times for counselling services extend weeks or months at many institutions. Crisis services may exist, but ongoing support is limited. Students whose disabilities include mental health conditions may not receive the treatment they need.
>The relationship between disability services and mental health services varies. Integration enables coordinated support; separation creates navigation burden. When students must work with multiple offices without coordination, support suffers.
Pathways and Programs
>Not all students proceed directly from secondary to university. College programs, vocational training, and apprenticeships offer pathways that may better fit some students with disabilities. These alternatives may provide more hands-on learning, smaller classes, and different support structures.
>Programs designed specifically for students with intellectual disabilities—typically called college inclusion programs—provide post-secondary experience with extensive support. These programs offer social inclusion and life skills development though typically not academic credentials.
>Part-time study, reduced course loads, and extended completion timelines may better accommodate some disabilities. Flexible pathways that recognize different paces and routes matter for students whose disabilities affect academic demands.
>Financial aid that covers only full-time study creates barriers for students who need reduced loads. Aid policies should accommodate disability-related differences in study patterns.
Questions for Reflection
>How should secondary and post-secondary systems coordinate to ensure smoother transitions for students with disabilities?
>Should post-secondary institutions be required to fund disability assessments for students who can't afford them, or should assessment access be addressed elsewhere?
>What would genuinely inclusive post-secondary education look like—not just accommodated access to existing structures but transformation of structures themselves?