Off-Campus Study
Off-campus study opportunities exist for all Colorado College students, including those with disabilities. The key to successful domestic or international off-campus experiences for students with disabilities lies in careful planning.
Thinking about participating in a CC course taught abroad? Or a CC off-campus course taught in the U.S. or one with a field study component?
It's important to communicate early with faculty about arrangements for accommodations and to address other concerns you may have. Ask about essential course requirements and what you can expect in terms of travel, lodging, physical activity, etc.
How about an international exchange program?
It's important to consult with program coordinators and to consider cultural differences that can affect access during an international experience.
Our
goal,
in
collaboration
with
the
Center
for
Global
Education
&
Field
Study,
is
to
support
students
with
disabilities
and
faculty
in
managing
access
for
off-campus
study.
Please
let
us
know
how
we
can
help!
More About Global Study
Student Stories
Many students with a variety of disabilities have had successful off-campus study experiences. Colorado College alumna Laura Hershey wrote a book on the process, Survival Strategies for Going Abroad: A Guide for People with Disabilities, that can be checked out from the Office of Accessibility Resources.
Carolyn Belle, Colorado College alumna, who studied in the Netherlands shared the following about her experience:
"My biggest fear of going abroad was lacking travel friends because they would find my disability too much of a limiting factor in getting around-being creative and clear about what I could do helped me to find travel companions who remain good friends. Researching the transit system … helped alleviate uncertainty … Successful spending time abroad reinforced my confidence in how independent I can be, and was one of the best semesters of college."
Check out the Mobility International USA (MIUSA) website to learn about a variety of student experiences:
-
"If
you
had
told
me
freshman
year
that
I
would
be
in
Africa
now,
I
wouldn't
have
believed
you.
…
See,
I'm
diagnosed
with
'anxiety,'
and
a
touch
of
obsessive-compulsive
disorder
thrown
in
for
fun."
-Stanford student, studied in Kenya
(listen to Her Story: Studying Abroad With a Mental Illness)
-
"When
I
applied
to
study
abroad,
I
wondered
how
I
would
fare
in
a
non-English
speaking
country
as
a
profoundly
deaf
person,
but
I
also
worried
about
my
health
and
access
to
medication.
[Yet]
I
would
not
trade
these
memories
for
anything."
-Sarah Franz, University of Michigan, studied in Italy and Costa Rica
-
"I
was
elated
to
receive
a
letter
…
notifying
me
that
I
had
been
granted
funding
for
a
full
year
of
study
in
China
…
just
one
week
later
I
was
diagnosed
with
Type
I,
insulin
dependent
diabetes
…
With
adequate
preparation
and
support
…
studying
abroad
can
indeed
become
a
reality"
-Elsie Reed, National Security Education Program Boren Scholarship recipient, studied in China
Managing
Medications
While
Abroad
International SOS is a medical and travel assistance program available to all students and CC employees outside the U.S. on a College sponsored trip. International SOS alarm centers are open to help you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Staffed by doctors and nurses, multilingual coordinators, security experts, and air and ground logistics personnel, they can respond rapidly to any type of emergency or call for assistance.
Please call International SOS at 215-942-8478 to ask any questions you have about managing medications while abroad. Identify yourself as a CC student and give the membership number 11BSGC000027.
If you need additional assistance, please get in touch with the Center for Global Education & Field Study.
Tips
for
Off-Campus
Study
MIUSA offers a variety of tip sheets to assist students as they consider off-campus study:
- Disability Resources A - Z
- Medications: Tips for Traveling Internationally
- Guide Dogs and Service Animals While on International Exchange
A
full
listing
of
tip
sheets
is
available
on
the
MIUSA
website:
http://www.miusa.org/ncde/tipsheets.
Links to International Exchange Resources
Colorado
College
maintains
a
carefully
reviewed
list
of
approved
and
affiliated
programs
for
off-campus
study
that
should
meet
the
academic
needs
of
most
students.
This
list
is
available
from
the
Center
for
Global
Education
&
Field
Study.
Please
consult
the
Center
for
Global
Education
&
Field
Study
if
you
intend
to
receive
credit
for
any
off-campus
study
plans.
The
following
websites
also
provide
supplemental
information
that
may
benefit
students:
-
National
Clearinghouse
of
Disability
and
Exchange
A comprehensive, one-stop web resource on tools for people with disabilities of all types who are interested in international study, volunteering, teaching, and other exchange programs. -
DisabledGo.com
Offers detailed information about the access to hotels, restaurants, colleges, tourist attractions, libraries, hospitals, leisure centers, etc. -
A
World
Awaits
You:
Journals
of
Success
in
International
Exchange
for
People
with
Disabilities
A free online journal that includes interviews with people with disabilities who have participated in a wide range of international exchange programs. -
Finding
Funding
for
Your
Study
Abroad
Provides information for students with and without disabilities who need financial assistance to study abroad. -
IIE
Passport.org
A comprehensive database of university-level study, language learning, and internship opportunities overseas. -
GoAbroad.com
Offers a search for all types of international exchange opportunities for everyone from high school students to senior citizens. -
SAFETI
(Safety
Abroad
First-Educational
Travel
Information)
Clearinghouse
This clearinghouse compiles information on safety in study abroad. -
Society
for
Accessible
Travel
and
Hospitality
(SATH)
SATH provides information on accessible travel worldwide, including a database and newsletter with travel contacts, stories, and other disability resources. -
Students
Abroad
This U.S. Department of State website is a one-stop resource for U.S. citizens of college age who are planning to study abroad. -
Transitions
Abroad
Provides practical tips and resource listings on alternative travel, such as volunteering, working, or socially responsible travel abroad.