For some, going to college is more than nerves and first-day jitters. To visually impaired students, attending college means facing a new set of challenges.

“Accommodations are important to ensure that students with disabilities have equal access to success in their college experience,” said Justin Lozano, director of the Disability Resource Center at Missouri State University. “The environment that is created for a student, whether it be technology or the typical classroom experience, is not always designed inclusively of students with disabilities.”

The Disability Resource Center recognizes disability as diversity and as a matter of social justice. The center focuses on creating welcoming and inclusive environments for all students, which is one of the main reasons Missouri State was selected as the top university for blind and visually impaired students by Universities.com.

Creating equal footing

“It is an honor to be recognized as a top university serving valued members of our university population,” said Lozano. “We appreciate the recognition, but we cannot rest on this achievement. This ranking should inspire Missouri State to continue to look for ways to decrease barriers for our students.”

The Disability Resource Center works with the Access Technology Center to provide several services for students, including:

• Converting textbooks and classroom materials into alternative formats such as Braille
• Providing assistive technology such as Braille displays, magnifiers, laptops and talking calculators

The Disability Resource Center also provides accommodations such as a lab assistant or audio descriptions for multimedia content, which is often specific to visually impaired students.

For more information, contact Lozano at 417-836-4192.