A bipartisan, bicameral bill introduced last month contains a proposal for a simple policy change that would make a considerable difference in how students with disabilities access postsecondary education.
The Respond, Innovate, Succeed and Empower Act, or RISE Act, would allow students with a disability to use documentation from their secondary education as proof that they have a disability and need accommodations while attending a college or university. It would also authorize an additional $10 million in funding for a resource center to provide students and families with information on college disability services and professional development for professors about disability.