ADA & Study Abroad – On-Demand Training

Considerations and Strategies to Ensure Compliance & Safeguard Your Travelers

Institutions continue to be challenged to accommodate students with disabilities on education abroad programs – particularly because the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) does not cross international borders and most of the student population in college today who have accommodations have received them throughout their education. When there are opportunities for accommodations, the following issues arise – accommodation costs, institutional liability, insurance implications, and program leader training and responsibility.

How do institutions equitably support students with disabilities on education abroad programs when accommodations are limited — if available at all — in international locations?

What is an institution’s ethical and legal obligations to those making reasonable requests?

Our expert presenter will help you and your colleagues understand what is legally expected and required for those planning and coordinating study abroad programs to protect themselves and avoid confusion.

Prevent reasonable requests for accommodations from becoming ethical dilemmas and legal battles by putting a comprehensive ADA travel abroad plan in place, understanding your legal and ethical responsibilities, and communicating clear expectations to those making the ADA requests. Proactive planning will safeguard against legal gaps and put key risk management strategies in place.

Topics Covered

Participants will be able to:

• Identify key concepts of “reasonable accommodations” and how they apply to your study abroad programs – learn what resources you need to improve your current programs so you can keep your students, and your institution, safe from risk and legal exposure.
• Recognize potential institutional challenges with study abroad programming and accommodating ADA requests in other countries – develop solutions that mitigate those challenges prior to leaving the country to ensure you are compliant and within your legal rights.
• Design a diverse framework with a variety of ways to support students with special accommodation needs throughout their study abroad experience – ensure students with disabilities feel supported before, during and after they return to campus.
• Embrace institutional integration considerations and legal expectations for reasonable accommodation before you send your students, faculty, and staff abroad – understand the inherent cultural differences and accommodation laws so you can ensure they have reasonable expectations to avoid frustration.
• Learn best practices to effectively integrate reasonable ADA accommodation requests in your study abroad programs to minimize your institutional risk – put critical policies and expectations in place so you can respond to an emergent situation appropriately and minimize institutional liability.

Presenter

Whitney Longnecker currently serves as the Director of Study Abroad at Texas Tech University.
Click here for full bio.