Life after a disabling injury might involve college

A catastrophic injury can lead to life-altering repercussions. For some young adults, an accident at work takes place when they are embarking upon their adulthood and trying to start a career. Some of these individuals might want to pursue higher education to find a new career path if their previous one isn’t possible after the accident, but they might wonder if this will be possible because of the injury.

There are many different ways that injuries can impact your ability to go to college. Here are some considerations that you need to think about when you are planning your new life path:

Limitations

Many limitations can be overcome, but you have to be realistic. Certain injuries might not be conducive to some jobs. For example, a person with a spinal cord injury that led to paralysis might not be able to do a labor intensive job. The last thing that you should do is to focus on studying an area in which you won’t be able to find a job after you graduate.

In some cases, you might not be able to do your first career choice, but you may be able to find a similar job or something in the same field. A person who has a brain injury might want to do something in the medical field but may realize that the demands of becoming a doctor are too great. Instead, this person might find another career in this field that doesn’t have requirements that are as demanding.

The school

You have specific rights when it comes to access to education. These are outlined in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. When you are looking into colleges and universities, remember that you do have rights. Be open about your needs and find out if they can accommodate those needs.

Some institutes of higher learning have very active social groups and clubs that welcome people with all sorts of disabilities. Some have extensive programs and offerings to help people who face challenges during their time in school. As you are vetting schools that interest you, find out what options they have that might assist you and interest you.

Your support system

The friends and family members who support you are likely a very important part of your success plan. Even if they can’t be there for you physically all the time you are in school, try to come up with a plan for how they might be able to support you while you are away. You don’t want to be stuck in a new place without having any type of support in place, so this is a very important consideration for you.