Steven Yu

Hi, my name is Steven Yu, and I am a sophomore studying Criminal Justice with a minor in Business Law. I studied abroad in Berlin, Germany, in the Fall semester of 2023 and had a fun experience abroad. However, in some parts, it was challenging because of my disability and trying to navigate through an unfamiliar city on my own.  Being legally blind, it tends to be difficult to see everything and navigate the streets. I usually overcome this challenge by asking people on the street for directions or having resources from my host university. 

 

How did I prepare myself to study abroad while having a disability?

I found that talking to the disability center on the 9th floor helps a lot. Once you have already registered your disability and have an accommodation form, you can discuss with the accommodation specialist on what accommodation you want transferred over to the host university. They will then connect you with an accommodation worker at the host university and you can tell them your specific needs accordingly.

  

Another way I prepared to study abroad with a disability is by researching and investigating the accessibility of my destination and the support services available. Look into the local laws and regulations regarding disability rights. For example, while I was studying abroad in Germany, I had looked into whether they have disability services for transportation and navigation. Most times it can be challenging for people to use transportation because they do not have the required services.  

 

Packing can be overwhelming because of the medical tools or medication you need. Sometimes travel laws don’t allow certain medications abroad and it can pose some challenge if you are notified about it in the last minute. A piece of advice would be to check if the medication is allowed to be brought over and make sure you have the relevant documents for it.