Scholarships & Resources for Students with Visual Disabilities

• Key #1: Apply early.
  Get started on the application process as soon as possible. You never know when you’re going to have a problem getting a required document (like a school transcript or letter of recommendation) in on time. And when it comes to scholarships, a missed deadline spells certain doom.
• Key #2: Apply often.
  Apply to a lot of different scholarships. There are certainly a ton out there, national and local, big and small. Put some real time and effort into your scholarship search and don’t be shy about applying. Remember, you’re not limited in the number of scholarships you can win.
• Key #3: Make sure you really meet the eligibility requirements.
  Applying often doesn’t mean applying mindlessly. Scholarship programs have specific eligibility requirements that must be met. No fudging allowed. So, be sure you meet all requirements completely. But when you do, apply away.
• Key #4: Go for the hard ones.
  That is, don’t be afraid of those scholarships that require more work. The fact is that scholarships programs that require a greater effort (in the form of longer essays or completion of a video or special project, for example) typically have fewer applicants. And fewer applicants means a better chance of winning.
• Key #5: Proofread everything.
  Aside from a missed deadline, nothing will sink your chances of winning a scholarship award faster than spelling errors and bad grammar. So, read everything over, and more than once. It’s also a very good idea to have a few relatives or friends read your proofread your stuff, too.

Academic & Career

• Bookshare
  An initiative of the nonprofit Benetech, Bookshare provides access to practically any book needed for school by students with disabilities, including blind and visually-impaired readers. Books are accessed in a number of formats, including Braille, audio, large font, and word-level highlighting. Bookshare membership is free to qualifying disabled U.S. students.
• Emerging Leaders Program for College Students with Disabilities
  Sponsored by the National Business & Disability Council, this program places undergraduate and graduate college students with disabilities in internship programs throughout the U.S. with a wide range of major corporations and organizations. Placements include Northwell Health, New York State’s largest health care provider.
• Humana College Programs
  Health insurer Humana, Inc., places great emphasis on its support of inclusion and diversity in its work force. Humana offers a variety of summer internship positions for college undergraduates and graduates primarily at its headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky. Additionally, Humana offers full-time entry-level to analyst and consultant-level positions to both recent college graduates and graduate-level students.
• Learning Ally College Success
  Learning Ally’s College Success program provides a range of support services to legally blind and visually impaired college students, including articles on accessibility technologies, effective learning, communicating with professors, and more. Members also have access to mentors and in-person and virtual community events. Membership is free.
• University of Illinois Library: Blind/Visual Impairment Resources
  Created for visually impaired students at the University of Illinois, this site is an excellent source of useful information for college students with visual disabilities everywhere. Included are subsections on web, academic, and reference resources, and common assistive technologies.

Social & Networking

• Blind and Sighted People with iPhones
  Blind and Sighted People with iPhones is a Facebook group specifically devoted to iPhone users, both with or without visual disabilities, where members and visitors can learn about and discuss the world of accessibility potential of their phones. Visitors interested in selling or giving away their iPhones are also welcome.
• Blind and Vision Impaired Social & Support Group
  The Blind and Vision Impaired Social & Support Group is a Facebook group with over 6,000 members worldwide. The purpose of the group is to provide a forum where members with visual disabilities can support each other and “stop the isolation caused by blindness and low vision”.
• COSD Full Access Student Summits
  Sponsored by Career Opportunities for Students with Disabilities, COSD Full Access Summits bring up to 60 current and/or recently graduated college students in a given regional or state area together with ten select employers for two half-day educational and networking events. The goal of these events is to have students become comfortable talking with prospective employees. Although not hiring events, these summits often lead to employment and internship opportunities.
• Disability Rights, Education, Activism, and Mentoring (DREAM)
  Sponsored by the NCCSD, DREAM is a national student-run organization connecting and supporting students to become effective leaders and advocates for change on their campuses. Through the DREAM website, students can access an array of resources and materials, as well as the College While Disabled blog.
• Lime Connect
  Lime Connect is a global NPO whose goal is to “rebrand” disability through achievement by connecting university students and professionals with disabilities by providing a wide range of services. Programs offered include scholarships, internships, and fellowship programs, recruitment receptions, campus events, and other networking activities.

Advocacy & Diversity

• American Council of the Blind (ACB)
  The ACB is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to advocate for the independence, security, equality, and quality of life of the blind and visually-impaired. Resources for college students include scholarships, peer support, job listings, and useful information and guides, like this Guide to a Successful College Experience.
• Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER)
  The AER’s mission is to serve and empower professionals in the improvement of educational and rehabilitative outcomes for blind and visually impaired persons. Student AER memberships are available (for a fee) to those enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs. Benefits include access to online discussion groups and networking and scholarship opportunities.
• Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD)
  AHEAD advocates for “creating welcoming higher education experiences for disabled individuals” through its membership of disability resource professionals, student affairs personnel, and others. AHEAD hosts several special interests groups within its organization, including one for graduate and professional students and one for blind and low vision persons.
• National Center for College Students with Disabilities (NCCSD)
  A federally-funded project of the U.S. Department of Education, The NCCSD provides assistance to disabled students (including those with visual disabilities) and their families through its Clearinghouse and Resource Library, the use of social media, and DREAM, its national student group.
• National Federation of the Blind (NFB)
  The NFB is the oldest and largest organization of blind and visually-impaired Americans in the nation. The NFB advocates for the blind through a range of services, like its National Association of Blind Students division, and resources, like this Self-Advocacy in Higher Education Toolkit.

Healthcare Education

• American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Student Associate Program
  Boasting a membership of over 48,000, the AHCE is an association of healthcare executives whose goal is to promote excellence and advancement in the healthcare management field. Its Student Associate program is open to healthcare management and health services administration students. The program sponsors a range of education and career support services, including scholarships, internships, publications, and networking events.
• American Public Health Association (APHA) Student Assembly
  With over 7,000 members, the APHA Student Assembly is the largest student organization in the U.S. focused on the development of the next generation of public health professionals. The group provides a variety of services and activities that allow members to gain leadership experience, enhance their educations, and network with their peers.
• HOSA – Future Health Professionals
  The HOSA is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the delivery of quality of healthcare and promoting career opportunities in the healthcare industry. HOSA provides a host of leadership development and motivational services geared toward healthcare students on in all fields and on all academic levels. Services include internships, scholarships, in-person events, and online webinars.
• MedScape
  MedScape is a great medical news and information site for practicing medical professionals and health care students alike. Information can be accessed through the site’s extensive list of individual health care subfield pages. Visitors will also find links to MedScape’s general and CME & Education apps for Apple and Android devices.
• National Student Nurses’ Association (NSNA)
  The NSNA is a nonprofit organization with over 60,000 members whose mission is to mentor nursing students preparing for initial licensure as RNs, and to foster the development of students in all levels of nursing academic programs. The NSNA sponsors a range of events and member services and benefits including publications, conferences and conventions, career planning guidance, and more.