Amy Alexander works at the University of California at Los Angeles, raising money for its alumni-supported Annual Fund. After a bad experience at an inaccessible college in New York, Alexander plans to return to school at UCLA, which landed the No. 7 spot on our survey.

If you've got a disability, choosing a college means thinking about a lot more than just academic facilities and social amenities. This may be your first opportunity to live independently. Will the support you need to live on your own be available? Personal assistance services? Accessible classrooms, transportation and living quarters? Adaptive sports? Will you be able to participate fully in campus life?

Although we couldn't rate every university in the country, we've tried to provide you with a baseline to start from. The schools we chose to describe may not be ideal for you, but they will show you what to look for.

Last winter, New Mobility sent a questionnaire to disability resource office (DRO) directors at 50 public universities and colleges selected from the top tier of U.S. News & World Report's annual ranking. The responses varied greatly in detail provided, but a lot of useful information did come in.

Thirty-four schools returned the surveys in time for inclusion in this story, and you'll find that information presented in the charts below. Ten campuses stood out from the crowd, either for some unique program, opportunity or approach to service delivery, or for the less definable attributes that somehow make an environment disability-friendly. We've ranked them in an admittedly arbitrary order. It's important to keep in mind that any one of these schools could be the best for you, or any of hundreds of others we couldn't review.

Some generalizations are possible. Campus focus, for example, has shifted from "physical access" to "programmatic access." That means that every aspect of your major and related studies must be made accessible to you--even if it entails altering locations, field trips or testing procedures--but that not every facility on campus must be fully accessible. The idea is to provide you with equal access to programs, not to fixate on ramps and elevators.

Services range from basic academic resources and accommodations to "one-stop shops" offering strikingly comprehensive services. The disparities sometimes result from funding levels, sometimes from philosophical differences. Many DROs say that, if they take over the functions of other offices--such as tutoring and financial aid--there won't be any incentive for these departments to develop their own staff skills on disability issues. When this theory prevails, the DRO plays a consulting role to faculty and staff, and students with disabilities gain a lot of experience--good and bad--in dealing with the broader university infrastructure. When a DRO takes a more proactive stance by offering a broad range of services, it is usually driven by the desire to tailor services to the individual needs of students with disabilities.

A good but fairly basic menu of services and accommodations might include accessible classrooms and furniture, adaptive equipment assessment and referral, adaptive recreation programs, liaison with faculty and vocational rehabilitation offices, alternative testing formats, grievance resolution, housing advice, TTY network, curriculum modifications, laboratory and library support, mobility assistance, notetakers, paratransit service, parking accommodations, priority or online registration, referrals for personal assistance services, and sign language instruction and interpreters.

More comprehensive services might include career counseling, community mental health programs in residential halls, crisis intervention, disability management advice, electronic access to libraries and course syllabi, specialized tutoring, peer mentors, support groups, PCA pool, on-site therapists and rehabilitation professionals, internships, work-study programs, overseas study, test-taking center, wheelchair rescue/repair/loan programs, and workshops in self-advocacy, financial management and other disability lifestyle issues.

Our best advice on making a final decision is to give particular weight to the academic quality of the school, the accessibility of the campus and surrounding community, and the services and opportunities available--both on- and off-campus--that will make your disability a non-factor in your ability to take part in the university experience.
Herewith, 10 of America's best.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Kat Mayadag UIUC has been a leader in services for students with disabilities ever since Tim Nugent founded the Division of Rehabilitation Education Services in 1948. It was the world's first program of its kind (see sidebar for other UIUC firsts). Today, it is UIUC's comprehensive support for students with disabilities, along with its unrivaled wheelchair sports program, that make it our top pick. Beckwith Hall, the home of UIUC's transitional disability management training program, switched in 1994 from a "provide everything" approach to enabling residents to assume control themselves. For example, staffers still confirm references, conduct background checks and train PCAs, but students do their own interviewing and hiring. Kat Mayadag, who has spinal muscular atrophy, came to Beckwith as a freshman. "I needed a lot of help," she says, "and my parents had always taken care of me. For somebody who's 18, with absolutely no idea how to screen or interview, it's very overwhelming." For her, Beckwith's services and peer support were lifesavers. "We really bond together," she says. "We push each other to be more independent." Mayadag is now Beckwith's interim director. Before students finalize course selections, DRES helps them take distance, location and their own endurance into account. Staffers identify travel routes, pinpoint ramps, and stay on top of elevator maintenance and outages. In winter, DRES makes sure students with disabilities have high priority for snow removal. And there's no ignoring UIUC's athletic programs. Sports were Teresa Brandenburg's lifeblood before her accident during her sophomore year, and they still are. "I can't say enough about this campus," she says. "It's the best coaching I've had in my life." Her hopes now include a berth on the USA Paralympics 2000 team.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign A History of Firsts: First comprehensive program of post-secondary education for people with severe physical disabilities. First university with accessible buses. First independent living center for those dependent on respiratory devices and/or personal assistance services. First rehabilitation service fraternity, Delta Sigma Omicron. First formal overseas study program for students with disabilities. First collegiate wheelchair basketball teams for both men and women, with varsity letters awarded to wheelchair athletes.

Services for Students with Disabilities

College	Attendant Services	Full-time Disability Resource Office	Staffed by Some People w/ Disabilities	Scholarships	Career Counseling	Tutoring
U. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Wayne State U., Detroit
Florida State U., Tallahassee
U. of Florida, Gainesville
Penn State U., University Park
U. of Vermont, Burlington
U. of Massachusetts, Dartmouth
Salisbury State U., Salisbury, Md.
Texas A&M U., College Station
College of New Jersey, Ewing
Central Michigan U., Mount Pleasant
U. of Michigan, Ann Arbor
U. of Wisconsin, Stevens Point
U. of Wisconsin, Madison
U. of Connecticut, Storrs
U. of Iowa, Iowa City
U. of Colorado, Boulder
U. of Colorado, Denver
Edinboro U. of Pennsylvania
Indiana U., Bloomington
U. of Delaware, Newark
U. of Washington, Seattle
U. of California, Berkeley
U. of California, Los Angeles
U. of California, Santa Barbara
U. of California, Santa Cruz
U. of California, San Diego
Humboldt State U., Humboldt, Calif.
Georgia Tech, Atlanta
State U. of New York, Binghamton
State U. of New York, Fredonia
U. of Minnesota, Minneapolis-St. Paul
U. of Montana, Butte

Chart Continued

College	Student Population	Web Site	Phone Number	Extended Services
U. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign	36,000	www.uiuc.edu	217/333-4601	physical therapy, functional training, wheelchair repair, housing w/ personal attendant recruitment, learning specialists
Wayne State U., Detroit	30,729	www.wayne.edu	313/577-1851	emergency funding, peer mentoring, support groups
Florida State U., Tallahassee	30,519	www.fsu.edu	850/644-9566	learning specialists, provides notetakers and readers
U. of Florida, Gainesville	42,000	www.ufl.edu	352/392-1261	none listed
Penn State U., University Park	78,956	www.psu.edu	814/863-1807	none listed
U. of Vermont, Burlington	10,152	www.uvm.edu	802/656-7753	academic counseling, provides notetakers and readers
U. of Massachusetts, Dartmouth	5,000	www.umassd.edu	508/999-8711	mobility assistance, notetakers and readers, books on tape, advocacy
Salisbury State U., Salisbury, Md.	6,000	www.ssu.edu	410/543-6080	referral to tutorial assistance, preferential scheduling
Texas A&M U., College Station	41,000	www.tamu.edu	409/845-1637	notetakers, readers, scribes, referral to tutorial program and other services as needed
College of New Jersey, Ewing	5,700	www.tcnj.edu	609/637-5131	personal counseling, referrals to accessible housing
Central Michigan U., Mount Pleasant	16,613	www.cmich.edu	517/774-3018	none listed
U. of Michigan, Ann Arbor	36,995	www.umich.edu	313/763-3000	notetakers and readers
U. of Wisconsin, Stevens Point	8,412	www.uwsp.edu	715/346-3365	notetakers, readers, personal counseling, advising, referrals to accessible housing
U. of Wisconsin, Madison	40,196	www.wisc.edu	608/265-2998	advocacy, advising
U. of Connecticut, Storrs	7,000	www.uconn.edu	860/486-2020	none listed
U. of Iowa, Iowa City	27,900	www.uiowa.edu	319/335-1462	notetakers, readers, course material on diskette
U. of Colorado, Boulder	25,109	www.colorado.edu	303/492-7961	notetakers, readers, advocacy, support for integrating into campus life
U. of Colorado, Denver	10,871	www.cudenver.edu	303/556-8387	support groups, career and employment-related counseling and workshops
Edinboro U. of Pennsylvania	7,100	www.edinboro.edu	814/732-2462	notetakers, readers, occupational therapy, wheelchair maintenance, adaptive computers, counseling
Indiana U., Bloomington	34,937	www.indiana.edu	812/855-7578	notetakers and readers
U. of Delaware, Newark	15,629	www.udel.edu	302/831-2835	notetakers, readers
U. of Washington, Seattle	34,597	www.washington.edu	206/543-8924	notetakers, readers, books on tape, advocacy, referrals to wheelchair rental/repair, housing, counseling
U. of California, Berkeley	29,573	www.berkeley.edu	510/642-0518	notetakers, readers, life and finanacial management skills, workshops, peer counseling, mentoring, referrals to accessible housing, disability awareness events
U. of California, Los Angeles	31,776	www.ucla.edu	310/825-1501	notetakers, readers, support groups, peer mentoring, housing assistance, disability awareness activities and workshops, art exhibits, entertainment nights, training on adaptive computer technology, computer lab
U. of California, Santa Barbara	18,940	www.ucsb.edu	805/893-2668	none listed
U. of California, Santa Cruz	10,638	www.ucsc.edu	408-459-2089	advising, counseling, referrals to acccesible housing
U. of California, San Diego	17,454	www.ucsd.edu	619/534-4382	none listed
Humboldt State U., Humboldt, Calif.	7,500	www.humboldt.edu	707/826-4678	notetakers, readers, advocacy and outreach
Georgia Tech, Atlanta	12,985	www.gatech.edu	404/894-2564	none listed
State U. of New York, Binghamton	12,000	www.binghamton.edu	607/777-2686	notetakers, readers, peer advisers, supportive counseling, advocacy, adapted computer lab, special equipment loans, referrals to accessible housing
State U. of New York, Fredonia	4,273	www.fredonia.edu	716/673-3270	notetakers, readers, assistance with residence hall, health center and vocational rehab
U. of Minnesota, Minneapolis-St. Paul	37,615	www.umn.edu	612/626-8983	notetakers, readers, awareness training to university community, grants for study-abroad program, service learning opportunities, increased access to student life activities
U. of Montana, Butte	2,000	www.mtech.edu	406/496-4198	none listed

University of California at Berkeley Tony Germino UCB is legendary as the school where Ed Roberts and the Rolling Quads envisioned a program to help students with disabilities participate academically while developing the skills they needed to live independently. That was back in the 1960s. Today, what distinguishes UCB's Disabled Students' Residence Program is its unswerving focus on student empowerment. Designed for freshmen and transfer students who have not previously directed their own personal care, this two-semester training period turns out confident students primed to live independently. As at UIUC, prospective PCAs are screened through the program's attendant referral service and then interviewed by the student, who makes all final decisions on hiring. Things have come full circle for Tony Germino, a wheelchair-user who came to the residence program at age 18. "I didn't know about SSI, the department of rehabilitation or funding attendant care," Germino says. He went on to graduate, land a career position in the university's financial aid office and, three years ago, become coordinator of the residence program. "I've wanted this job ever since I was a resident," he says. "I learned so much from this program, and now I have a chance to give back." After the first year, Germino says, residents are assisted in moving to housing where they can live independently--and there's lots of it available both on and off campus. UCB runs a wheelchair rescue and repair service, and Berkeley's Easy Does It program will pick up any disabled person who calls in stuck within city limits. "The nice thing about UCB is that whenever there is an area of weakness, we work on it," says Germino. "You don't have to beg people to listen to your issues at Berkeley."

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania EUP, about 20 miles from Erie, Pa., has an outstanding on-campus residence program for students with disabilities. Fifty-four PCAs staff the first floors of Scranton and Shaffer halls 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Charlotte Mainon, a C6 quad, chose EUP for its strong academic program, but personal assistance services were another strong draw. Mainon likes the resident mix at Scranton--it includes nondisabled students--and gives the on-site help high marks. "If I just want something pulled out or set up, I can call," she says. "It's very relaxed. The rooms are like any other dorm rooms, but they'll put in any special modifications you need." The extent of the university's commitment to students with disabilities is evident in the Office for Students with Disabilities' range of services: a fleet of modified vans traveling both on and off campus; a wheelchair repair facility; a life skills center staffed by an occupational therapist and rehabilitation nurse; a physical therapy facility; a recreation center with a full-time coach; and a computer lab with state-of-the-art adaptive technology. The school employs more than 80 people as drivers, wheelchair maintenance technicians, meal aides, academic aides and support staff, and recent renovations have made the campus almost totally accessible. EUP offers an extensive varsity and intramural wheelchair sports program. Mainon joined the Rolling Scots, the varsity wheelchair athletic team, and competed in the Mid-Atlantic Games last spring. "Who would have known," she marvels. "You get to go places you never dreamed of because you found out you have ability you never knew about. What's being offered here is amazing."

University of Wisconsin: Madison and Whitewater campuses Academically, the Madison campus is the crown jewel in the University of Wisconsin educational system, but the Whitewater campus sparkles on its own merits. Profiling one without the other would be remiss. Madison campus Ken Adell As the system's only Ph.D.-granting institution, UW-Madison is known more for its academic programs than its disability services--yet the school has commendable accommodations for students with disabilities. Situated on 900 notoriously hilly acres, UW-Madison is daunting to wheelers. Ken Adell, a C3-4 quad, considered going to the Whitewater campus for its easier access, but wanted to pursue an advanced degree. On nice days, he can travel the hills in his power chair, but he says it's the paratransit system that makes his education possible on wintry days. Adell also credits UW-Madison's McBurney Disability Resource Center. Its peer mentor program, run in cooperation with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, offers an impressive array of workshops on all aspects of education. Here's how accommodations work at UW-Madison: McBurney provides a student with a plan, called a VISA, outlining recommended accommodations. Early each semester, student and professor--guided by the VISA--negotiate the details. "If problems arise," says Trey Duffy, McBurney's director, "the student comes back to us or the professor calls us." One helpful accommodation is McBurney's electronic reserve system, which saves on trips to the library. The system provides access to all course-related materials submitted by instructors, including syllabi, past exams, problem sets, notes and reading assignments. According to Adell, whose work as a graduate student involves a major re-engineering of DVR, Wisconsin is the happening place for disability awareness. "The doors are basically being blown open," he says. "It's incredible, and the university system is part of that movement. I couldn't have gotten where I am without it." Whitewater campus In 1973, the Board of Regents gave UW-Whitewater a specific mandate to provide optimal services for students with disabilities. Consequently, it is one of the most accessible campuses in the nation. That, along with lower entrance criteria, makes it an easier place for some students with disabilities to start. Transferring to UW-Madison is always an option later. The emphasis at UW-Whitewater is on development of independent living and workplace skills, an approach that has made the school an attractive place for DVR to refer clients and funnel grant money. Some have characterized the school as a "chrome ghetto"--a place where DVR sends wheelers regardless of their potential for success at other institutions--but John Truesdale, director of UW-Whitewater's Disabled Student Services, disagrees. "You're talking about maybe 75 wheelchair-users out of 10,500 students," Truesdale says. "They're scattered through all the residence halls and in different majors throughout the campus. But it's not unusual to see people with disabilities on campus, and I think the students like it that way. There's that critical mass needed to get things done." What gets done is a vast array of services, including a campus physical therapist, rehabilitation nurse and attendant services coordinator, and a paratransit service that operates seven days a week to support UW-Whitewater's work-experience program. Last year, 95 percent of work-experience graduates found employment, while another 3 percent went on to graduate school. "Everybody here sees inclusion and accessibility as part of their job," says Truesdale. "It's part of our campus mission and everybody takes ownership of it."

History of Disability Awareness Disability Awareness Program offered as part of new student orientation: U. of Colorado, Denver U. of California, Berkeley U. of California, San Diego U. of California, Los Angeles Salisbury University, Md. College of New Jersey, Ewing U. of Connecticut, Storrs U. of Delaware Humboldt State U. Calif. U. of Minnesota, Twin Cities Offers a Disability Studies program: Texas A & M, College Station, since 1960 U. of Florida, Gainesville, since 1975 U. of Minnesota, Minneapolis-St. Paul (developing a minor)