IUPUI Health Services
IUPUI Health Services provides primary medical care services to all IUPUI students. Services are provided on a fee-for-services basis. Wishard Hospital's Emergency Room is available during hours that the Health Services is closed. Although IUPUI has student health services, students with disabilities may wish to continue working with their own doctors or be referred to a locally based doctor specializing in the areas of their disabilities, especially if the student comes from outside the central Indiana area, out of state or country. It is important to do this prior to when a doctor is needed.
Parking for Persons with Disabilities
The IUPUI campus has designated parking areas for students with disabilities with appropriate IUPUI handicap parking permits; students with the permit may also park in "A," "B," and "E" spaces. To obtain an IUPUI handicapped permit, students must go the parking office inside the west-most entrance of the Vermont Street parking garage with their state-issued handicapped permits and identification. Students can park free in the garage while getting their permit. Maps indicating the location of the dedicated handicapped parking, which is the closest to the buildings, are available on-line.
Transportation
IUPUI has an accessible shuttle service that moves students from designated stops around the campus. For information on schedules see www.parking.iupui.edu. IndyGo's Red Line Circulator, part of the city's accessible transportation system, moves people from downtown to the campus. From downtown, students can link up with other buses. Other city buses make stops on campus. See www.indygo.net/route. Schedules are also available on the second floor of University College, or kiosks elsewhere on campus. Currently all students can get an S pass that allows them to ride anywhere in the city at no additional charge. For information, go to Parking and Transportation, IndyGo Bus Pass.
Housing
IUPUI has housing which includes units for students with disabilities both at the undergraduate and graduate level. For additional information, contact Housing and Residence Life at (317) 274-7200 or 1 (800) 631-3974 or housing.iupui.edu.
Study Abroad
IUPUI encourages students with disabilities to participate in the full range of opportunities offered to IUPUI students. However, students with disabilities need to do serious investigation before signing up for study abroad. Many countries do not provide the type of accommodations available in the United States. For example, housing in small villages may be on the third floor of a home with winding stairs on a steep street. Art galleries may not have elevators if they are in buildings from the 17th century. This is not to say that study abroad is not possible but that the student needs to spend time with AES, the Office of International Studies, and perhaps the faculty member teaching the course to investigate the issues particular to that student. A list of questions about existing facilities and possible accommodations needs to be explored. Some programs for overseas studies have already been investigated and AES may be able to tell students which ones might be suitable.
Career Planning and Job Searches
Both the campus and individual schools/programs provide assistance in exploring career options starting in the case of IUPUI at the first year. Some schools offer semester long classes about career opportunities in their area. Also offered are short workshops and handouts about the type of questions that potential employers may ask relating to disabilities. This type of information and the kind of appropriate responses to related questions are critical both while searching for a job during college years in additional to job searches after graduation. Internships while in college in areas related to students' majors are often encouraged as another source of information about the suitability of a major or areas of concentration. Finally, students need to be aware of those portions of several laws relating to the type of accommodations employers are legally mandated to provide. For more information, visit Career Services.
Library
If a student with a disability has problems accessing the on-line catalog, locating books or materials on the library shelves, or reaching materials, they should go to the reference desk and ask for assistance. For more information, visit University Library.
UITS Laboratory
Integrated Technologies of IU and IUPUI run an Adaptive Technology Center in the Informatics and Communications Technology Complex, room 131, on the IUPUI campus. Adaptive Technology (sometimes called Assistive Technology) includes hardware and software designed to provide improved information access for individuals with disabilities. For example, the Center features screen reading software that makes a computer accessible to individuals who are blind. Listed on the side of the main web page for University Information Technology Services, Adaptive Technology Centers – IUB and IUPUI is a box entitled Adaptive Technology, Services, and Resources. Under Adaptive Technology are the subheadings: vision, hearing, learning, mobility, hardware, software. Clicking on any of these will provide information on the products currently available in the lab and what they do for an individual with a disability.
Reservations are required to use the work stations in IT131. Call (317) 274-0770, speak to lab consultants in IT131 or call or e-mail Joe Humbert at (317) 274-4378 or johumber@iupui.edu.
Recreational Opportunities
On a campus that offers a dual certificate "Teacher Education-Health Education + Physical Education + Adaptive Physical Education," the school and the campus are aware of the presence of students with physical disabilities. The Natatorium has a pool with a floor that can be raised and lowered to provide access to students in chairs; students with disabilities have graduated from sports related programs, and the school works on making the recreational facilities and programs as accessible as possible. As a result, students with disabilities are welcomed to participate in recreational activities and in appropriate cases even team sports.