Advice from our Scholars
Your Research Project
Develop a research project you feel truly passionate about. You should start developing your project before you apply for the scholarship. This will strengthen your application and hold you in good stead once you begin your graduate degree. Talk to professors, network, and do some research about an area that interests you. Begin to read exhaustively. Be prepared to cite your research in your application.
Graduate School and Accommodations
There can be fundamental differences between undergraduate work and graduate school and even master’s and PhD level work.
Research training and professional development are two principal goals of graduate school. It is important to keep in mind that graduate school is not so much about marks and coursework as it is about ensuring that you develop the skills required to make independent contributions to research and related professional activities. This often means that addressing accommodations is less about making appropriate exam arrangements through your disability office, for example, and more about accurately communicating your skills and needs to your research mentors and colleagues. It is important to realize that because graduate school is more individualized, there is more variation in how requirements are fulfilled, even among students without disabilities.
Graduate students are a relatively select group. Universities and professors genuinely want graduate students to succeed and will do their best to accommodate them. However, given that there are fewer graduate students with disabilities than undergrads, professors and even disability professionals may not have encountered your specific needs before.
Accommodations – Understand your needs
Make every effort to understand your needs and the resources that might help you accommodate them so that you are prepared and can offer suggestions if needed. One thing that is different at the graduate level, and may be somewhat specific to Rehabilitation Sciences, is that your mentors and colleagues may also have suggestions.
Accommodations - How and Where to access them
- University Access Centre
If your accommodations significantly alter the amount of time you need, the technology you use, or how you will complete your requirements, it is helpful to be registered with your university’s disability office.
- Helpful to have documentation on file with your universities access centre
Similar to undergrad, depending on your accommodations, when working with your university directly, you may require documentation from a physician or an education-related assessment from a psychologist.
- Make class instructors aware of your needs
The sooner you are able to make your professors aware of your needs the better. Because you will likely deal less with the disability office in grad school, I think this can be even more helpful. Some students are concerned that discussing their needs will in someway detract from their abilities. Your disability office may be able to advise you as to what information to provide. Grad school often allows students to gain more specialized skills doing things they have never done. You may find it takes more time to figure out what you need.
- Discuss needs and strategies with your supervisor and scholarship and/or dissertation committee
There are several people who can support you as a graduate student. Your supervisor is usually your first point of contact but it can often be helpful to talk to the other professors who will directly mentor you, such as those on your research committees.
- Meet with your Graduate Director if higher-level approval is needed (e.g., for extended degree time-limits)
If there is something that requires higher-level approval or you run into difficulty, it’s a good idea to talk to your Graduate Director. They will often speak to Graduate Studies on your behalf but you can also contact Grad Studies directly.
- School /Faculty of Graduate Studies
- Community resources (Specialized clinics, Centre for Independent Living, Community Care Access Centres)
- Talk to other graduate students with disabilities who have had positive experiences if you need suggestions.
Even if other grad students are doing things differently, you there are several avenues through which you can find an approach that works for you.