College campuses around the country have experienced an increase in the number of students with disabilities and NIU is no exception.

According to “College Freshmen With Disabilities: A Statistical Profile,” 140,000 students with disabilities were among the 1.6 million freshmen enrolled in colleges and universities in the 1991 school year.

“There is a definite increase of students with disabilities at NIU,” said Sue Reinhardt, co-coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities.

Reinhardt said this year the coordinators are serving 110

students who requested help with their various disabilities.

However, she said although the number of students with disabilities has been increasing, all of the students do not

require assistance.

“The number of students with disabilities has increased over recent years, but there are students with disabilities that don’t require help or students with ‘hidden’ disabilities that aren’t even detectable that are enrolled in school here at NIU,” she said.

In addition, Reinhardt said students with disabilities have increased “across the board,” not only with freshmen.

Students taking advantages of the program include first-time college students, transfer students and people with

disabilities who are back to get a degree, she said.

“This semester, we have the largest number of students ever using our services,” said Nancy Kasinski, director of Services for the Hearing Impaired.

She said there has been a substantial increase in students with disabilities who use the program in the last two or three years.

Kasinski said students with disabilities struggle through school just like everybody else does and make it through to the real world.

“There are opportunities now for the disabled that weren’t present for them before in education and the working world,” she said.

Services for the Hearing Impaired and Services for Students with Disabilities have many programs to help students with disabilities adjust to NIU life.

Both services try to provide better accessibility to buildings and residence halls, the Freedom Mobile for transportation and guides for the blind around campus.

Additionally, they provide note-takers and interpreters for hearing-impaired students and an adapted exam system that allows students with disabilities to take exams in an environment better suited for their success.