SNHU, Sen. Hassan Host Roundtable on Increasing Access and Improving Success for Students with Disabilities

Manchester, N.H. - This week, Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) hosted a roundtable led by Senator Maggie Hassan (NH) on supporting learners with disabilities through the proposed Respond, Innovate, Succeed, and Empower (RISE) Act.

The legislation, which SNHU has long supported, recently passed the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, marking the furthest progress the bill has made in the 12 years since it was first introduced. The RISE Act would allow students to use existing high school Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) or 504 Plans as documentation to receive accommodations in college.

“For learners with disabilities, the transition to college can bring additional barriers, including complex processes and documentation requirements,” said SNHU President Lisa Marsh Ryerson in her opening remarks. “That is why conversations like today's matter. The RISE Act focuses on making that transition clearer and more consistent for students. It also reflects something we believe deeply at SNHU. Access alone is not enough. We must design systems and experiences that give every learner the opportunity to persist, succeed and achieve their goals.”

Senator Hassan brought together higher education leaders, disability advocates, and students from across New Hampshire to discuss barriers learners with disabilities face when transitioning from high school to college and how the RISE Act could help address them. Participants included SNHU President Lisa Marsh Ryerson, Executive Vice President and Provost Jennifer Batchelor, and Assistant Vice President of Community Standards and Accommodation Services Kelly Lockwood; SNHU students Emily Freitas and Beck Silva Miller; Manchester Community College (MCC) President Dr. Paul Beaudin and MCC student and ABLE NH Board Member Javier Sandoval; ABLE NH Executive Director Louis Esposito; and Plymouth State University Associate Professor of Special Education Sara Scribner.

“It was great to be at Southern New Hampshire University to hear from students about their experiences on campus, and the work of staff at colleges and universities across the Granite State to make sure that all students, regardless of any disabilities, have access to higher education,” said Senator Hassan. “The start of college can bring extra challenges for students with disabilities, who may be forced to provide unnecessary paperwork and pay for expensive tests to reestablish a documented disability. I know first-hand the importance of every child being able to learn at school and fully participate in our communities, which is why I will continue to urge my colleagues to pass my bipartisan RISE Act and ease the transition from high school to college for students with disabilities so that they can focus on their education."

The student experience remained central to the conversation.

“Living with a disability is not always easy, and in many situations, we have to work even harder to overcome barriers and simply keep ourselves afloat," shared Emily Freitas, an SNHU graduate student. "By sharing our experiences and speaking up about the challenges we face, we can help create greater understanding, awareness, and empathy. Our voices matter, and when we come together and let those voices be heard, we have the power to make a difference, not only for ourselves, but for others who may be facing similar struggles now or in the future.”

Students with disabilities encounter barriers throughout the higher education journey. These include poor transition planning between K–12 and college, inaccessible information and technology, and colleges declining accommodations or documentation previously used in high school. These barriers can keep learners from enrolling, persisting and connecting their education to meaningful career opportunities.

At SNHU, learners with documented disabilities can use existing IEPs or 504 plans to request accommodations, helping them receive support quickly and without needing to repeat evaluations or re-establish disabilities that have already been documented.

The RISE Act would implement this practice in higher education nationwide, reducing unnecessary paperwork, costs, and delays for students with disabilities.

“Our experience shows this approach is achievable at scale without lowering academic standards,” observed SNHU Provost Jennifer Batchelor. “The RISE Act would provide greater clarity and consistency across higher education so students can access needed accommodations regardless of which institution they attend.”

SNHU’s CHEPP co-leads the Coalition on Accessibility in Higher Education with the National Center for Learning Disabilities and supports the RISE Act as an important step toward a clearer, more consistent accommodations process. You can read more about the challenges faced when students with disabilities start college in CHEPP’s blog, Supporting Learners with Disabilities Transition from K-12 to College.

Nicole Watkins is a PR Manager at Southern New Hampshire University. Connect with her at media@snhu.edu.