The ADA defines a person with a disability as "any person who has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities (walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning and working), has a record of such an impairment or is regarded as having such an impairment." No single description can accurately describe the unique experiences and characteristics of a person with a disability at UA. Just as specific disabilities vary, so do the individual needs of the students.

Disabilities commonly found among college and university students are both visible and hidden. They include, but are not limited to, hearing and visual impairments, lupus, cerebral palsy, psychological disabilities, heart disease, cancer, muscular dystrophy, attention deficit disorder and acquired brain injuries. Postsecondary institutions are challenged to remove architectural barriers and to modify academic requirements and practices that discriminate on the basis of disability.