Prospective Students

Student Eligiblity

Students seeking accommodations are required to provide recent documentation from an appropriate health care provider or professional. Documentation costs are to be paid by the student. If documentation is incomplete, or otherwise inadequate to determine the disability and/or reasonable accommodations, the Office for Students with Disabilitieswill require additional documentation.

To be eligible for disability-related services, students must have a documented disability as defined by the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504, and/or the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). A person with a disability is an individual with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities (i.e. seeing, walking, talking); orhas a record of such an impairment; or is regarded as having such an impairment.

This definition includes, but is not limited to

Transitioning to College

The transition to college is challenging for all Freshmen and their families, but more so for students with a disability. There are different procedures for students seeking accommodations and services in the college environment. This webpage was created to provide college bound high school students and their families with information on the differences between high school and college disability services.

View our video:
The Key to Access: Successful Transitions for Students with Disabilities (8:30 minutes)
 
        Open Caption        Closed Caption

I.D.E.A. vs ADA/Section 504

Students in kindergarten through the twelfth grade who have disabilities receive services through the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) or the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504, Subpart D - Preschool, Elementary, and Secondary School. At the Post-Secondary level, students with disabilities are served under the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504, Subpart E - Postsecondary Education, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This chart compares IDEA (kindergarten through 12th grade) with Section 504 (Subpart E) and the ADA (college):

IDEA (kindergarten through 12th grade) compared to
Section 504 and ADA (university)

TYPE OF STATUTE
IDEA (kindergarten through 12th grade)
Provides funding to states to ensure provision of free appropriate public education for children with disabilities

Section 504 and ADA (university)
Civil Rights statutes protecting persons with disabilities from discrimination

MAIN PROVISIONS
IDEA
Establishes procedural safeguards and the right to free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment

Section 504 and ADA
Because of a disability, a qualified person cannot be: excluded from participation in, denied benefits of or be subjected to discrimination by any services, program or activity

WHO IS PROTECTED
IDEA
Children falling into the 13 categories listed in the IDEA and requiring special educational services to benefit from an education

Section 504 and ADA
Any person with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity

EXTENT OF OBLIGATION
IDEA
Free appropriate public education ensuring a meaningful benefit from education

Section 504 and ADA
Equivalent access to educational and extracurricular programs

DELIVERY METHOD
IDEA
Individualized Education Plan (IEP)

Section 504 and ADA

No formal plan. Worked out on a case-by-case basis with the institution's Student Disability Services Office

SERVICES AVAILABLE
IDEA
Supplemental Aides and Services
Occupational Therapy
Speech and Language Therapy
Notetakers
Counseling
Tutoring
Resource Room
Paraprofessional Aides
Testing Modifications
Adaptive Equipment

Section 504 and ADA
Reasonable Accommodations and Academic Adjustments
Notetakers
Interpreters for deaf students
Testing Accommodations
Priority Registration
Real-Time Translation (CART)
Note: Specialized counseling, tutoring, and personal aides are NOT required by Section 504 or ADA, but access to these services where provided to others is required.

STUDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY
IDEA
Do one's best

Section 504 and ADA
Disclose disability
Provide documentation
Facilitate provision of reasonable accommodations
Attend class
Use accommodations appropriately
Speak up if trouble arises
The law does not require parental involvement and such involvement is discouraged in college (because the student is an adult).

ENFORCEMENT
IDEA
Due Process:
(1) impartial hearing;
(2) state review (appeal) (for those states that have a two-tiered process); then
(3) federal court

Section 504 and ADA
Internal grievance procedure and/or complaint to the federal Office of Civil Rights and/or go directly to federal courts

FUNDING

IDEA
Federal funds to states to support special education programs

Section 504 and ADA
No funding attached.
Costs are incurred by the institution.

GRIEVANCE
IDEA
Administrative due process procedures as outlined in state education law

Section 504 and ADA
Internal grievance or federal Office of Civil Rights

CAVEATS
IDEA
If it's not on the IEP you won't receive it

Section 504 and ADA
Accommodations must be reasonable.
As circumstances warrant, accommodations may change over time.
There is no "plan" to be set up and trial and error may be a necessary part of the process. Universities are not required to "fundamentally alter" their programs or incur "undue hardship"

Source: Jo Anne Simon, Esq.