Thiel College - Academic Services Center




	Home Catalog Statement Grievance Policy Student Reference Information Syllabus Statement Required Documentation		Current Students > Office of Special Needs > Student Reference Information Student Responsibilities Documentation for Qualification Be qualified by having documented disability Obtain paper documentation and provide such information to the Office of Disability Services Make Request for Academic Adjustments Written or verbal request must be made with the Office of Disability Services each semester The process is interactive involving reasonable effort on the part of the student and the Office of Disability Services All requests must be made in a reasonable, timely manner Follow Policies & Procedures Read and follow established policies of the College Exercise diligence to make sure the process works Students act as their own advocate Academic Adjustments Obtain letters of Academic Adjustments from the Office of Disability Services in a timely manner, preferable early in the semester Deliver letters of Academic Adjustments to faculty Inform the Office of Disability Services of materials you need in alternate format as soon as possible Notify the Office of Disability Services immediately when an Academic Adjustments is not being provided completely or correctly Notify the Office of Disability Services when an Academic Adjustments is no longer needed or a decision is made not to use the Academic Adjustments Confidentiality Make appointments with the Office of Disability Services or a Faculty member to facilitate privacy when requesting Academic Adjustments Student Rights Expect all special needs information to be treated confidentially Receive appropriate Academic Adjustments in a timely manner from the Office of Disability Services Meet privately with the Coordinator of Disability Services and Faculty to discuss needs and concerns Appeal decisions regarding Academic Adjustments Note: Thiel College is not required to provide the specific Academic Adjustments that the student requests. An alternative Academic Adjustment may be provided if it is effective.* A "reasonable" Academic Adjustment involves a thorough analysis of the individual's circumstances of the case in question. Determination of what is reasonable requires a balance between the student's right to access and Thiel's right to uphold academic integrity. Communication Act as your own advocate Work with the Office of Disability Services and Faculty on developing advocacy skills Inform faculty and staff of your specific need and/or Academic Adjustment The Laws that Apply in Postsecondary Education Settings The Rehabilitation Act, 1973 (Section 504) The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 1990 Purpose of Section 504 (Postsecondary Education): Section 504: A civil rights law enacted 1973. Eliminates discrimination on the basis of handicap (disability). 504 regulations apply to colleges, universities, postsecondary vocational education, and adult education programs that receive federal financial assistance. Requires these institutions to ensure equal access and equal opportunity to participate in programs, activities, and services. ADA: Postsecondary Education The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): The ADA enhances Section 504 to include all institutions of higher education, regardless of federal funding. Basic Premise: A civil rights law Provides persons with disabilities in the U.S. protection from discrimination on the basis of disability. Ensures that a qualified person with a disability is not denied access to, benefits of, or is subject to discrimination solely on the basis of disability. Title II: prohibits public entities (public colleges, universities, vocational education and adult education) from discriminating on the basis of disability in their programs, activities, and services offered. Title III: prohibits discrimination of programs, activities and services provided to the public by a private entity. Eligibility under the Law: Aligning Accommodations Who is eligible in a Postsecondary Education Setting? Section 504 and ADA Definition of Disability: A person with a disability is defined as anyone who has a physical or emotional impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities. Substantially limits means significant limitation in functioning in performing a major life activity in comparison to the average person. Major life activity means such functions as caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning and working. Eligibility (Postsecondary Education) A diagnostic category is less important for Eligibility. Eligibility is based upon significant functional limitations caused by the condition. A clinical diagnosis is not synonymous with a disability. That is, evidence sufficient to render a clinical diagnosis might not be adequate to determine that an individual is substantially limited to a major life activity. Some individuals who received services in high school may not qualify for services in a higher educational setting. How is Eligibility for Services Determined in Postsecondary Education? Individuals must self-disclose their need for academic adjustments, auxiliary aids, and/or services to the appropriate person or office. The individual must demonstrate through documentation that the disorder/impairment meets the definition of a disability under the ADA and Section 504. Persons with disabilities must comply with the published policies and procedures for seeking academic adjustments, auxiliary aids, and services. Definitions of “Accommodations” under the Law Academic Adjustments in Postsecondary Education Settings: An Academic adjustment: refers to modifications to academic requirements, auxiliary aids and services. Also, reasonable adjustments to policies, practices, or procedures that may need to be provided for a person with a disability to ensure that the person has an equal opportunity and equal access to participate in a higher education’s activities, courses, facilities, programs, or services. Academic Adjustments (Postsecondary Education) The requirement of providing documentation includes providing documentation to support a particular kind of academic adjustment. Academic adjustments cannot be made simply because an individual thinks there is a need for them; there must be a legitimate educational purpose for making an academic adjustment that provides equal access and equal opportunity. Auxiliary Aids and Services (Postsecondary Education) Auxiliary aids and services include practices that create access to information for persons with sensory impairments, such as providing sign language interpreters for youth who are deaf or readers for youth who are blind. Web Resource: Dept. of Ed. Publication on Transition. http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/transition.html. Web Resource: Dept. of Ed. Publication on Auxiliary Aids and services. http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/auxaids.html. Academic Adjustments in Postsecondary Education Settings: Laws do not provide specific recommendations. Instead, the laws rely on a case-by-case assessment of functional limitations. In higher educational settings, academic adjustment, auxiliary aides and services are determined on a course-by-course and case-by-case basis. This is not a “Cook Book” approach. OCR encourages ongoing communication between youth and the higher education institution at every step of the accommodation process. This “interactive process” is consistent with the duties, the courts and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have widely required of employers. Meeting Essential Requirements: (Postsecondary Education) All higher ed. youth are required to meet the “essential” “academic” and “technical” standards of the institution, with or without reasonable accommodation. Higher Ed. institutions must follow the interactive process in making these determinations. The term “essential” serves to ensure that colleges and universities need never “fundamentally alter” their programs of instruction to accommodate youth with disabilities. Meeting Essential Requirements: (Postsecondary Education) Federal courts have readily upheld insistence that all youth in higher education must meet: Essential academic and technical standards: Those tasks that are fundamental and necessary to meet critical program or course requirements, licensing requirements, or certification requirements, “academic” and “technical” standards in higher ed. institutions. Academic Standards Examples: Maintaining a certain GPA; having a certain GPA to enter a program etc. “Technical” Standards Examples: Requiring all dental students to demonstrate fine motor dexterity. Meeting Essential Requirements: (Postsecondary Education) In general, an Academic Adjustments is any change in the work environment or in the way things are customarily done that enables an individual with a disability to enjoy equal employment opportunities. Under the ADA, employers are required to provide “reasonable” accommodations for employees with disabilities. Therefore, you can request any accommodation that is considered “reasonable.” Process to Determine “Accommodations”: Aligning Accommodations Typical Procedures for Obtaining Disability Services in Postsecondary Education: The individual seeking services: Self-identifies to the appropriate office by following the college’s policies and procedures. Schedules an appointment for an intake interview with the disability services person. Goes to the intake interview and provides detailed information regarding their condition and provides appropriate documentation. The documentation and other relevant information (intake information) is reviewed and evaluated to determine if the documentation guidelines have been met, and to determine if the youth’s disorder/impairment meets the criteria for having a disability. Typical Procedures in Postsecondary Education: The individual is notified of the determination. If eligible for services, a subsequent appointment is made to discuss the appropriate academic adjustments, auxiliary aids or services for each course enrolled. The determination for reasonable academic adjustments, auxiliary aids, and/or services is an interactive process that is determined on a case-by-case and a course-by-course basis. Instructors or faculty are often consulted regarding the course requirements, activities, testing formats, etc. Then an individualized plan is put in place for the particular course. Typical Procedures (Postsecondary Education) The individual who is eligible for services: Is provided with an academic adjustment letter for each course enrolled. Meets with their instructors (one-on-one) for each course that an academic adjustment is requested. Is asked to notify the disability services office if any problems, issues or difficulties arise during the semester of if services need to be adjusted. Meets with their disability services contact person at least once every semester to obtain their letters and discuss what will be needed for each semester that an academic adjustment is needed. Possible Topics Discussed in a Meeting with the Disability Services Office: (Postsecondary Education) What specific academic adjustments, auxiliary aids or services are being requested? Reason requested? What specific academic adjustments, auxiliary aids or services were utilized in the past? Which were utilized successfully? Which were not successful? Educational history: (grades in secondary ed.; difficult subjects; easier subjects; reading, writing, or math difficulties, etc). Study habits Relevant Medical History Relevant Psychological History Relevant Social History Work History What is the impact of disorder/impairment in the classroom? The functional impairment caused by the condition (how the individual is functionally limited in the classroom; during lectures; taking exams; any other course requirements impacted by the condition). The history of the condition: (a history of the individual’s condition including diagnosis, age/grade condition was diagnosed, treatment, problems with treatment). Possible Academic Adjustments: (Postsecondary Education) Extra time to complete exams Exams to be read orally, dictated or typed Using alternative forms for youth to demonstrate course mastery (e.g., a narrative tape instead of a written journal) Permitting the use of computer software programs or other assistive technological devices to assist in test-taking. Course substitutions of non-essential program requirements Course substitutions of non-essential program requirements Alternative testing locations Priority registration Tape recording of classes Consideration for missed absences due to disability Possible Auxiliary Aids (Postsecondary Education) Adaptive equipment Calculators, spell checkers, dictionaries (unless essential to the course). FM amplification units Computerized Real-Time Captioning (CART) Sign Language Interpreter Specialized computer hardware or software Electronic Books or materials instead of printed. Use of text-to-speech software to read the electronic books. Speech to text software. Accessible computer lab stations. Possible Services (Postsecondary Education) Taping texts Note-takers Readers Scribes Test proctoring Training on Assistive Technology or Adaptive Equipment A Quick Guide to Disability Services in Postsecondary Education Settings: Higher Education institutions do not have special education programs IEP’s and 504 plans are typically not accepted in most higher education institutions as documentation for eligibility of services. No Child Find. Individuals must self-identify in a timely manner. Higher Education youth (not parent or guardian) is responsible for following the school’s documentation guidelines and following procedures for eligibility. No Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in higher education. It is not unlawful under Section 504 or ADA to deny admission to any applicant (disabled or non-disabled) whose academic record does not meet the academic or technical standards for admission to the institution. Higher education institutions cannot make admission/readmission inquiries about disabilities or penalize an individual for taking standardized tests under non-standard conditions. An individual seeking admission can choose to disclose reasons why their academic record may not be up to standard. Asking an admissions office to consider additional information in a written essay format is reasonable. This may allow the admissions office to take additional information into consideration. Disclosing on an admissions application does not constitute notification or self-disclosure of an individual’s disability at most schools. Higher education institutions are not required to waive required courses where it can be demonstrated that the course plays an essential role in the degree program. Individuals with disabilities enrolled in higher education must meet the academic and technical standards. The higher education institution is not required to fundamentally alter or substantially modify programs. Higher education institutions cannot ask a qualified individual with a disability to pay for their own academic adjustments, auxiliary aids or services. The institution is required to pay. To receive services in higher education an individual must: Request specifics academic adjustments, auxiliary aids or services in a timely manner. Provide documentation to support these requests and Follow the published policies and procedures. Failure to do so may hinder the individual’s ability to receive needed academic adjustments or services. Related services often provided in secondary education such as wrap-around services, rehabilitation, coaching, paraprofessionals, evaluations, transportations, speech and occupational therapies, etc. are not provided in higher education unless also provided to other non-disabled youth. Then, only equal access and equal-opportunity. Specialized instruction and tutoring are not required unless provided to non-disabled population. Other Accommodation Considerations regarding Access (Postsecondary Education) Housing- Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations or modifications to housing must notify the appropriate office at the school and request specific adjustments or modifications. The institution is required to provide equal access to their facilities for a quailed individual with a disability (This may include eating facilities, dorm room, bathroom facilities, access to activities, etc). It is highly suggested that anyone needing modifications to housing, eating facilities, dietary concerns, etc., visit the specific dorm room and facilities in order to understand potential modifications. Don’t assume housing staff will know what is required. Other Accommodation Considerations (Postsecondary Education) Participation in Student Activities, Extracurricular Programs or Activities: Access to programs and activities may include official student group outings, official meetings with other students (student government), movies, fraternities if owned by institution, etc. The individual must follow the procedures for notification in a timely manner when needing access to these programs or activities. For instance, don’t assume every program or activity will have an interpreter hired. Don’t assume all activities will be held in accessible locations etc. The disability office may not handle access to these programs or activities.