Accommodations Overview
What is an accommodation?
Accommodations are designed to provide equal access to and ensure nondiscrimination of disabled students in the learning and living environment of 国产伦理. The accommodations process is guided by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as well as University policy 3-01.3. The process is focused on creating equal access to fully engage and participate in the same activities, campus services, benefits and experiences offered to a person without a disability, to utilize the same information shared with all students, and to have the same opportunity to achieve. Because accommodations are focused on equal access rather than ensuring student success, they do not reduce or remove the expectations held for all students in both behavior and meeting academic standards.
The Department of Education Office for Civil Rights defines "accessible" as providing people with disabilities the opportunity to access the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services as those without disabilities in a way that is equally effective, equally integrated, and substantially as easy to use. The person with a disability must be able to obtain the information as fully, equally, and independently as a person without a disability. While accessibility may not always result in identical ease of use, it must ensure equal opportunity to the educational benefits and opportunities afforded by the technology, as well as equal treatment in its use.
What is a disability?
Under federal law, a person with a disability is defined as someone with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. This means that having a diagnosis (or label) alone does not necessarily qualify as a disability; the impairment must result in a significant limitation of major life activities.
What kinds of accommodations does SAS provide?
Accommodations are aids or adjustments designed to remove barriers caused by a person鈥檚 disability within a specific environment. SAS provides accommodations for housing and dining, on-campus transportation, and academic settings. Some examples are:
- Academic: extra testing time, distraction-reduced testing, copies of PowerPoints, ASL interpreters, alternative format materials
- Housing & Dining: roll-in shower, access to a kitchen, meal plan reduction
- On-campus transportation: door-to-door transportation via PARTA SATS
What makes an accommodation appropriate?
Accommodations must be directly connected to the disability and are intended to mitigate a barrier to equal access caused by the impact of the student鈥檚 disability in the college environment. Accommodations may not be necessary if the student鈥檚 disability does not limit equal access to a course, program, activity, or service. They cannot alter the essential nature of a program or activity, lower academic standards, or alter essential requirements. Accommodations cannot pose a threat to the safety of the public or others and cannot pose an undue administrative or financial burden on the university. If SAS believes that an accommodation is an undue administrative or financial burden or a fundamental alteration, an Access Advisor will contact the student to discuss alternative accommodations.
How are college accommodations different than high school accommodations?
K-12 institutions have a responsibility to identify students with disabilities and provide them with a free and appropriate education under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act. This means that high school accommodations, typically provided by an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan, may provide additional support, such as classroom aides or tutors, or adapt assignments and exams, or remove requirements, such as minimum scores required on standardized assessments.
Colleges and universities provide accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. These laws require equal access for and prohibit discrimination of people with disabilities. Because college accommodations are focused on providing equal access, not ensuring a specific outcome, they may be different than what students experienced in high school.
Are accommodations applied retroactively?
Accommodations are not applied retroactively and take effect only after a student has sent their course accommodation letter to each instructor. Accommodations do not apply to coursework, exams, or other academic activities completed before the instructor receives the letter. Students are encouraged to share their accommodation letters at the beginning of each semester to ensure timely access to their accommodations.