A short guide to knowing and understanding the law and what it means to you

1. Student Rights

2. Accommodations

3. Disclosure

4. Student Responsibilities

In college you are responsible to make sure that your needs are met. Two federal civil rights laws can assist you in reaching your school goals. These laws are called the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. These laws provide students with these rights:

• the right to equal access to postsecondary education;

• the right to non-discrimination;

• the right to participate in, and enjoy the benefits of your school;

• the right to an accessible education;

• the right to an appropriate accommodation;

• the right to have information about your disability kept private.

•What rights do you have that are not currently being met? __________________________________

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In addition, the state you live in may have laws, often called "human rights laws," which prohibit discrimination and require equal access for people with disabilities.

Please realize that the laws do not require a school to lower its academic standards. Schools will not:

• give you easier work; or

• change the rules to make it easier for you than other students.

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The law states that some students with disabilities have a right to academic accommodations.

Accommodations are changes to how things are normally done which provide you with an equal opportunity to participate in and enjoy the benefits of your education. Accommodations include:

• changes to a classroom environment or task;

• removal of architectural barriers;

• modifications to policies, practices or procedures; and

• provision of appropriate auxiliary aids and services.

(Please see student brochure #2, Accommodations for Students with Disabilities, for more details.)

•What accommodations would be helpful to you in the classroom?

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If you think you will need any accommodations because of your disability, you must tell your school. You will not receive accommodations or assistance unless you tell the Disability Support Services of your disability. You may also have to provide paperwork on your disability.

Your responsibility is to tell your school that you will need an accommodation. Each school has its own paperwork requirements necessary to arrange an accommodation. Most schools require that you provide recent, professional documentation from a doctor or other licensed professional. Simply put, you may have to prove you have a disability.

• What paperwork does your school require to prove your disability?

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• Where can you get copies of this documentation?

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Accommodations must be appropriate and effective for your situation. An effective accommodation will address your specific limitations caused by your disability.

Finally, understand that your school must provide educational accommodations at no cost to you. But they do not have to provide or pay for:

• personal devices;

• accommodations for personal use;

• accommodations which fundamentally alter a school program or cost too much money or need too many people to make it work.

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Check off each responsibility when completed.

1. Notify the School

If you will need any accommodation, register with the office for Disability Support Services.

2. Provide Documentation

A student’s responsibilities to provide professional documentation of his or her disability. The Disability Support Services office will be able to tell you what types of documentation are required.

3. Determine your classes' requirements and possible needed accommodations

4. Request Accommodation

Request accommodations as far in advance as is possible.

5. Meet Academic and Conduct Standards

You get no special treatment because you have a disability. You must still meet the essential requirements of a class or program.

Developed by:

Sean Lancaster and Daryl Mellard

University of Kansas

Center for Research on Learning

Division of Adult Studies

(785) 864-4780

This document was supported in whole or in part by the U. S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, (Cooperative Agreement No. H324M980109). However, the opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of the U. S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, and no official endorsement by the Department should be inferred Note: There are no copyright restrictions on this document: however, please credit the source and support of federal funds when copying all or part of this material. This document is also available on the web for printing at: http://das.kucrl.org/iam.html