FAQs for Students

Each student is treated as an individual. Accommodations are based on the recommendations found within their documentation and what is deemed appropriate for the college setting.

The student must present current and appropriate documentation to the Office of Access and Learning Accommodation.

OALA provides academic accommodations to students with documented disabilities. The services are disability specific. Some common services are classroom accommodations, testing accommodations, and mentoring/time management assistance. Again, the services are dependent upon the student's specific needs.

OALA does make housing recommendations to Campus Living Learning regarding the specific needs of the student. These recommendations are dependent upon documentation that is provided to the OALA office. The student must contact OALA for more information.

Yes. Section 504 and Title II protect elementary, secondary and postsecondary students from discrimination. Nevertheless, several of the requirements that apply through high school are different from the requirements that apply beyond high school. For instance, Section 504 requires a school district to provide free appropriate public education (FAPE) to each child with a disability in the district’s jurisdiction. Whatever the disability, a school district must identify an individual’s education needs and provide any regular or special education and related aids and services necessary to meet those needs as well as its meeting the needs of students without disabilities. Unlike your high school, your postsecondary school is not required to provide FAPE. Rather, your postsecondary school is required to provide appropriate academic adjustments as necessary to ensure that it does not discriminate on the basis of disability.

No. However, if you want the school to provide an academic accommodation, you must identify yourself as having a disability. Likewise, you should let the school know about your disability if you want to ensure that you are assigned to accessible facilities. In any event, your disclosure of a disability is always voluntary.

Although you may request an academic adjustment from your postsecondary school at any time, you should request it as early as possible. Some academic adjustments may take more time to provide than others. You should follow your school's procedures to ensure that your school has enough time to review your request and provide an appropriate academic adjustment.

No. Furthermore, it may not charge students with disabilities more for participating in its programs or activities than it charges students who do not have disabilities.

Generally, yes. Your school probably will require you to provide documentation that shows you have a current disability and need an academic adjustment.

No. If an applicant meets the essential requirements for admission, an institution may not deny that applicant admission simply because he or she has a disability, nor may an institution categorically exclude an applicant with a particular disability as not being qualified for its program.

The college has the responsibility under Federal law for ensuring access to their programs and activities by students with disabilities. Often, the office for disabled student services is delegated the authority to make decisions on what is regarded as reasonable adjustments to ensure equal access because they have the knowledge, credentials, and experience to do this. The office often uses medical or other professional documentation provided by the student as a basis for making such decisions but they are not required to follow exactly the recommendations made in the documentation provided.

A student with a disability is responsible for requesting accommodations through OALA. OALA will not seek the students out. A student with a disability is also responsible for providing acceptable documentation of his or her disability.