
Guidebook for Students
with Disabilities
Contents:
Procedure for Students
Seeking Accommodations
Attention
Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Mobility and
Dexterity Disabilities
Housing
Accommodations for Student with Disabilities or Chronic Health Conditions
Adapting Emergency
Procedures for Individuals with Disabilities
This guidebook is based on
St. Edward’s University’s Faculty Guidebook for Students with
Disabilities. Lorrain Perea, MEd.
LPC, Coordinator of Student Disabilities Services in Academic Planning and
Support, granted permission to do so.
The sections on mobility
and dexterity and speech impairments are based on The University of Notre Dame’s
Students with Disabilities.
The sections on The
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and hidden disabilities were adapted from the Office
for Civil Rights of the United States Department of Education.
The section on adapting
emergency procedures for individuals with disabilities is based on Adapting
Emergency Procedures for Individuals with Disabilities by Mary Farrell,
Ph.D., published by the Association on Higher Education and Disability
(AHEAD). Richard Allegra, Associate
Executive Director, granted permission to do so.
Dear Faculty, Staff and
Students:
It is not always easy to
understand students’ disabilities and/or to discern the appropriate
accommodation. This Guidebook is an effort to remove any existing barriers,
whether physical, programmatic, or attitudinal through the cooperation of all
associated with
This Guidebook is a
reference in that it delineates both students and instructors’
responsibilities. This book should foster better communication among students,
faculty and staff and facilitate the learning of those for whom accommodation
is appropriate.
Sincerely,
Tina S. Holland, Ph.D.
Senior Vice-President
Holy
Cross
To meet the standards set
forth by our Mission Statement and in compliance with the legal requirements of
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990,
the Disability Services Coordinator (DSC) at Holy Cross College determines
appropriate accommodations for all qualifying students with disabilities. The
Disability Services Coordinator provides counsel and advocacy to students and
works to promote the development of personal independence and self-reliance.
THE LAW
Holy Cross College has a
responsibility to individuals with disabilities as mandated by federal laws
such as the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA). It is the focus of the Disability Services Coordinator to address
procedures and practices which impact students with disabilities.
The law states that an
institution cannot discriminate in the recruitment, admission, educational
process, or treatment of students with disabilities. Students who have
voluntarily disclosed that they have a disability (self-identified), provided
documentation of the disability, and requested accommodations are entitled to
receive: approved, reasonable modification of programs; appropriate academic
adjustments; and proper auxiliary aids. These accommodations allow students to
participate in and benefit from all of the educational programs and extracurricular
activities at
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973
The Rehabilitation Act of
1973 was the first “civil rights” legislation to prohibit discrimination
against people with disabilities. This law applied to programs conducted by
federal agencies, those receiving federal funds such as college participation
in federal student programs, federal employment, and employment practices of
businesses with federal contracts. The standards for determining employment
discrimination under the Rehabilitation Act are the same as those used in Title
I of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Section
The Section
A college has no obligation to identify students with
handicaps. In fact, Section
Many students with disabilities, seeking college
degrees, were provided with special education services during their elementary
and secondary school years. It is especially important for these students to
understand that postsecondary institutions also have responsibilities to protect
the rights of students with disabilities. In elementary and secondary school,
their school district was responsible for identifying, evaluating, and
providing individualized special education and related services to meet their
needs. At the postsecondary level, however, there are some important
differences. The key provisions of Section
At the postsecondary level it is the student's
responsibility to make his or her handicapping condition known and to request
academic adjustments. This should be done in a timely manner. A student who
requests academic adjustments or auxiliary aids because of a handicapping
condition may be requested by the institution to provide documentation of the
handicap and the need for the services requested. This may be especially
important to an institution attempting to understand the nature and extent of a
hidden disability.
The requested documentation may include the results
of medical, psychological, or emotional diagnostic tests, or other professional
evaluations to verify the need for academic adjustments or auxiliary aids.
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (
According to the ADA, “no
qualified individual with a disability shall, by reason of such disability, be
excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of the services,
programs, or activities of a public entity, or be subjected to discrimination
by such entity.”
ADA is the civil rights
guarantee for persons with disabilities in the United States whether or not
they are citizens and without regard to racial or ethnic origin. International
students with disabilities are entitled to any and all of the same services and
support provided by law to any other student with a disability enrolled in a
program of higher education in this country. ADA provides protection from
discrimination for individuals on the basis of disability. The ADA extends
civil rights protections for people with disabilities to employment in the
public and private sectors, transportation, public accommodations, services
provided by state and local government, and telecommunication relay services.
Students with disabilities have met the same admission standards as
non-disabled students. Holy Cross College cannot limit the number of qualified
students with disabilities admitted to the college.
Qualifying: A student is eligible for
accommodations when qualifying criteria set forth by the Association on Higher
Education and Disability (AHEAD), with support from the U.S. Department of
Justice, have been met. Adequate
Identifying: Although students are
legally entitled to request accommodations at any time during the semester,
faculty members are encouraged to help identify students as soon as possible.
Confidentiality: All documentation of a
disability is treated as a confidential medical record. These records are
maintained and kept with the DSC confidential files until the student leaves
Holy Cross College.
DEFINITION OF A DISABILITY
Under the ADA and according
to the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD), a “person with a
disability” is someone with a physical or mental impairment that substantially
limits one or more major life activities. A person is considered to be a person
with a disability if s/he has the disability, has a record of the disability,
or is regarded as having the disability.
“Physical Impairment” means any physiological
disorder or condition, cosmetic disfigurement, or anatomical loss affecting one
or more of the following body systems: neurological, muscular-skeletal, special
sense organs, respiratory (including speech organs), cardiovascular, reproductive,
digestive, genital-urinary, hemic and lymphatic, skin and endocrine.
“Mental Impairment” means any psychological
disorder, organic brain syndrome, emotional or mental illness, specific
learning disabilities, mental retardation, and any psychological disorder as
diagnosed by a licensed professional using the Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders — Fourth Edition (DSM-IV).
“Substantially Limits” means unable to perform a
major life activity or significantly restricted as to the condition, manner, or
duration under which a major life activity can be performed. This is in
comparison to the average person or to most people; the availability of some
mitigating measure (such as a hearing aid for someone with a hearing loss that
brings hearing acuity within normal limits) is not to be considered when
determining if the disability substantially limits the individual.
“Major Life Activity” means functions such as
caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking,
breathing, learning, and working. The impairment must be severe enough to
result in substantial limitation of one or more life activities. Impairments that do not affect a major life
activity do not qualify. Assessment of whether a person has a disability is
made without regard to availability of a reasonable accommodation or auxiliary
aid.
Hidden Disabilities
Hidden disabilities are physical or mental
impairments that are not readily apparent to others. They include such
conditions and diseases as specific learning disabilities, diabetes, epilepsy,
and allergy. A disability such as a limp, paralysis, total blindness or
deafness is usually obvious to others. But hidden disabilities such as low
vision, poor hearing, heart disease, or chronic illness may not be obvious. A
chronic illness involves a recurring and long-term disability such as diabetes,
heart disease, kidney and liver disease, high blood pressure, or ulcers.
The following examples illustrate how
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