|
Disability Services
Under the provision of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, colleges and universities receiving federal funds may not discriminate in the recruitment, admission, educational process or treatment of students. Students who have self-identified, provided documentation of a disability and requested reasonable accommodations are entitled to receive approved modifications or programs, appropriate academic adjustments or auxiliary aids that enable them to participate in and benefit from all educational programs and activities. The Coordinator of Disability Services in the Office of Academic Affairs is responsible for providing assistance to both students and faculty in accommodating students with disabilities. The Coordinator serves as the primary resource for all student issues related to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Questions/concerns regarding students with disabilities should be directed to the Coordinator c/o Office of Academic Affairs, Kearney 202. AdmissionsStudents with disabilities must meet the standard academic requirements to be considered for admission. The Committee on Admissions considers all applications for admission on a rolling basis. Contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions for information regarding the application process. DocumentationAt the post-secondary level, disclosure of disability is voluntary. In general, documentation of disability should only be submitted after an offer of admission has been made. The following guidelines for documentation are intended to facilitate the process by which persons with disabilities are given reasonable accommodations at the College. St. John Fisher College's Guidelines for Documentation of Disability are adopted from AHEAD (Association on Higher Education and Disability). Learning Disabilities (and/or ADD/ADHD)Qualifications of the EvaluatorProfessionals conducting assessments, rendering the diagnoses of learning disabilities and making recommendations for appropriate accommodations must be qualified to do so. The name, title and professional credentials of the evaluator, including information about license or certification, as well as the area of specialization, should be clearly stated in the documentation. Use of diagnostic terminology indicating a learning disability by someone whose training and experience are not in these fields is not acceptable. DocumentationDocumentation should validate the need for services based on the individual’s current level of functioning in the educational setting. A school plan such as an individualized education program (IEP) or a 504 plan is insufficient documentation, but can be included as part of a more comprehensive assessment. Prescription pad notes are not acceptable documentation. Documentation should be normed on adolescent/adult standards and generally should be no more than 3 yrs. old for freshmen, and no more than 5 yrs. old for transfer students. Prospective students are encouraged to contact their high school special education service provider or school psychologist before graduation to obtain a copy of the most recent documentation. Students should keep a copy of the documentation for their personal records. Substantiation of the Learning Disability AssessmentThe domains to be addressed must include the following:
Specific DiagnosisIndividual “learning styles”, “learning differences”, “academic problems” and “test difficulty or anxiety” in and of themselves, do not constitute a learning disability. It is important to rule out alternative explanations for problems in learning such as emotional, attention or motivational problems that may be interfering with learning but do not constitute a learning disability. Test ScoreStandard scores and/or percentiles should be provided for all normed measures. The data should logically reflect a substantial limitation to learning for which the student is requesting accommodation. Substantiation of a Mental Health ImpairmentDocumentation of an Emotional or Psychological Disability should include:
Documentation for Other DisabilitiesDeafness and/or Hearing ImpairmentsAn audiogram from a certified otolist indicating air and bon conduction thresholds. Visual ImpairmentsA medical eye report from a certified ophthalmologist. Mobility and Other ImpairmentsA statement of disability including any recommended accommodations signed by a physician or licensed psychologist.
|