Disability Services

Student Services Mission

Student Services, within the Office of Student Affairs, supports the Institute’s mission and value of diversity by facilitating and supporting equal access to its programs and services for students who experience a disability.

Application Procedures for Services

Eligibility

To be eligible for disability-related services, individuals must have a documented disability as defined by section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and/or the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), of 1990. Eligible disabilities include physical and mental impairments which may include but are not limited to vision, hearing, mobility, learning, systemic, psychiatric, and brain injury that substantially limit one or more major life activity. Student Services will request documentation from an appropriate professional to certify individuals as having a disability. The cost of obtaining documentation will be borne by the student. If the initial documentation is incomplete or inadequate to determine the extent of the disability and appropriate accommodations, Student Services has the discretion to require supplemental assessment of a disability. The cost of the supplemental assessment shall also be borne by the student.

Pending receipt of the eligibility documentation, Student Services and/or the Institute reserves the right to deny services and accommodations.

Determination and Provision of Accommodations

As per section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the ADA academic adjustments, auxiliary aids and program modifications will be provided to qualified students with a disability to enable that student to have an equal opportunity to participate in any program, course, activity, or service offered by the Institute. An equal opportunity means an opportunity to attain the same level of performance or to enjoy equal benefits and privileges as are available to similarly-situated individuals without a disability.

The Institute is obligated to provide academic adjustments, auxiliary aids and/or program modifications (accommodations) only to the known limitations of an otherwise qualified individual (student) with a disability. It is the responsibility of the student with a disability to inform the Institute that an accommodation is needed. When a qualified student with a disability requests accommodations, the Institute will make a reasonable effort to provide an accommodation, adjustment, and/or auxiliary aids that is effective for the student. Students will be provided with a written response regarding eligibility for services and recommended accommodations (if any) once appropriate documentation has been reviewed.

Admissions decisions, evaluation of performance, course examinations and other measures of achievement, will be conducted with appropriate accommodations or modifications to ensure that the decision and evaluation reflects the students merit and achievement rather than reflecting the impact of a disability.

Requesting Services

Making Requests in a Timely Manner:

Advanced planning is needed to ensure the timely provision of appropriate accommodations. A qualified student with a disability may not be excluded from a program due to lack of appropriate services. However, all services may not be on hand at all times. Therefore, it is important to allow sufficient time for a program and/or the institution to put accommodations and appropriate auxiliary aid(s) into place. Therefore, students must turn in their requests for accommodations within an appropriate time frame, usually 6 weeks prior to the beginning of the next term for which the accommodations are being requested. If a request is submitted after the relevant deadline, the Student Services will make every reasonable effort to accommodate the request but cannot guarantee that an untimely request can be met. Untimely requests may result in delay, substitutions, or denial of accommodation.

How to Request Services:

Students requesting accommodations are required to submit a Disability Services Request Form, indicating the specific accommodations being requested along with documentation which shows the current disability and its impact on academic functioning. Documentation must be current (within the last five years). Forms and documentation should be submitted to Student Services, in the Office of Student Affairs (Building 39). Forms are available on the Institute's website, as well as in the Office of Student Affairs. Once a request is approved, students are responsible for submitting an Accommodations Request form per class each semester by the end of the add/drop period, indicating which accommodations they will need. The Manager of Student and Disability Services will send a letter to the faculty member teaching the class, as well as to the student, indicating the accommodations the student will be using for the semester.

Please see Disability Services on the Institute website for additional information and request forms.

Disability Documentation Requirements

In order to provide reasonable and appropriate academic accommodations to those students at the Institute who have disabilities, Student Services requires documentation which shows the current disability and its impact on academic functioning. Therefore, the documentation the student provides to Student Services must include the following information:

• Documentation must be current. The determination of what is current documentation depends on the nature of the disability. However, in most cases documentation should be within the last five years. Student Services reserves the right to make appropriate modifications to this time frame.
• The name, title, and professional credentials of the evaluator including information about license or certification, as well as, area of specialization, employment, and state in which the individual practices. Professionals conducting the evaluation/assessment must be qualified to do so, and it is essential that they have experience working with adult populations.
• Reports must be on letterhead, typed, dated, and have the original signature of the evaluator. Reports must be written in English or translated into English by a qualified translator.
• Reports need to include the names of any standardized tests administered, the scores derived from these tests and a discussion of the data that clearly indicates the presence of a disability. Student Services reserves the right to determine which tests are acceptable for diagnosing the disability. Standardized tests must be based on adult norms.
• The report must clearly state the specific diagnosis of the disability. Terms such as “suggest” or “is indicative of” are not acceptable.
• The evaluator must describe the impact of the diagnosed disability on a specific major life function/activity (especially as it relates to academic performance).
• The diagnostic report should include specific recommendations for reasonable academic accommodations and a detailed explanation of the rationale for each recommended accommodation as related to the specific functional limitations.
• If medications are taken, these should be listed as well as their potential side effects.
• If symptoms involve cognitive recall (memory), appropriate testing needs to be conducted. Testing for specific learning disabilities may be appropriate.
• A doctor’s prescription pad note is not sufficient documentation in and of itself but can be included as part of a more comprehensive evaluative report.

It must be understood that evaluation reports themselves do not automatically qualify a student for disability services with Student Services. All of the items listed above must clearly show the presence of a disabling condition and clearly justify the need for reasonable accommodations. Student Services will make the final decision as to whether reasonable and appropriate accommodations are needed and can be provided to the student.

Additional Documentation Requirements

Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing

Report from an audiologist or otolaryngologist that includes the following:

• Results of an audiogram showing the degree of hearing loss
• The type of hearing loss (conductive or sensorineural)
• Whether the hearing loss is temporary or permanent, and if it is stable or progressive
• Whether the condition is mitigated by hearing aids or medication
• A description of the functional limitation(s) caused by the disability
• Recommendations for reasonable academic accommodations

Physical Disability and/or Health-Related Impairment

Letter or report from a physician in an appropriate medical specialization that includes the following:

• The specific medical condition which causes the disability
• How long this condition has lasted and how long the physician has treated the student for the condition
• Whether the condition is temporary or permanent, and if it is stable or progressive
• Information about current prescribed medications used to treat the disability and possible side effects
• A description of the functional limitation(s) caused by the disability, including effects, symptoms and restrictions as a result of the disability
• Recommendations for reasonable academic accommodations

Speech Impairment

Report or letter from a speech pathologist or physician that includes the following:

• The specific disabling condition

• Whether the condition is temporary or permanent, and if it is stable or progressive

• A description of the functional limitation(s) caused by the disability

• Recommendations for reasonable academic accommodations

Visual Impairment

Report or letter from an ophthalmologist or optometrist that includes the following:

• The specific medical condition which causes the visual impairment and how long the student has experienced the condition
• The degree of visual acuity, including with corrective lenses
• The extent of the visual fields
• Whether the condition is temporary or permanent, and if it is stable or progressive
• Whether the condition is mitigated by corrective lenses or medication
• A description of the functional limitation(s) caused by the disability
• Recommendations for reasonable academic accommodations including any visual aids

ADHD/ADD

Report from a psychologist or psychiatrist that includes the following:

• Clear statement of ADHD with the DSM-IV diagnosis
• A description of the symptoms which meet the criteria for the diagnosis
• A summary of the assessment procedures and evaluation instruments which were used to make the diagnosis
• Information about current prescribed medications used to treat the disability and possible side effects
• A description of the functional limitation(s) caused by the disability supported by the assessment information provided
• Recommendations for reasonable academic accommodations

Specific Learning Disabilities

A comprehensive psycho-educational assessment from a psychologist or learning disabilities specialist that includes the following: NOTE: All of these tests must be based on adult norms.

• Clear statement of the specific learning disability with the DSM-IV diagnosis
• A test used to measure intellectual ability, including scores and subtest scores
• A test used to measure academic achievement, including scores and subtest scores
• A test used to measure processing ability, including scores and subset scores
• Profile of academic strengths and weaknesses and how these relate to academic limitations
• Clinical summary
• Recommendations for reasonable academic accommodations

Acceptable IQ tests:

• Kaufman Adolescent and Adult Intelligence Test
• Stanford Binet 4th Edition
• Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale – III (WAIS-III)
• Woodcock-Johnson III General Intellectual Ability (GIA)

Not acceptable:

• Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (KBIT)
• Slosson Intelligence Test
• Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI)
• Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – III (WISC-III)
• A test used to measure academic achievement, including scores and subtest scores

Acceptable achievement tests:

• Nelson-Denny Reading Test
• Scholastic Abilities Test for Adults (SATA)
• Wechsler Individual Achievement Test – II (WIAT-II)
• Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement
• Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests – Revised

Not acceptable:

• Wide Range Achievement Test – 3 (WRAT-3)
• A test used to measure processing ability, including scores and subtest scores

Acceptable processing tests:

• Detroit Tests of Learning Aptitude - Adult
• Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities
• Profile of academic strengths and weaknesses and how these relate to the academic limitation(s)
• Clinical summary
• Recommendations for reasonable academic accommodations

Psychological and Psychiatric Disability

Psychological or neuropsychological evaluation or report from a psychiatrist or licensed psychologist that includes the following:

• Clear statement of the condition with the DSM-IV diagnosis, completed within previous six months
• A description of the symptoms which meet the criteria for the diagnosis
• A summary of the assessment procedures and evaluation instruments which were used to make the diagnosis
• Information about current prescribed medications used to treat the disability and possible side effects
• A description of the functional limitation(s) caused by the disability
• Recommendations for reasonable academic accommodations

Grievance Procedure

Step One

The student should meet with the Manager of Student and Disability Services to discuss the accommodations received or denied.

Step Two

If, after the discussion, the student still feels that he/she does not understand why he/she was not approved for certain accommodations, or the accommodations were not appropriately provided, the student should request a written explanation of the decision. The request should be made in writing to the Manager of Student and Disability Services. The Manager of Student and Disability Services will provide the student with a written explanation within three business days.

Step Three

If the student disagrees with the written explanation provided by the Manager of Student and Disability Services, the student may request reconsideration of the decision in writing to the Dean of Student Affairs. In this case, the Dean will convene an ad hoc committee comprised of the Institute’s ADA Compliance Officer and other faculty and administrators. If necessary, the Dean of Student Affairs may request additional medical documentation or an independent medical opinion on the request for accommodation, or gather any information pertinent to the request for accommodation. The ad hoc committee will come to a decision within 5 business days of the written request from the student.