Eligibility
To be eligible for disability-related services, individuals must have a documented disability as defined by section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 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 and Disability 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 and Disability 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 and Disability 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 and Disability 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 and Disability 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.