erc other important information booklet-issuu

Center for EducationalResources and Counseling

Division of Student Affairs

Other Important Information

Table Of Contents

Course Substitutions

On-Campus Housing

Accommodations for Tulane University Students Studying at Other Institutions Domestically or Abroad

Accommodations for Standardized Tests

Temporary Conditions vs. Long-term Disabilities

Differences Between High School and College-level Disability Services

IDEA, ADA, IEP’S, and Section 504 Plans: What Happens in College?

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Course Substitutions

Course SubstitutionsAll students must be otherwise qualified to participate in any program of academic study with or without reasonable accommodations. Students with disabilities are not excused from course prerequisites, GPA requirements, or degree requirements. However, in some limited circumstances a course substitution may be appropriate.

The Office of Disability Services (ODS) makes considerations of course substitutions on a case-by-case basis and only after a specific request by a student. Course substitutions are made only when it is clear that the student’s disability makes completion of the requirement impossible and that the course requested for substitution is not an essential component of the academic program and, thus, the substitution does not alter the integrity of the academic program.

Students must submit documentation and other evidence of a disability that affects the skills needed for the course requested for substitution to Disability Services. Disability Services will consider course adaptation or accommodation before recommending a course substitution. Disability Services will determine whether the request is reasonable based on the student’s disability and supporting documentation on file at Disability Services.

If a students’ documentation is insufficient to establish a clear need for the requested course substitution, the course substitution will not be granted (e.g., a student requesting course substitutions for the foreign language requirement needs to provide a recent comprehensive psychoeducational test report with evidence indicating significant language learning difficulties). If a student subsequently provides additional relevant documentation, the course substitution request may be reconsidered.

If ODS determines that the requested course substitution is reasonable, Disability Services will then send a letter of approval to the appropriate academic dean’s office.The academic dean will determine whether the course requested for substitution is an essential component of the academic program of the student. If the course is determined not essential, the course substitution will be granted and the academic dean will work with the student to determine which course or courses may be used as substitutions.

ERC: Other Important Information

On-Campus Housing

On-Campus HousingODS works closely with the Department of Housing and Residence Life (HRL) to provide on-campus housing accommodations for students with physical, medical, or psychiatric disabilities. Housing accommodations are specific to each student and their disability needs, but can include: a single room; a room on the first floor or a dormitory with an elevator; a raised bed; specific lighting; or an ADA compliant floor plan. Approving and implementing housing accommodations can be a lengthy process, so students with housing needs are urged to contact ODS as early as possible.

If ODS grants a housing accommodation, a letter of consideration is sent to HRL outlining the housing need. The directors and/or coordinators of HRL give final approval to any housing consideration based on housing availability and administrative burden. Temporary housing arrangements may be provided until permanent, accommodated housing is made available.

After ODS has granted a housing accommodation, students who have concerns about the implementation of the accommodation should contact the Department of Housing and Residence Life at (504) 865-5724. Please do not send disability-related information directly to HRL as this can complicate and draw out the accommodation process.

If you have a temporary physical, medical, or psychiatric condition which requires a short-term change to your living environment, please contact the Student Health Center at (504) 865-5255 for an evaluation.

Students granted or requesting housing accommodations are still subject to all policies and procedures of the Department of Residence Life (e.g., on-campus housing applications, deadlines, etc.).


Accommodations for Tulane University Students Studying at Other Institutions Domestically or Abroad

Accommodations for Tulane University Students Studying at Other Institutions Domestically or Abroad Accommodation definitions and procedures can differ between Tulane University and other institutions, especially those abroad. Students planning to study at another institution temporarily, for example programs through International Studies or Summer Abroad, should alert ODS staff as soon as possible. ODS will make every effort to facilitate accommodations, but unfortunately, accommodations abroad cannot be guaranteed.


Accommodations for Standardized Tests

Accommodations for Standardized Tests Students seeking graduate degrees or professional licensure may be required by outside organizations to take standardized tests such as the GMAT, MCAT, LSAT. Other graduate students may pursue licensure or take proficiency exams, for example State Bar Exams. Most standardized testing companies and groups have their own policies and procedures for determining accommodation eligibility. The Manager of ODS may be required by a standardized testing company to fill out a form or draft a letter which outlines your accommodation history at Tulane University. Please remember that for ODS staff to release information from your ODS file, you must fill out and sign a Release of Confidentiality. Carefully read all disability-related information for standardized tests before contacting ODS. Obtaining accommodations on any standardized test can be a lengthy, involved process; therefore, ODS recommends students begin this process as early as possible.


Temporary Conditions vs. Long-term DisabilitiesThe Office of Disability Services strives to make the campus of Tulane University equally accessible for all students. We do this under the direction of Federal Law- The Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to name two. As such, we work directly with students with substantially limiting, long-term disabilities who are recognized and covered by these applicible laws.

A student who has a temporary illness (e.g. cold, flu, mononucleosis), is recovering from surgery not based on a long-term condition, or loses mobility for a short period of time (usually due to a broken limb, appendage, or a surgery) is not eligible for disability services through ODS, but can work with University staff to minimize inconveniences.

Due to liability, the University does not allow its golf carts to be used by anyone other than authorized staff; however, handicapped parking permits can be issued by the Public Safety Office of Traffic Control. Contact Housing and Residence Life (HRL) to request a temporary room change. Physicians at the Student Health Center (SHC) or your own physicians can write letters of support to instructors regarding your temporary ailment. Work with instructors and/or your college deans to make appropriate modifications to your courses.


Temporary Conditions vs. Long-term Disabilities

Differences Between High School and College-level Disability Services

Differences Between High School and College-level Disability Services Students and parents may notice a difference between high school and college-level disability services. The list below is not exhaustive, but does provide a good overview.

• In high school, eligibility for accommodation is determined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. In college, IDEA does not apply. Instead, Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) are in effect and cover students of all ages. • In high school, students are covered by Individual Education Plans (IEP’s) or 504 Plans. These plans are no longer valid at the college level. Accommodations and modifications made on these plans may or may not be the same as accommodations provided in college. • In high school, it is the responsibility of the school to determine the student’s need for accommodations and to provide such accommodations. In college, it is the responsibility of the student to self-disclose and register a disability with ODS, make a specific request for accommodations, and submit all required documentation. • In high school students may receive individually designed instruction. In college, reasonable accommodations may be made to provide equal access, but personal accommodations such as private tutoring or remedial classes are not required. • In high school, granted accommodations are often coordinated by teachers and administrators for the student. In college, it is the student’s responsibility to disclose and coordinate accommodations with instructors or staff. • In high school, progress toward goals is monitored by teachers and administration and communicated to the student and parents. In college, students monitor their own progress. • In high school, parents often advocate for students. In the college environment, communication is the responsibility of the student. Each student should be in contact with ODS, as well as with parents, to discuss circumstances or difficulties. If a student wishes for open lines of communication between ODS and his or her parents, a release of information specific to ODS must be signed and on file at ODS. At ODS, we view the process of accommodating as a collaborative process between the student and the university.


IDEA, ADA, IEP’S, and Section 504 Plans: What Happens in College?Many students and families find it difficult to understand how different disability laws affect the provision of services at college. Below are three very important laws to understand.

The IDEA

The IDEA stands for The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The IDEA is a federal law that governs special education service delivery for schoolchildren ages 3-21 (or until high school graduation). The Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is developed by the educational team for each child and indicates how a child’s education will be individualized in order to best serve him or her. The IDEA ensures that the student is successful in the K-12 system.

Section 504

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a law that protects individuals from discrimination based on their disability. The Act is divided into seven Subparts. Subpart D applies to K-12 schools and Subpart E applies to postsecondary institutions. A 504 Plan is developed when a K-12 student needs certain accommodations and modifications to either the physical space in the school or the learning environment – however, a 504 Plan indicates that there is no need for special education (if there was a need for special education, the student would have been given an IEP discussed above). Subpart E states that postsecondary students must be granted the opportunity to complete with their non-disabled peers.

Section 508

The Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998 covers access to federally funded programs and services. The law strengthens section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and requires access to electronic and information technology provided by the Federal government. The law applies to all Federal agencies when they develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology. Federal agencies must ensure that this technology is accessible to employees and members of the public with disabilities to the extent it does not pose an “undue burden.” Section 508 speaks to various means




for disseminating information, including computers, software, and electronic office equipment. It applies to, but is not solely focused on, Federal pages on the Internet or the World Wide Web. It does not apply to web pages of private industry.

The ADA

The ADA stands for The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The ADA is a federal civil rights law designed to provide equal opportunity for people with disabilities. The ADA ensures equal access and opportunity and also protects individuals with disabilities from discrimination.

The ADAA

The ADAA stands for The American with Disabilities Act Amendments of 2008, which retains the ADA’s basic definition of “disability” as an impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a record of such an impairment, or being regarded as having such an impairment. However, it changes the way that these statutory terms should be interpreted in several ways. Most significantly, the Act:

• directs Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to revise that portion of its regulations defining the term “substantially limits”; • expands the definition of “major life activities” by including two non-exhaustive lists:

• the first list includes many activities that the EEOC has recognized (e.g., walking) as well as activities that EEOC has not specifically recognized (e.g., reading, bending, and communicating); • the second list includes major bodily functions (e.g., “functions of the immune system, normal cell growth, digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, and reproductive functions”);

• states that mitigating measures other than “ordinary eyeglasses or contact lenses” shall not be considered in assessing whether an individual has a disability; • clarifies that an impairment that is episodic or in remission is a disability if it would substantially limit a major life activity when active; • changes the definition of “regarded as” so that it no longer requires a showing that the employer perceived the individual to be substantially limited in a major life activity, and instead says that an applicant or employee is “regarded as” disabled if he or she is subject to an action prohibited by the ADA (e.g., failure to hire or termination) based on an impairment that is not transitory and minor;



• provides that individuals covered only under the “regarded as” prong are not entitled to reasonable accommodation.

Important Points

It is very important to understand that IEP’s and 504 Plan’s do not suffice as adequate documentation to accompany a student to a postsecondary institution since both are required under laws that do not apply once the student attends college. Although students are covered under Section 504 once they get to college, it is a different Subpart, as discussed above. IEP’s and 504 Plans are sometimes helpful to colleges but are often insufficient as a sole form of documentation.

The key point to remember is that the purpose of the IDEA is to ensure that students are successful in the K-12 system whereas the ADA and Section 504 only ensure access, because success in college is up to the student!

Overall, the responsibilities of the student and of the school are very different at the post-secondary level. Here are some key points:

Identification

• At the high school level, the school is responsible for identifying students with disabilities, testing those students, and providing services. • At the college level, the student must locate the office that provides services for students with disabilities, identify him- or herself to the office, request accommodations, and provide documentation to support the need for accommodations. Any student who needs additional or updated information to support accommodation requests, or who has never been identified before college, is responsible for paying for any testing.

Services

At the high school level, students are typically assigned time to attend the resource room where strategy instruction is taught with a teacher who is specifically trained in working with students with disabilities. In college, unless the student chooses a school with a specialized program that provides such services, the student must make his/her own appointments at a learning center, where services are generally the same for all students (i.e. no special kind of instruction is typically offered for students with disabilities) and the staff does not typically have special training or background in working with students with disabilities.




Communication

• At the high school level, part of a student’s plan may include mandated follow-up by school staff to inform parents of the student’s academic performance, completion of homework, etc. • A college may not, by law, contact parents about a student’s academic performance unless the student gives the college permission to do so. Parents wishing to know how their student is doing must ask the student directly or get the student to give permission to the college to release such information.

Accommodation arrangements

• At the high school level, a formal plan (IEP or 504 plan) makes it the school’s responsibility to arrange for the student to receive accommodations. • At the post-secondary level, the student must, once approved, request his or her accommodations in each instance that they are needed. For example, the student must provide a purchased copy of a text in order to have it converted to an alternative format. For testing accommodations, the student must provide the appropriate office with the dates and times of his or her exams and may be required to have more participation in the arrangements for such accommodations. Colleges are not responsible for knowing a student’s schedule and arranging accommodations without some form of initiation from the student.

Objective of accommodations

• At the high school level, accommodations and services are usually designed to maximize a student’s potential. • At the post-secondary level, accommodations are granted to create a “level playing field,” rather than to help a student reach his or her greatest potential. Often, the reason certain accommodation requests are rejected is that they go beyond the scope of this goal.

It is important to understand that services vary from college to college. Students transferring from one post-secondary institution to another may experience differences in the level of service offered. Any student with questions should contact the Office of Disability Services.

Courtesy of © 2008 Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

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