Requirements for Eligibility
According to the Americans with Disability Act, to be enrolled with the Office of Counseling & Accessibility Services, a person must meet each aspect of the criteria listed below:
- The person must be regarded as one who has a disability.
- The person must identify themselves to the institution.
- The person must present the institution with documentation regarding their disability. The documentation must reflect the student’s need for academic accommodations.
Definition of a Disability
Section 504 defines a person with a disability as:
- Someone with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities
- A person who has a record of the disability
- Someone who is regarded as having the disability.
Physical Impairment
Any physiological disorder or condition, cosmetic dis-figuration, or anatomical loss affecting one or more of the following body systems:
- Neurological
- Musculoskeletal
- Special Sense Organs
- Respiratory (including speech organs)
- Cardiovascular
- Reproductive
- Digestive
- Genitourinary
- Hemic and Lymphatic
- Skin and Endocrine
Psychological Impairment
Any psychological or neurological disorder such as organic brain syndrome, emotional, or mental illness and specific learning disabilities.
Major Life Activity
Any function such as: caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning and working.
Confidentiality
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 states that any information regarding a person’s disability gained from medical examinations to the appropriate post-admission investigation shall be considered confidential and shall only be shared with others within the college or university on a need-to-know basis. In other words, faculty members do not need to have access to information regarding a student’s disability; faculty ought only to know the accommodations that are appropriate and necessary to meet the student’s needs.