DISABILITY SUPPORT SERVICES

Reasonable Accommodations Policy

• Provided for under both Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Purpose is to provide ACCESS not SUCCESS
• With the exception of a few specifically mandated accommodations, whether a particular accommodation must be provided depends upon whether it satisfies the “fundamental alteration” or “undue burden” test.
• An accommodation is NOT Reasonable if it would constitute an undue burden or hardship to provide it, or if it would require a fundamental alteration to the program at issue.
• DOE’s Section 504 regulations suggest three types of accommodations:
  1. Academic Adjustments: modifications to ensure requirements do not discriminate or have effect of discriminating; may include changes in length of time permitted to complete degree requirements, substitution of specific courses required for degree requirement, adaptation of the manner in which specific courses are conducted.
  2. Modification or alteration of course examinations: provide methods of evaluating achievement of students who have a disability that impairs sensory, manual or speaking skills.
  3. Provision of auxiliary aids: taped texts, interpreters, readers, etc; need not provide attendants, individually prescribed devices, readers for personal use or study, or other devices or services of a personal nature.
• Title II and Title III regulations of the ADA provide for auxiliary aids and services:
  1. Qualified interpreters, note takers, transcription services, written materials, telephone handset amplifiers, assistive listening devices, telephone compatible with hearing aids, closed caption decoders, other effective methods of making aurally delivered materials available to individuals with hearing impairments.
  2. Qualified readers, taped texts, audio recordings, Brailled materials, large print materials, or other effective methods of making visually delivered materials available to individuals with visual impairments.
  3. NOT required to provide personal aids or services.
• What are the components of class that you need to make accessible and possible accommodations that would make class accessible:
  1. Lecture/discussion:
     • Note taker
     • Tape lecture
     • Sign language interpreter
     • Seating arrangement (sitting up front)
  2. Test/exams:
     • Extended test time
     • Quiet room
     • Scribe (person to write out answers as directed by student)
     • Reader
  3. Homework/assignments:
     • Books-on-tape
     • Enlarged print
     • Assistive Technology (Software loaded on accessible computers in the computer lab: Blackboard)
• Comparison of disabilities and possible accommodations that would make the class accessible:
  1. Person with Carpal Tunnel (has trouble writing)
     • Lecture/Discussion: tape lectures and/or note taker
     • Test/exams: extended time
     • Homework/assignments
  2. Person with ADD (has trouble concentrating)
     • Lecture/Discussion: tape lectures and/or note taker
     • Test/exams: extended time, quiet room
     • Homework/assignments: Kurzweil 3000 program at computer lab
  3. Person with SLD in reading and writing (has trouble with reading and writing)
     • Lecture/Discussion: tape lectures and/or note taker
     • Test/exams: extended time; possibly a reader (if deficient enough in reading)
     • Homework/assignments: Possibly books-on-tape (if deficient enough in reading)
     (Note the similarities for the classroom and test accommodations for these three different disabilities)

Please contact the DSS Office if you have any questions or concerns: (229) 226-1621 ext. 140 or 150.

Funded by the United States Department of Education