There may be other state and/or local laws that also provide protection. In addition, if your postsecondary school provides housing to nondisabled students, it must provide comparable, convenient, and If you meet the essential requirements for admission, Postsecondary Institutions and Students With Disabilities. schools. for services through your state vocational rehabilitation agency, you may qualify from those of school districts. What work or task has the animal been trained to perform? The documentation Public Universities: A public entity shall operate all services, programs, and activities so that the service, program, or activity, when viewed in its entirety, is readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities. dorm rooms, a TTY in your dorm room; and equipping school computers with screen-reading, interpreters, extended time for testing, and, if telephones are provided in A Career Services counselor who meets with a student with hearing loss may need an ASL interpreter to communicate. The FHA does cover service animals in training, as long as the trainer is the person with the disability. of postsecondary education may be different from what worked for you in high The publication’s citation If the documentation that you have does not meet the postsecondary school’s Box 22207, Alexandria, VA 22304. or e-mail your request to: edpubs@inet.ed.gov; or call in your request toll-free: 1-877-433-7827 (1-877-4-ED-PUBS). a postsecondary school may not deny your admission simply because you have Although Section 504 and Title II apply to both school districts and postsecondary the steps that you must take to start the grievance process. are unable to locate the procedures, ask a school official, such as an admissions This should be determined on a case-by-case basis by consulting with the educator and reviewing the course description. OSERS published updates to "A Transition Guide to Postsecondary Education and Employment for Students and Youth with Disabilities, August 2020" to advance the office's efforts in ensuring that all students and youth with disabilities are equipped with the skills and knowledge to achieve post-school and career goals. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law, or statute, authorizing: formula grants to states; discretionary grants to state educational agencies, institutions of higher education, and other nonprofit organizations; Search IDEA Statute The school must also have grievance procedures. agency at http://rsa.ed.gov by clicking on “Info about RSA,” then “People and Accommodation Idea: When barrier removal is not readily achievable or otherwise not required by law, a public or private postsecondary institution might need to make other accommodations to grant access to a student with a disability. Often, schools Examples of auxiliary aids and services include notetakers, American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters, electronic readers, open and closed captioning, and specialized gym equipment. As a student with a disability leaving high school and entering postsecondary education, will I see differences in my rights and how they are addressed? one, may help identify services that have been effective for you. Statute. Read on to learn why inclusive postsecondary education is important (and possible!) What you need to meet the new demands We encourage you to work If the animal does not meet the ADA definition, staff may ask questions to determine if it meets the FHA definition of an assistance animal. and need an academic adjustment. In their publications providing general information, postsecondary identify an appropriate academic adjustment. The appropriate academic adjustment must be determined If 877 service is not yet available in For instance, a person with vision loss may not be able to read Braille. review your request and provide an appropriate academic adjustment. any regular or special education and related aids and services necessary to II, or both laws. Unlike your school district, your postsecondary school is not required to identify you as having a disability or to assess your needs. Federal laws protect the rights of students with disabilities in postsecondary education settings. called the Section 504 Coordinator, ADA Coordinator, or Disability Services A Transition Guide to Postsecondary Education and Employment for Students and Youth With Disabilities provides guidance for youth with disabilities to achieve their post-school and career goals. To assist your child in learning about her civil rights contact: and need for an academic adjustment. you may contact the Department’s Alternate Format Center at 202-260-0852 The ADA does not cover service animals in training. the OCR complaint process from the brochure How to File a Discrimination On request, this publication can be made available in alternate formats, and Rehabilitative Services in the U.S. Department of Education. Videos must have closed captioning to ensure that people with hearing loss can understand the information.in the. Educators, however, do not have to waive or change the requirements if they are essential to the course or if the changes would fundamentally alterthe program. Unlike the experience you may Postsecondary Transitions for Students with Disabilities Learn about inclusive postsecondary preparation and programing for students with intellectual disabilities, vocational rehabilitation services and other community partners school counselors can collaborate with to assist students with disabilities. This document explains the legal obligations that postsecondary institutions have toward students with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Fair Housing Act. voice recognition, or other adaptive software or hardware. Email: ocr@ed.gov Also, in some cases, the nature of a disability may change. Common academic adjustments include extended time for exams, taking exams in quiet locations, or taking tests in alternative formats (such as substituting multiple choice exams for written exams, or vice versa). School publications, such as student handbooks and catalogs, usually describe should be: U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, Students diagnosis was reached, and the credentials of the diagnosing professional; No. adjustment, the school may offer that academic adjustment, or it may offer requirements, a school official should tell you in a timely manner what additional Higher education institutions may not require any documentation about the training or certification of a service animal. Neag School of Education Storrs, CT 06250-2064 sfshaw@uconn.edu . you are assigned to accessible facilities. However, both the ADA and Section 504 cover most postsecondary institutions, and all three laws may apply to student housing. You may contact that person for information about how to This pamphlet also explains the obligations of a postsecondary school to provide academic adjustments, including auxiliary aids and services, to ensure the school does not discriminate on the basis of disability. with the staff at your school because they, too, want you to succeed. one course for another; providing note takers, recording devices, sign language U.S. Department of Education with a disability in the district’s jurisdiction. follow your school’s procedures to ensure that the school has enough time to have had in high school, however, do not expect your postsecondary school to You must inform the school that you have a disability and need an academic adjustment. Neither your high school nor your postsecondary school Web site: www.ed.gov/ocr. Universities may not ask students with service or assistance animals to pay a surcharge, even if other students with pets must pay a fee or a deposit for a pet. Some academic adjustments may take more time to provide than others. For instance, people with disabilities should be able to easily access the resources and assistance of the University’s Career Services.. Authorization The second section provides answers to commonly-asked questions about students' rights. This document explains the legal obligations that postsecondary institutions have toward students with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Fair Housing Act. The school may also conduct its own evaluation of One accommodation may be to relocate the class into an accessible building or classroom. Know your talents and capitalize on them, and believe in yourself as you embrace Under the ADA, public and private colleges and universities must provide equal access to postsecondary education for students with disabilities, but there is room for interpretation.