- Students who are deaf cannot hear class lectures. Provision of sign language interpreters as an accommodation gives students who are deaf access to the information discussed in the classroom at nearly the same time it is presented. Students who are deaf are also provided with note-takers, even though the lectures are interpreted. This is because it is virtually impossible to follow a signed lecture and take notes at the same time.
- Students with learning disabilities may be accommodated in a variety of ways, depending on the limitations of their particular type of learning disability.
- Students who are blind are accommodated by receiving printed materials in an alternate format, such as audio CDs or Braille.
- Students with mobility limitations, such as wheelchair users, may request that classroom locations be moved if the classroom is not accessible on a ground floor or by an elevator.
- Student identifies oneself in a timely manner when an accommodation is needed and presents current, comprehensive documentation of disability. [Eligibility & Documentation Requirements]
- Student Disability Resources verifies the student's disability and the functional limitations that result. Medical or psychological records are used in this process. Individualized Education Programs (IEP) or 504 Plans are NOT adequate to demonstrate the functional limitations of a disability. In some cases, SDR may determine that the documentation provided is too old to be considered accurate. If the documentation is too old, SDR will recommend that the student obtain current assessments. This must be done by the student and at the student's expense.
- Student Disability Resources reviews the documentation and determines if the student is eligible for accommodations. SDR will notify the student if the documentation is complete or if additional information is needed.
- If the documentation is complete, the Disability Services Coordinator meets with the student (typically the first week of classes) to discuss the appropriate accommodations and how to access the accommodations.
- Student Disability Resources completes an Accommodation Request Form for the student to give to their instructors. The Accommodation Request Form introduces the student to the instructor and informs the instructor that the student is registered with SDR and is eligible for specific accommodations. The student is responsible for giving the Accommodation Request Form to their instructors. Student Disability Resources recommends that students identify and request accommodations with plenty of advanced notice to ensure their accommodations will be there when they need them.
Unlike elementary and secondary schools, postsecondary institutions offer access to education rather than entitlement to it. In 1975, Congress passed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (Public Law 94-142), which guaranteed students with disabilities a free and appropriate public education. This law—and later versions like the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)—required K–12 schools to determine and provide what was most appropriate for each student, often through an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Some students may also receive accommodations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which led to what are commonly known as 504 Plans.
At the college level, these laws no longer apply. Instead, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, modeled on Section 504, ensures that students with disabilities who are otherwise qualified have equal access to programs and services. For institutions like Penn State Behrend, this means providing reasonable accommodations—not guaranteed outcomes. Access includes more than physical features like ramps and elevators; it also covers access to information, technology, and learning environments.
While accommodations help level the playing field, they do not alter academic standards or guarantee success. Students are expected to meet the same requirements as their peers, with support that allows them to demonstrate their abilities.
Learn more about the primary differences in student rights and responsibilities between secondary and postsecondary education.
No. If the student meets the essential requirements for admission, a postsecondary institution may not deny admission simply because of a disability.
Reasonable accommodations are made in order to level the playing field for qualified individuals with disabilities. As much as possible, accommodations are designed to minimize the functional limitations of an individual in a given task. These adjustments permit students with disabilities the opportunity to learn by removing barriers that do not compromise academic standards. Examples:
In providing an accommodation, the college is not required to lower or effect substantial modifications to essential requirements. The college does not have to make modifications that would fundamentally alter the nature of a service, program, or activity or would result in undue financial or administrative burdens. Also, the college does not have to provide personal attendants, individually prescribed devices, readers for personal use or study, or other devices or services of a personal nature, such as tutoring and typing.
Your child is ultimately responsible for managing their own education, understanding functional limitations, and requesting necessary accommodations. As adults, all students go through a process of learning about themselves. They develop the skills of self-determination, including the confidence to advocate for the things they need to thrive and achieve. Student Disability Resources (SDR) strives to promote this kind of self-knowledge. It is in the development of these skills that SDR can best guide students with disabilities in their educational growth. These skills are critical because it is the students, not SDR, who will approach instructors and other staff to request the accommodations that are reasonable for them to receive. These are the skills all students need when they leave college and move successfully into their chosen careers.
The following applies to most students who register with Student Disability Resources (SDR). Specifics vary depending on the student's disability, functional limitations, and accommodations requested and provided.
At the postsecondary level, both parents and students experience a transition. A parent's role shifts to a subtle hand of guidance when it comes to the process involved in the student's education. Encourage the student to take responsibility for academic concerns and limitations. Both the parent(s) and student should acknowledge the disability and the limitations that stem from it. This will allow the student to identify areas in which they should consider accommodations to level the playing field. It will also make it easier for the student to convey their requests for accommodations to instructors or anyone from whom they may seek assistance. Encourage the student to register with Student Disability Resources where they will be coached on how to proceed in obtaining reasonable accommodations.
Neither the Americans with Disabilities Act nor Section 504 make it obligatory for institutions of higher education to evaluate and assess students with disabilities or suspected disabilities. In the logic of civil rights, students must assert and claim their right to equal access. The burden of proof is not on the institution. Students must identify themselves as a qualified person with a disability and be prepared to provide the documents that verify that claim.
No. Remember 504 Plans and IEPs from high school have no weight in higher education. They cannot be used to verify a student's disability for civil rights purposes. Each student must contact Student Disability Resources to begin the process of verifying their disability. SDR actively works to communicate services to prospective and currently enrolled students in an effort to encourage them to utilize all services that they may be eligible to receive.
Documentation verifying a disability should not be sent to the Admissions Office; it should be sent directly to Student Disability Resources.
Once students, whether they are 18 years old or not, enroll in a postsecondary institution, they become the sole guardian of all records maintained by that institution. Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1976 (FERPA), students have the right to access their own records upon written request. The parent or guardian does not share that right. This means that parents do not have legal access to their student's grades, transcripts, or any information concerning the services being provided through Student Disability Resources. This information is confidential.
However, we understand that students may wish to share educational information with parents and guests. Students wishing to grant access to their educational records to parents and/or guests can do so through various forms. Please visit the registrar's website for Parent Rights Relating to Educational Records.
The only time a student's record may be disclosed without written consent would be to comply with a subpoena or in an emergency situation where the health and safety of the student or another individual is threatened.
Penn State Behrend on-campus housing is readily accessible to and usable by students with many disabilities. Reasonable accommodations will be made to students with disabilities whose limitations require them.
Adapted, with permission, from Handbook for Parents of Students with Disabilities, Pennsylvania College of Technology; Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities, U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, May 2004; and Toto, I Have a Feeling We’re Not in High School Any More, by Dan Burke, University of Montana–Missoula, Disability Services for Students, 2003.