ADA: Eligibility for Accommodations

In accordance with federal law (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendment Act of 2008), the College is committed to providing the means to enable students with disabilities equal access to education. Individuals with disabilities (those defined as having a “physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual, a record of such impairment, or being regarded as having such impairment”) who are otherwise qualified, may be eligible to receive academic support and/or accommodations(s). Eligibility of services is based on appropriate and current documentation that establishes that an individual has a disability and the current functional impact of that disability as it pertains to our school environment and programs. Reasonable accommodation(s) are provided on an individual, case by case basis to an admitted or enrolled student.

Essential components of any course of study may not be eliminated or circumvented. Accommodation(s) are intended to provide equal access, not special privilege. Disabled students, like all students, are responsible for maintaining the established acceptable level of conduct and academic achievement.

Procedure

It is the responsibility of the student to make the College Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator aware of her/his disability and need for possible accommodation(s) in a timely manner. This may be prior to or during the admissions process, prior to course registration or any time during the semester.

Students who believe they have a current and essential need for disability accommodation(s) are responsible for requesting accommodation(s) and providing appropriate and current documentation to verify disability and the functional impact of the disability in the College educational environment to the ADA Coordinator. This documentation is required to verify the need for accommodation(s) that provides equal access to programs and services at the College. This process takes time; the sooner the student begins the procedure, the sooner appropriate accommodation(s) can be considered and determined. Once the ADA Coordinator has the complete, appropriate and current documentation, a determination and meeting will take place within fifteen school days.

This process is as follows:

1. A student must contact the ADA Coordinator to make known the possible need for accommodation;
2. The student must provide a copy of required, complete, appropriate and current documentation to the ADA Coordinator;
3. The ADA Coordinator will review the provided documentation and then contact the student to set up an appointment to discuss possible accommodation(s);
4. At the appointment, an accommodation letter will be generated as appropriate;
5. The student’s sharing of the accommodation letter and discussing its contents with an instructor activates the accommodation(s) in that particular class.

Accommodation letters must be updated each semester. 

If a student feels that the accommodation(s) outlined in the letter are not being provided, the student needs to make the ADA Coordinator aware of this situation.

Approved:______________________________________________________________________
Monika Bissell, DBA
President

Documentation Requirements 

Documentation must be typed on official letterhead of the diagnosing practitioner. The practitioner must be a certified/licensed professional who is qualified to diagnose the stated disability and not related to the student. The documentation must be current (for learning disabilities, within five years and on adult scales; for all other disability areas, within one year). Documentation must include the following components:

1. Diagnosis must be described from the latest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as appropriate.
2. The date the student was first diagnosed and beginning of treatments or services; a general history and clinical interview should be included.
3. A description of the comprehensive diagnostic tests/methods used, including specific test scores (raw scores, converted standard scores, index scores, age equivalents, etc.) as well as the examiner’s narrative interpretation. This narrative should rule out other disability areas.
4. A clear and direct statement of diagnosis. The diagnostician should avoid ambiguous words such as “appears” or “seems”. If the data does not confirm a disability, the evaluator should state that conclusion in the report.
5. A description of the current functional impact of the disability. This must establish what major life activity is limited. An explanation of the functional limitations from the impairment that may adversely affect the individual in an academic college program must be included.
6. A statement of the method of treatment including any medications, ability/inability to control symptoms, effects of medication that may adversely affect clear cognitive functioning.
7. A description of the expected progression of symptoms, especially during the college years.
8. A history of previous accommodation(s) and their impact.
9. Recommendations based on the functional and substantial limitations for college academic and physical accommodation(s).

If a student does not have documentation but feels that she/he may have a disability, the ADA Coordinator can try to assist the student to determine an appropriate practitioner to contact. MCHP does not provide any testing; testing is at the student’s expense.

Documentation minimums (for Psychiatric Disorders, LD, ADHD, Brain Injury, Autism, NLD):

1. Cognitive Component (latest version of the WAIS preferred)
2. Achievement Component (latest version of the WIAT preferred)
3. Information Processing (latest version of the WMS preferred)
4. Other tests should be included as appropriate to the particular area of disability likely based on results of the above required components. As an example, it would be appropriate to use the Connors Continuance Performance Test for suspected ADHD.