FAQ Topics:
What constitutes a disability?
A disability is defined in the Americans
with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as a mental or physical
impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities.
Learning is an example of a major life activity. If you have a
mental or physical condition, a history of such a condition, or a
condition which may be considered by others as substantially
limiting, you may have a legally defined disability.
What does substantially
limiting mean?
According to Section
504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, substantially
limiting is defined as being unable to perform a major life
activity, or significantly restricted as to the condition, manner, or
duration under which a major life activity can be performed, in
comparison to the average person or to most people.
What is a major life
activity?
According to Section
504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a major
life activity is defined as caring for oneself, performing manual
tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and
working.
What are academic
adjustments?
Appropriate academic
adjustments create an equal access to education, as long as it
doesn't require a substantial change in an essential element of the
curriculum. This is determined by the institution. Such modifications
may include an adjustment in the amount of time allowed to complete a
degree, substitution of degree requirements, and adaptation of the
manner in which specific courses are conducted.
What should I know when applying
to Texas A&M University? Are there any special procedures?
Students with disabilities must apply
to TAMU through the regular admissions procedure. There are no
special admissions procedures. A student may, however, apply to
Educational Testing Services for provision of accommodations when taking
standardized tests such as the SAT. Contact Educational Testing Services
for further information.
What should I do if I suspect I
have a disability and want to receive accommodations?
If you suspect you have a disability that is impacting your academic
performance, you will need to provide documentation of that disability
to Disability Services (DS). This documentation must be supplied by a
qualified professional who is licensed or certified to diagnose the
disability in question. An appointment should be scheduled with an
accommodations counselor (AC) in the Department of Disability Services to review the
documentation and the need for services.
I received accommodations in high school or I
had an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP). Can I use the IEP as
documentation?
The IEP is a valuable resource of information,
but it cannot be used as documentation of the
disability.
I received special education (IDEA) or 504
services in high school, how are these services different in college?
Colleges are required to provide any
reasonable accommodation that may be necessary for equal access to
education. They are not required to design special programs for students
with disabilities or have Individualized Educational Plans (IEP’s).
If I am a student with a disability, will Disability
Services seek
me out to provide services like my counselors did in high school?
In college, students with disabilities are
covered under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and under the
Americans with Disabilities Act. IDEA no longer applies. Since this is the
case, the legal obligations change. There is no special education in
college. Under IDEA, it is the responsibility of the schools to provide
services and seek out students with disabilities. Colleges do not
have to seek out students with disabilities. It is the student's
responsibility to seek out services through Disability Services.
What role do my parents play in
the process?
Students who are 18 years old or
older are legally recognized as adults. In this case, the student
is responsible for their own accommodation requests and
disability-related decisions. However, students are encouraged to
have an open dialog with their parents. Parents can be a wonderful
source of support.
I have a physical disability and
have trouble getting around. What types of accommodations are
geared just for me?
Students with physical
disabilities are encouraged to register with Disability Services every semester so that
their accommodations counselor can help them with access to buildings
and other university activities. Disability Services maintains a current listing
of all building accessibility information which you can access using the
Campus Accessibility Guide.
Due to the large size of the
campus, paratransit services are available as needed.
I suspect I have a learning
disability, can Disability Services conduct the assessment to provide a diagnosis?
Colleges are not required to
conduct or provide testing. The student is responsible for providing
current documentation, and any additional testing, if necessary.
However, we do provide referral information.
I'm a Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) client. Is there anything special I should know?
If you have a DARS counselor in your
home town, you are encouraged to stay in contact with your home
counselor. The
Bryan/College Station DARS office no longer provides local counselors for
existing DARS clients. If you do not have a home town DARS counselor
or have o-ther questions regarding DARS, you may contact the Bryan/College Station
DARS
office at 979-680-5270.
I'm a DARS Division for Blind Services (DBS) client
(formerly called "Texas Commission for the Blind"). Is there anything special I should know?
If you have a DARS counselor in your
home town, you are encouraged to have your home counselor contact
Disability Services to
provide information about your accessibility needs. If you don't
have a home town DARS counselor, contact DARS in Bryan/College
Station. The telephone number to the Bryan/College Station
DARS office is 979-680-5290.
Students who are legally blind
(20/200 corrected in better eye or field of view no larger than 15
degrees) can receive a waiver which will cover virtually all educational
expenses at a Texas state educational institution. Students who
are not legally blind but have 20/70 corrected or better vision or field
of view no larger than 30 degrees may also receive financial support and
services.
Do you have interpreters?
We have interpreters on staff and can contract
with additional interpreters as needed. We employ certified interpreters
who are able to offer sign language interpreting in ASL, PSE, and
ENGLISH; we also offer ORAL interpreting.
When do you provide interpreters?
Interpreters are provided, to qualified
students registered with the Disability Services office, for classroom interpreting and
other interpreting assignments related to their course work at no
additional cost to the student and/or department. An Interpreter Request
Form (available on the forms page) is available to request additional interpreter services for
academic course requirements outside of the regularly scheduled class
time.
Can I request interpreting services for
non-academic programs or events?
Requests for interpreting services for
non-academic programs or events should be directed to and handled by the
sponsoring entity. The Disability Services office can provide a list of interpreters
available in the area to the sponsoring entity. The payment for
interpreter services is the responsibility of the sponsoring entity.
What do I need to
know if I would like to use the DS testing center?
Please refer to the Student
Testing Rules for complete information regarding the Disability
Services testing
center.
What is Adaptive Technology
Services?
Adaptive Technology is the use of
technology to provide equal access to information. The ATS lab is
is a computer laboratory (a.k.a. Open Access Lab) just like any other on campus. ATS
offers adaptive support services for students with disabilities such as
audio books, textbook scanning, adaptive software/hardware, and many others.
Is Adaptive Technology Services (ATS) the same as Disability Services?
ATS operates in the same
functional office and is administrated by Disability Services, but is named ATS mainly
to be more descriptive of services. Since ATS is physically located in a
separate location, having two Disability Services offices might be confusing.
How do I know if I need adaptive
services?
If you think you may benefit from
a technology accommodation, ask your accommodations counselor for a
referral to ATS or stop by Cain Hall. If you don't know who your
counselor is, contact Disability Services. A full-time professional
staff member can advise you on technologies that may work for you. Even
better, if you qualify for disability services, the equipment and
software you need may be provided at no charge.
Who can use the Adaptive
Technology Services computer lab?
Although ATS exists primarily to
serve students with disabilities at Texas A&M, any current
registered student may use lab resources. In fact, many students
(disabled and non-disabled) have found that ATS lab not only boasts
excellent accessibility to campus resources, but also offers an
outstanding study environment. The staff of the ATS lab are
knowledgeable and friendly.
What are ATS extended services?
Although any registered student
may use the lab workstations and printers, only students who are
currently registered with Disability Services may use ATS extended services which
include audio books, textbook scanning, specialty adaptive hardware
and software checkout, accommodation consultation, and adaptive
equipment training.
How do I use ATS extended
services?
In order to take advantage of
extended services such as audio books, scanning, etc., you need to
register with the main Disability Services office located in Cain Hall, Suite B118
EVERY SEMESTER you wish to use services. From there,
you will be given an appointment with an accommodations counselor.
During you interview with the counselor, you may be referred to ATS for
further advising and/or accommodation.
Does Adaptive Technology
Services offer computer training?
ATS supports and provides
training for adaptive hardware and software used to accommodate
disabilities. The ATS staff can answer general questions regarding your
computer and the software you use.
Questions regarding the use of your NET ID, Open Access Labs, VPN,
campus wireless should be directed to the Computer Information Systems help
desk at 979-845-8300. You can also go to the Student
Computing Information Pages.
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