If you are a parent, this is the place for you.
The responsibilities towards students with disabilities
in Higher Education institutions are very different from those of high
schools. High schools are required under IDEA to identify the educational
needs of students with a disability and provide a free and appropriate
education.
This responsibility is not required of Higher Education
institutions. Higher Education institutions are required to provide
appropriate academic accommodations to ensure that a student with a
disability is not discriminated against. The student is responsible for
disclosing his or her disability to the institution.
A student with a disability is responsible for
requesting accommodations through Disability Services (DS). DS will not seek students out. A student with
a disability is also responsible for providing acceptable documentation of
his or her disability.
All requests
for accommodations must come directly from the student.
As a young adult, the student may choose to have
information about his or her case discussed with his or her parent(s)
through signing a release. The release cannot be a blanket release for the
student’s entire college career.
Disability Services
strongly encourages students to develop these self-advocacy skills:
- Understanding Your Disability:
A student should be able to articulate what his or her disability is.
- Communicating Disability:
A student should also be able to describe how the disability limits him
or her functionally. A student should also be able to express some ways
that he or she could be accommodated.
- Being Proactive:
A student should provide acceptable documentation to DS and request
accommodations. A student should learn to work collaboratively with
professors to ensure his or her success with the accommodations. A
student should also be able to identify if his or her accommodations are
not being met.
The Americans with Disabilities Act on Higher Education
of 1990 impacts the whole institution including activities, facilities,
programs, and employment. In regards to academics, the Americans with
Disabilities Act on Higher Education 1990 required higher education
institutions to provide reasonable accommodations for students. For more
information please go to http://www.ada.gov.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is a
law administered by the Office of Special Education Programs in the Office
of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services in the U.S. Department of
Education. This law does not apply to higher education.
For
information about documentation please click here.
An IEP is used in elementary and secondary schools to
identify how to the curriculum should be adapted in order to meet the
educational needs of a student. IEPs do not include the diagnostic data
needed in order for the documentation to be satisfactory. Therefore, an IEP
is not considered acceptable documentation, nor is the IEP Summary of
Performance (SOP) sufficient documentation in and of itself. IEPs
and SOPs may be submitted along with other documentation as supporting
materials
A student with a disability does not have to
disclose his or her disability to Texas A&M University. Disclosure of a
disability is on a voluntary basis. However, a student will not receive
accommodations unless he or she discloses this information.
In regards to admissions procedures, a student with a
disability:
- Must apply through normal channels
- May not be asked about disability status during
application by Admissions
- May choose to disclose the disability in his or
her personal statement. As a general rule of thumb, if your application
is marginal, then disclosing your disability and special circumstances
in the essay portion of the application can help you.
- May take a standardized test with accommodations.
For standardized tests:
- Be prepared to submit documentation
- Admissions may not take any review action
based upon submission of standardized test scores
A student meeting the essential requirements for
admission to Texas A&M University will not be denied admission solely
on the basis of disability.
DS does not provide tutorial services. Tutorial
services must be obtained and funded privately. A listing of local
tutor resources can be found in our Resource Guide.
There is no charge for receiving accommodations from
Disability Services.
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