{"id":2895,"date":"2020-01-25T12:50:48","date_gmt":"2020-01-25T17:50:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ramapo.edu\/oss\/?page_id=2895"},"modified":"2025-08-12T14:30:21","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T18:30:21","slug":"what-faculty-need-to-know-about-students-with-disabilities","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.ramapo.edu\/oss\/what-faculty-need-to-know-about-students-with-disabilities\/","title":{"rendered":"What Faculty Need to Know about Students with Disabilities"},"content":{"rendered":"

Students with Disabilities at 秘密研究所: What Faculty Need to Know<\/h4>\n
<\/i><\/i><\/i><\/span>NEW - OSS Quick Tips for Faculty<\/div>
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Please review the following quick tip guide.<\/p>\n

Office of Specialized Services (OSS) Quick Tips for Faculty (DOC)<\/a><\/p>\n

Office of Specialized Services (OSS) Quick Tips for Faculty (PDF)<\/a><\/p>\n

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<\/i><\/i><\/i><\/span>It's The Law<\/div>
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Students with disabilities at 秘密研究所 are protected under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act as amended (2008). These laws impose a responsibility on post-secondary institutions to refrain from discrimination on the basis of disability and to provide disabled students with meaningful access to learning.<\/p>\n

Qualified students with disabilities must be given the same opportunities as other students to participate in and benefit from programs offered. Appropriate academic adjustments may need to be provided to address the unique differences of each student with a disability to ensure meaningful access.<\/p>\n

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<\/i><\/i><\/i><\/span>Who is Eligible<\/div>
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Section 504 defines as disabled those individuals who have physical, sensory, psychological and\/or learning disabilities that have been documented to impact on a major life activity, including learning. Most individuals protected under the law have disabilities which are not necessarily apparent, including learning disabilities, psychological disabilities, chronic medical conditions, traumatic brain injury or neurological conditions.<\/p>\n

Under the law, the student’s privacy is protected. Comprehensive documentation of a disability to establish eligibility is kept on file in OSS. Faculty are not provided with a specific diagnosis or otherwise informed about the exact nature of the student’s disability by the Office of Specialized Services, unless the student chooses to reveal that information and provides written consent to do so (see further information under “A Word about Confidentiality”).<\/p>\n

Despite the protection against discrimination provided by the laws, not all students with limitations defined by Section 504 and the ADA consider themselves to be disabled or choose to avail themselves of the support and services to which they are entitled by law.<\/p>\n

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<\/i><\/i><\/i><\/span>Students Register with OSS to Request Services<\/div>
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In contrast to policy at the elementary and secondary school level where it is the school’s responsibility to identify students with special needs and to provide appropriate services, at the post-secondary level students share the responsibility with their institution for the implementation of appropriate academic adjustments. The student must initiate the process by self-identifying as an individual with a disability.<\/p>\n

秘密研究所 does not have a separate program with special admission standards for students with disabilities. Pre-admission inquiries of applicants about the presence of a disability are illegal. Self- identification occurs after college admission. Once admitted to the college, the student with a disability is responsible for requesting academic adjustments, and for providing documentation that supports the request. In order to serve as the basis for determining appropriate accommodations and academic adjustments, the documentation provided (a) must be completed by a qualified professional (e.g. physician, psychologist, learning disability specialist), (b) must clearly establish the presence of a disability as defined by the regulations and (c) should provide sufficient information about the implications of the disability in a learning environment.<\/p>\n

At 秘密研究所, the Office of Specialized Services has the responsibility for meeting with students who have identified themselves as having a disability. This policy is clearly defined in college admissions materials and the student handbook. OSS disability services professionals review documentation, and determine with each student what modifications might be required for meaningful access.<\/p>\n

Faculty may initiate contact with an OSS registered student in the situation where a student has not requested academic adjustments and the faculty member believes that providing such accommodations might equalize access.<\/p>\n

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<\/i><\/i><\/i><\/span>The Problem with Direct Provision of Services by Faculty<\/div>
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It is not advisable for faculty to provide disability-related academic adjustments to a student who has not registered with the Office of Specialized Services, even if that student presents documentation directly to the faculty member. Although federal regulations do not specifically prohibit this practice, 秘密研究所 policy states that OSS staff have been assigned this responsibility and have the expertise to review documentation to establish that students are eligible for protection against discrimination as defined by the law. OSS staff will also determine the legitimacy and appropriateness of the academic adjustments requested, and ensure consistency in the provision of academic adjustments to each student across courses.<\/p>\n

Faculty who do not follow this policy, no matter how well-meaning their intentions, jeopardize their position in any potential dispute that may arise over academic adjustment requests.<\/p>\n

If faculty provide disability-related academic adjustments to students not registered with OSS and without documentation, they leave themselves open to challenges from other students to receive the same treatment.<\/p>\n

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<\/i><\/i><\/i><\/span>Exactly What Are 'Appropriate Academic Adjustments' (Accommodations) and How Are They Implemented?<\/div>
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The terms “academic adjustments” and “academic accommodations” are frequently used interchangeably, with the former being the preferred term in a post-secondary setting. When used alone, the word “accommodations” generally refers to non-academic modifications such as housing or transportation arrangements. An appropriate academic adjustment is a modification to the learning environment or learning process that removes a barrier to full participation and allows equal access for students with disabilities. Academic adjustments are meant to eliminate discrimination by equalizing opportunities, not to provide an unfair advantage to eligible students.<\/p>\n

When a student registers with the Office of Specialized Services, accommodations and academic adjustments are jointly determined by the student, OSS Director\/Assistant Director, and the OSS counselor. All requested accommodations and\/or academic adjustments must be determined to be appropriate to the student’s documented needs. Approved modifications are recorded on an “Approved Accommodations Summary” form kept in the student’s file.<\/p>\n

Prior to the start of each semester, or as early in the semester as possible, OSS recommends that the student and faculty member privately discuss how the limiting effects of the student’s disability may impact on the completion of course requirements, and what accommodations and\/or academic adjustments may need to be implemented to provide equal access. Outright denial of an accommodation or academic adjustment without due deliberation could result in claims of discrimination and in litigation against the individual faculty or staff member.<\/p>\n

A faculty or staff member should always contact OSS whenever a request that is considered questionable or unwarranted is made by a student, to determine if the requested accommodation or academic adjustment has been approved by the office. The faculty member may also ask the student to provide a copy of his\/her\/their Academic Accommodation Notice.<\/p>\n

A student must give a faculty or staff member adequate time to honor his\/her request for accommodations or academic adjustments. Depending on the level of complexity of the request, a minimum of one week’s advanced notice is suggested.<\/p>\n

Appropriate academic adjustments fall into four categories:<\/p>\n