Rights and Responsibilities of Students

In addition to notifying and documenting the need for accommodation(s), students with disabilities also have the following rights and responsibilities:

• Equal access to all programs at each institution.
• Disability-related records will be used to determine appropriate services and will be maintained separately from academic records.
• Students initiate all requests for services and/or accommodations to the appropriate office at their institutions.
• Students need to give institutions advance notice of needed accommodations(s).
• Students will need to meet with the director of the disability services program for an intake appointment and discussion about the nature and impact of their disabilities.
• Submission of documentation is not the same as the request for services; these are two different steps in the process of determination and provision of appropriate accommodations.
• Generally, an Individualized Education Plan, 504 Plan or General Education Initiative from a secondary school does not provide thorough enough information for the documentation of disability and needed accommodations.
• The Academic Accommodation Form does not relieve the student from attending class unless absences are indicated in the documentation of the disability.

Rights and responsibilities of the institution and the Disability Services Office:

• The institution reserves the right to determine the appropriateness of submitted documentation and requests for accommodation(s) on a case-by-case basis, using the professional judgment of the Disability Services Director and staff.
• Additional information may be requested to determine eligibility for services.
• Relevant information regarding the student's disability may be shared with those who have a legitimate educational interest (i.e., seizure disorders).