Disability Services
Introduction & Overview of Relavant Laws
Introduction
What is Disability Services?
The Disability Services office serves all undergraduate and graduate Wheelock College students with disabilities. Disability Services is the first check-in point for any student seeking accommodation. All accommodations must be approved through Disability Services to maintain confidentiality, ensure validity, and allow for proper record keeping. Any student with a documented disability, or any student who believes he or she might have a disability is encouraged to meet with the Coordinator of Disability Services as soon as possible to determine eligibility for services.
Who is eligible for services?
To gain access to accommodations through Disability Services, a student must:
- apply and be accepted for admission to Wheelock College through the regular admissions process;
- provide current and comprehensive documentation of a temporary or permanent disability that requires accommodation; and
- schedule an initial meeting with the Coordinator of Disability Services to discuss needs and register for services.
Overview of Relavent Laws
A student with a disability is entitled to equal access to College services and programs. Two laws protect students with disabilities in postsecondary education.
Section 504 of The Rehabilitation Act of 1973:
Section 504, 29 U.S.C. §794,states:
No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States... shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.
Section 504 is a civil rights law. Its purpose is to protect individuals with disabilities from discrimination for reasons related to their disabilities. It specifically applies to any program or activity offered by an institution receiving federal funds.
Americans with Disabilities Act (1990):
The Americans with Disabilities Act, as it applies to public entities, states:
Section 12132. Discrimination
Subject to the provisions of this subchapter, no qualified individual with a disability shall, by reason of such disability, be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of the services, programs, or activities of a public entity, or be subjected to discrimination by any such entity.
ADA broadened the agencies and businesses that must comply with the non-discrimination and accessibility provisions of the law.
Definition of a disability
The ADA defines a person with a disability, as an individual who:
- has a physical or mental impairment that "substantially limits . . . one or more . . . major life activities,"
- has a record of such impairment, or
- is regarded as having such an impairment.
Major life activities include reading, learning, writing, performing math calculations, walking, seeing, hearing, and speaking.
- Contact Disability Services
- Paul Hastings, Director Academic Assistance and Disability Services
- email: phastings@wheelock.edu
