1. Who does Disability and Accessibility Services support?
Disability and Accessibility Services serves students with documented disabilities significantly affecting major life functions. Students registered with our office have disabilities including, bu tnot limited to: ADD/ADHD, Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, Traumatic Brain Injury, Learning Disabilities, Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Blind, Low Vision, Diabetes, Seizure Disorders, Anxiety, Depression, PTSD and Chronic Medical Conditions.
2. Is my disability documentation kept confidential?
When you consent to having your plan sent out instructors will receive a copy that describes your accommodations, but does not provide details about your disability. Students are free to share detaisl with instructors as they see fit adn many do. The plan does stae the following: NOTICE: In providing services, Accessibility and Disability Sevices staff may disclose disability information provided by you with appropriate college personnel/faculty participating in your educational programming, including support services.
3. How do I receive disability services at college?
To receive services fill out the Disability Intake Form or contact Disability and Accessibility Services to start the application process.
4. I have a disability, do I need to register with you?
Yes, if you want a Support Plan of accommodations. As soon as you have been admitted to Edgewood College, contact Disability and Accessibility Services for an intake interview with the Advisor.
5. I think I have a disability, but I have never been tested. What should I do?
Contact Disability and Accessibility Services to discuss the situation, as each is unique. Edgewood College does not provide screening for disabilities or provide evaluations, but the Advisor can explain the process for the student to get evaluated. Costs incurred for any evaluation are the student’s responsibility. Students may choose to start with their physician who may either assess them for a disability or refer them to someone more appropriate.
6. Who has to pay for a new evaluation?
Neither your high school nor your postsecondary school is required to conduct or pay for a new evaluation to document your disability. You may, therefore, have to pay or find funding to pay an appropriate professional for an evaluation. If you are eligible for services through your state vocational rehabilitation agency, you may qualify for an evaluation at no cost to you. You may locate your state vocational rehabilitation agency at http://rsa.ed.gov by clicking on “Info about RSA,” then “People and Offices,” and then “State Agencies/ Contacts.” Division of Vocational Rehabilitation for Wisconsin
7. How recent does my disability documentation need to be?
Current professional documentation that verifies your disability will be accepted. Documentation must be recent enough to identify functional limitations and support the need for academic accommodations. Student self-reporting is more important than documentation from a health care provider, as the student can speak directly to challenges faced in learning settings.
8. Do I need to do an intake every semester?
You do not need to do an intake every semester, but will need to inform Disablity and Accessibility Services each semester which instructors your Support Plan should be provided to.
9. What are my responsibilities as a student with a disability?
Your first responsibility is to self-identify. If you do not identify as a student with a disability, Disability and Accessibility Services cannot provide you with accommodations. After you have self-identified, you should provide the Advisor with documentation. Each semester you will need to request a letter be sent to the professor of classes in which you plan to use accommodations. You should respond promptly to emails requesting updates from you, including which instructors should receive a copy of your Support Plan. You are responsible for checking your plan each semester and requesting any needed changes.
10. How are faculty members informed of my accommodations?
To receive accommodations for the semester, students must review their Acommodaiton Granted letter and submit emails using the Faculty Notification Form. Disability and Accessibility Services will then email a copy of your Support Plan to your professors at the beginning of the semester. It is your responsibility to discuss with your professors how the accommodations will be carried out in the class. Disability and Accessibility Services Advisor can be included in those conversations as requested by students or professors.
11. I have a disability. Will I be eligible to use accommodations in college?
Maybe. The decision to provide accommodations is based on the specific activity and whether the disability creates any barriers to doing it. For example, a student who is paralyzed from the waist down has a disability and needs a physically accessible environment. However, this same student would not be eligible for note taking services or books on tape because the disability doesn’t interfere with reading or writing.
12. Will Disability and Accessibility Services provide personal care services like helping me get ready for the school day or pushing my wheelchair?
No. Services or equipment needed to assist a person with activities of daily living are the responsibility of the individual, not the college. For example, the college would provide a scribe for essay tests if the student’s disability prevented her/him from writing. The college, however, is not obligated to provide a scribe so that same student could do homework or write personal letters.
13. What Accommodations are available?
Accommodations are approved on a case by case basis and are designed to address the functional limitations of the disability. Some accommodations frequently provided are:
- Limited distraction area for exams
- Extra time on tests and exams
- Use of computer for exam
- Use of screen readers on exams
- Digital textbooks
- Note taking software
- Recording of Lectures
- Assistive Technology devices
- Priority registration
- Print materials enlarged
- Use of a calculator
14. May a student with a disability be exempt from a foreign language?
Maybe. It is possible for students with a disability to petition for a waiver. The decision for a waiver is made on a case-by-case basis and substitute courses or study abroad are required. Contact Disability and Accessibility Services for more information.
15. What kinds of services or accommodations are not provided?
In accordance with the law, there are some modifications that the college does not provide as a reasonable accommodation. Examples include but not limited to:
- personal services such as private tutoring or personal attendants (tutoring services are available elsewhere on campus)
- personal devices such as wheelchairs or glasses
- services that are unduly burdensome, administratively or financially.
- modifications that fundamentally alter the instructional standards of a program, such as allowing a student in a public speaking class to substitute a written paper for an oral presentation
16. Now that I have been approved for accommodation, can I retake any of my tests taken without accommodations?
No. Accommodations are not retroactive. You will be able to take tests with accommodations moving forward. It is your responsibility to request testing accommodations on any particular test.
17. How often or how long do I receive services if I’m eligible?
Our support services are available to students for as long as they are at Edgewood College and as often as they need them. Students must remember to stay in contact with Disability and Accessibility Services so that we can work together to insure your success.
18. I cannot use print textbooks and need audio books. Must I pay for a copy of the textbook that I cannot use?
Maybe. While we have some digital texts available at the online bookstore, others may take weeks to locate and those publishers may require that a print copy be purchased before they provide the digital copy. However, if approved to use digital texts you can purchase the print copy and start making scans to be read by your computer. That way you don't wait for weeks to see if a digital version exists.
19. How does the law change from High School to College for individuals with disabilities?
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) governs special education services in public schools K-12. The focus of these programs is to identify an area of need and plan for annual goals that improve the students skills in that area. For example, a student with a low reading level due to a disability may receive extra instruction to raise their reading ability. At the college level, IDEA no longer applies and special education services for students no longer exists. The law is transitioned to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and becomes more of a civil rights concern, protecting the student from discrimination by providing reasonable accommodations as well as ensuring access to all educational programs and services for those with a qualified disability. For example, the same student may be allowed extra time to process reading tasks on tests and larger assignments, but would not have annual reading goals or be provided extra instruction to improve their reading level.
20. Is financial assistance available through the Disability and Accessibility Services office for students with disabilities?
No. Check with Edgewood Central to inquire about federal aid, scholarships, and other funding options. Also search the internet for "Disability Scholarships." Some agencies that may provide support are:
If you have any other questions, please email Disability and Accessibility Services or call 608-663-2831 and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
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