Protecting the rights of college students with disabilities includes obtaining reasonable accommodations and addressing discriminatory actions. Qualified individuals with disabilities enrolled in colleges and universities are protected against discrimination under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. A qualified individual with a disability is one who meets the required standards for admission or participation in the educational program or activity with or without reasonable accommodations.
Colleges and universities may refuse to provide accommodations only if the accommodation would create an undue financial or administrative burden, fundamentally alter the academic program, or if the accommodation is of a personal nature.
One major difference between elementary/secondary school and higher education is that when the student is enrolled in college, college students bear the burden of disclosing their disability and requesting accommodations from the school. Colleges and universities do not have an affirmative obligation to identify students with disabilities.
Academic dismissal, unless related to a student's disability, is outside the scope of our practice.