What Disability Supports Are Available in Colleges and Universities?

There are several key differences between the disability supports that students receive in high school compared to what they will receive when they enter colleges, universities, or vocational schools. These include the requirement that a student self-refer when seeking accommodations, the need for the student to provide the school with documentation of a qualifying disability, and the types of accommodations that they are entitled to. Details regarding these differences as well as ways in which parents can help to support and prepare their children for postsecondary education are described below.

Legal Differences Between Pre-K-12th Grade and Postsecondary Disability Protections

Unlike in the preschool-12th grade public school settings, the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) does not apply to colleges, universities, or vocational schools and therefore postsecondary institutions such as these are not required to provide special education services to students with disabilities. Instead, postsecondary schools receiving federal funding are required to comply with Title II of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504). Under these laws, qualified students with disabilities are entitled to reasonable accommodations that will provide an equal opportunity to benefit from all programs, services, and activities that their typical peers do.

Postsecondary Students With Disabilities Must Self-Refer

At the postsecondary level, students must self-disclose their disability to the school if they would like to request accommodations. The student would typically do this by contacting the school's Disability Services Office, although each school may have a different name for this office.

Eligibility Assessment

The practice of verifying that a student has a disability that would make them eligible for accommodations varies from school to school.

Some schools may accept K-12 IEPs as adequate documentation while other schools may require a DSM-5 (often referred to as a "clinical") diagnosis. In regard to a diagnosis, some schools may provide the assessment while other schools may require the student to obtain a private assessment at the student's expense.

FAPE Consulting provides private assessments that can result in a DSM-5 diagnosis.

Eligibility Criteria for Accommodations

A student at the postsecondary level may qualify for accommodations if they have all three of the following:

A physical or mental impairment;
That substantially limits;
A major life activity.

Additionally, at the postsecondary level the student must be considered "otherwise qualified" to participate in the program in question. If the student is not able to meet the program's requirements even with reasonable accommodations then they are not considered to be "otherwise qualified" for the program.

Postsecondary Accommodations

Once the student establishes that they have a qualifying disability, the school is required to provide reasonable accommodations that are individualized to eliminate or reduce the impact of the disability on the major life activity. These accommodations must be individualized for the student but cannot lower the academic standards of the program or require substantial program alteration. While at the K-12 level schools were able to make modifications for students through the IEP, colleges and universities are not required to provide any adjustments that would fundamentally alter their program. The school's Disability Services Office will work with the student to determine what appropriate accommodations would be.

Common accommodations at the postsecondary level include additional exam time, utilizing classroom notetakers, alternative exam formats, and adaptive equipment or technology. Unlike at the K-12 level, colleges and universities are not required to provide specially designed instruction for students with disabilities. However, many postsecondary institutions do have tutoring centers for their student body that students with disabilities may wish to utilize.

Receiving Accommodations

Generally, students must notify their professors of their accommodations and must request that they be implemented. Therefore, students must be comfortable with self-advocating.

Parent Tips

There are several steps that parents of students with IEPs and 504 Plans to help prepare them for college, university, or vocational school support.

Have your high school student attend IEP or 504 meetings with you.

Having your child attend meetings with you will help the child to better understand their disability, their strengths and weaknesses, and the accommodations/supports that they need to address their disability.

This can empower them to feel more comfortable self-advocating for what they need at the postsecondary level.

Additionally, IEPs must contain an Individual Transition Plan (IEP) by the time the student turns 16 years old. This plan is developed based on the student's aspirations for post-high school life. It is important for your child to be a part of thid discussion.

Don't over-support your child.

Many times parents feel compelled to contact their child's teachers for them, remind them of due dates, etc. While it is important to support your child, it is equally important to first allow your child to accomplish these tasks independently and then provide reminders or support if the child does not do so, depending upon the importance of the task. General guidelines include:

If a child can do something independently, let them do it themselves...resist solving their problems for them!
If a student can't do something independently, provide guidance so that they can do it themselves next time.
Encourage the use of compensatory strategies, as direct services will likely not be available at the college/university/vocational level.
Encourage self-reflection with your child regarding successes and challenges with completing assignments on time.
Encourage your child to practice speaking directly with their teachers when they have questions or concerns...don't do your child's talking for them!
1. - - Role play with your child if needed prior to having them talk to the teacher.

Keep track of your child's paperwork.

Keep copies of your child's IEP or 504 documents, as your child will likely be asked to provide them to their college, university, or vocational school when requesting accommodations from the school's Disability Services Office.

Note: Not all schools will accept previous IEP or 504 documents or assessments as evidence of a disability for the purpose of accommodations at the postsecondary level. Some schools may require a DSM-5 diagnosis from a private provider.
- - - FAPE Consulting provides assessments that may lead to these diagnoses.

In addition, keep copies of any resources that you receive from community agencies in case your child decides to use them in the future.

Assist your child in exploring what postsecondary institutions they are interested in.

In addition to exploring the websites of various schools, visiting schools, and attending college fairs, help your child to research the disability support services that each school provides. Not every school provides the same supports and some schools have additional academic supports for students with disabilities. It is often beneficial to contact each school's Disability Services office to gain information about what they offer.

Consider whether your child needs to take the SAT, ACT, or other tests for admission.

If your child is interested in attending a school that requires the SAT, ACT, or other standardized test, gather the information necessary to request accommodations for those tests.

Note: School districts do not have the authority to madate or approve accommodations on tests such as the SAT or ACT, as those tests are administered by private companies such as the College Board and the ACT.
- - - - SAT information to request accommodations can be found here.
      - ACT information to request accommodations can be found here.

Contact FAPE Consulting if you are interested in an assessment to explore the presence of of a disability that may entitle you or your child to supports in the postsecondary setting.

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