As a student with a disability, students planning to enter higher education need to be well-informed about changes in their rights and responsibilities. A student who is well-informed will be able to make the most appropriate decision about their choice of program. Ideally students visit Learning Support Services during their junior or senior year of high school in order to learn more about services available at the college level.  If you are a current student with a disability on campus, you will need to contact us to submit the necessary documentation for accessing accommodations.

Provisions for academic accommodation differ between K through 12 and postsecondary education. The responsibilities of the postsecondary schools are significantly different from those of school districts. There is also a difference in the level of responsibility for the student with the disability.

A student with a disability is encouraged to read all the information provided in this web site in order to better understand the policies and procedures regarding services. Please feel free to contact us with your questions

As a student with a disability, you become successful when you learn to take responsibility for yourself. These responsibilities include:

1. Telling the appropriate person at school that you have a disability. If you do not know whom to tell, ask the admissions counselor.
2. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses and being able to verbalize them to the appropriate person. Write what you would say about your strengths. Write what you would say about your weaknesses.
3. Using the information you know about your strengths and weaknesses to ask for accommodations in specific areas. Think of an accommodation you will need and write how you would ask for it.
4. Asking for help at the beginning of a class, not after you are failing.
5. Letting the professor know what assistance you will need in the class. Do not expect the professor to figure it out for you.
6. Bringing information about your disability to school when you enroll. Know what information you will need to have. It is important to identify yourself early to receive help right away.
7. Planning ahead for the demands of college. Get your financial aid, work schedule, and study time in place. Then when you start school you can concentrate on these new demands.
8. Learning about the legal rights of individuals with disabilities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Knowing your legal rights will help you know what your responsibilities are and what you are entitled to with regards to academic accommodations.

Adapted from Tools for Transition; American Guidance Services, Inc. 1991