AccessCollege

No. Accommodations are designed to ensure a level playing field for all students. They do not guarantee success.

Once institutions provide equal access to an educational program, it is up to the student to do the work to be successful in class. It is possible for a student with a disability to make full use of the accommodations they are eligible for and still fail a class for the same reasons student without disabilities fail classes.

Resources for promoting success in college can be found in the following DO-IT Knowledge Base articles.

When utilizing a contracted transportation service, the college or university employing the service must meet its obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), "that would apply to the public entity if the public entity itself provided the service" (per Section 37.23 "Service under contract").

Background

My name is Harry. I attend my local community college. I use an electric wheelchair because I have a physical disability. I would like to use the new gym facility on campus a few times a week to swim. Swimming is one of the best ways for me to maintain my upper body strength.

Communication disorders include the following:

Many information technology (IT) companies provide public statements related to their products' accessibility to people with disabilities. Although some companies are criticized for publicly supporting accessible IT when it is not a genuine part of their practices, other companies provide leadership in the creation and support of accessible products.

Some of the reasons that companies provide public information about their commitment to accessibility are:

Georgia Boatman, a teacher at Southgate Elementary School in Kennewick, Washington, wanted to increase student participation in her classroom, particularly that of students with disabilities. In collaboration with DO-IT's AccessSTEM project, she acquired an interactive learning tool the Classroom Performance System (CPS) using funds from an AccessSTEM minigrant.

It is the student's responsibility to provide documentation required by a college or university. Postsecondary institutions may set their own requirements for documentation as long as they comply with relevant legislation. The assessments, screenings, and reports generated by precollege professionals may not meet postsecondary documentation requirements. Students should contact the schools they are interested in attending for information regarding documentation requirements.

E-mentoring or online mentoring occurs when computers and networks are used as communication tools between mentors and proteges. This format has many advantages such as eliminating the time, geographic, and social constraints of in-person communication.

Although there are many benefits to e-mentoring, there are also negative aspects of electronic communication. Difficulties include clearly expressing ideas and feelings, managing high volumes of messages, gaining access to technology, and encountering technical difficulties.

Pete Darragh, a sixth grade teacher at Sidney Glen Elementary School in Port Orchard, Washington, was awarded an AccessSTEM minigrant to integrate a large interactive white board, called a Smart Board, and speakers into his teaching. Mr. Darragh says he applied for the grant as a way to add technology that would "hook" more of his students into learning, including those with learning challenges that result from disabilities.

Students with certain types of visual impairments and/or learning disabilities have difficulty accessing printed content. Students may request textbooks and other printed materials in alternate formats such as large print, Braille, electronic text, and/or audio recordings. Both procurement and in-house creation of these alternate formats are time-consuming. For example, even when publishers provide electronic formats of books, it may take several weeks for a student to obtain the materials.