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Frequently Asked Questions for: Disability Access Center- What is a "qualified student with a disability"?
- If a student with a disability qualifies for accommodations in high school, will they receive the same accommodations in college?
- What can disabled student services offices do to help students with disabilities successfully transition from two- to four-year colleges?
- What services do you offer that I can use?
- Did DAS receive my application when I applied to Aims Community College?
- How do I know if I have a learning disability?
- I believe I need to be tested for a learning disability. Does Disability Access Services offer this service?
- If I am an international student, may I receive services from DAS?
- Does DAS provide services to students with temporary disabilities, due to breaks, recovery from surgeries, etc.?
- Do I have to be a full-time student to receive assistance from DAS?
- Who is responsible for requesting accommodations?
- How do services for students with disabilities differ from high school to college?
- Does DAS help other members of the College community with disabilities?
- Is the DAS center an "LD program?"
- Will my transcript indicate affiliation with the Access Center and my use of accommodations?
- Does DAS provide financial assistance to students with disabilities?
- If I need assistance registering for classes, can I get help at DAS?
- Do you have transportation for students with mobility impairments from class to class?
- Is mobility training a service provided through DAC?
- Can I get a tutor through DAS?
What is a "qualified student with a disability"?Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 states:
No otherwise qualified person with a disability in the United States…shall, solely by reason of…disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.
Within this civil rights legislation, an individual with a disability is a person who has (1) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; (2) has a record of such an impairment, or (3) is regarded as having such an impairment.
The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) interprets a “qualified student with a disability” at the elementary and secondary level to refer to a student with a disability who is "of an age at which students without disabilities are provided elementary and secondary educational services; of an age at which it is mandatory under state law to provide elementary and secondary educational services to student with disabilities; or a student to whom the state is required to provide a free appropriate public education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).”
At the postsecondary level, OCR interprets a "qualified student with disability" to refer to a student with a disability "who meets the academic and technical standards requisite for admission or participation in the institution's educational program or activity.”
For more information regarding the meaning of "qualified student with a disability,” consult:
- The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' webpage on Your Rights Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
- The U.S. Department of Education's Frequently Asked Questions section.
- The U.S. Department of Justice's Guide to Disability Rights Laws.
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If a student with a disability qualifies for accommodations in high school, will they receive the same accommodations in college?High schools are entities covered under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. When they attend college, students with disabilities will not necessarily continue to receive the same accommodations that they received in high school. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 require that institutions make their courses, programs, and services accessible to qualified students with disabilities.
Reasonable accommodations may include but are not limited to redesigning equipment, assigning aides, providing written communication in alternative formats, modifying tests, redesigning services to accessible locations, altering existing facilities, and building new facilities.
Precollege and postsecondary institutions have different legal obligations: for example, colleges are not required to provide accommodations that fundamentally alter the nature of a class or that will pose an undue administrative or financial burden on the institution. In addition, accommodations provided may not be the same at different postsecondary institutions.
For more information, consult the US Department of Education’s: Interrelationship of IDEA and Section 504, University of Washington, DO-IT program’s Legal Issues, and: College: You Can Do It!
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What can disabled student services offices do to help students with disabilities successfully transition from two- to four-year colleges?Students with disabilities often face challenges as they transfer from two-year to four-year institutions of higher education. There are many things that the institutions can do, individually and cooperatively, to ease this transition.
Forty-six staff and faculty from two- and four-year institutions representing a total of twenty-four states made suggestions as part of five focused discussions hosted by DO-IT at the University of Washington. Listed below are some of their ideas.
Two-year institutions can help students with disabilities successfully transition to four-year schools in the following ways:
- Become more familiar with four-year college policies, procedures, programs, and services.
- Educate faculty and staff about disability and transfer issues, accommodation strategies, and resources.
- Share information about transfer strategies and steps using publications and the World Wide Web.
- Assure disability-related documentation used is acceptable to most four-year schools. Give students copies of documentation to take to four-year schools. Provide academic and career counseling to students, which includes how a four-year degree might support their goals.
- Encourage transfer students to select four-year schools early and help them make good choices.
- Help students develop transition plans and work through the process (e.g., how to fill out financial aid forms).
- Arrange visits to four-year schools for students with disabilities so they can learn about services, sit in on classes, talk to faculty, and meet disabled students.
More information regarding a study of students transitioning from two-year to four-year institutions can be found in the following article:
Burgstahler, S., Crawford, L., & Acosta, J. (2001). Transition from two-year to four-year institutions for students with disabilities. Disability Studies Quarterly, Winter 2001 which can be accessed at http://staff.washington.edu/sherylb/
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What services do you offer that I can use?DAS has a wide range of services to offer. Services differ from student to student, due to individual needs and documentation. Find more information on our services through the following links: (Overview of DAS Services).
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Did DAS receive my application when I applied to Aims Community College?The DAS application process is separate from the College admissions application process.
To receive services from DAS, you must fill out a DAS Request for Accommodations and provide DAS documentation of your disability, including what the condition(s) is and how it currently affects you
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How do I know if I have a learning disability?Learning disabilities are usually diagnosed by a licensed professional, often a psychiatrist, psychologist, or medical doctor. The assessment consists of an intake interview, during which the professional takes a comprehensive medical and educational history; and the administration of several tests, usually including instruments to assess your cognitive abilities and your current chievement levels
The professional uses all of this information to determine if a learning disability is present, or if there may be other explanations for the educational difficulties you experience.
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I believe I need to be tested for a learning disability. Does Disability Access Services offer this service?No, our office does not have the resources to provide testing services or diagnosis of any condition. We can, however, provide you with a list of qualified professionals in the community that do provide such a service (would need to find).
We would also be glad to visit with you to help you determine if being evaluated would be a good step to take. The student is responsible for the cost of any learning disability assessment.
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If I am an international student, may I receive services from DAS?Yes, if you have a disability and provide documentation that meets our guidelines. For a copy of the guidelines appropriate for your condition, please contact a DAS coordinator.
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Does DAS provide services to students with temporary disabilities, due to breaks, recovery from surgeries, etc.?Yes we do! We'll work with you and your instructors to be sure you are able to attend class, to assist with test taking and note-taking needs (e.g. if you've broken your dominant wrist or hand), give you resource information on transportation and parking options (if you've experienced a temporary change in mobility), etc.
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Do I have to be a full-time student to receive assistance from DAS?No, DAS serves any qualified student regardless of full-time status. We work with students taking one class or many courses.
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Who is responsible for requesting accommodations? You, the student, are responsible for requesting accommodations and services through DAS. You may find, if you ask for accommodations from your instructors, they will ask you to work through DAS to help verify for them that what you are requesting is appropriate.
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How do services for students with disabilities differ from high school to college?One of the main differences is that now you are responsible for identifying yourself and requesting assistance through DAS.
In high school and before, it was probably more common for your parents or teachers to take responsibility for initiating services. In college, you are in control and responsible for seeking out the help you need. Most of the information on this web site is directed to students with disabilities.
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Does DAS help other members of the College community with disabilities? Yes, DAS also works with faculty, staff, and visitors with disabilities. We consult with the Aims Human Resources department in their efforts to ensure employees with disabilities receive reasonable accommodations so they are able to effectively do their jobs. We provide services for any Aims department to help them make their programs and services accessible to visitors to our community who have disabilities.
We also work with the Aims administration to recommend physical and programmatic modifications still needed to improve the accessibility of our facilities and programs. Our web site will soon be expanded to provide more information in these areas.
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Is the DAS center an "LD program?" No. The DAS is not a comprehensive learning disability program. There are no special classes or specially designated academic services for students with learning disabilities at Aims Community College.
Support services and accommodations are provided to eligible students with a variety of disabilities who request them after they are admitted to Aims Community College.
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Will my transcript indicate affiliation with the Access Center and my use of accommodations?No. Affiliation with the Access Center is confidential and not part of a student's official academic record.
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Does DAS provide financial assistance to students with disabilities?No. The Financial Aid Office will provide financial assistance to eligible students. Information on other available resources is available at DAS.
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If I need assistance registering for classes, can I get help at DAS?Assistance with the registration process is primarily available through Academic Advising but can also be obtained through DAS. Either office will assist students using the internet with online registration.
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Do you have transportation for students with mobility impairments from class to class?Aims does not provide such transportation. However, we recommend that students with mobility impairments consider location of classes when scheduling to give you additional time to get from one class to another.
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Is mobility training a service provided through DAC?Mobility training is not provided through DAS. However, information on other resources is available. Additionally, you may want to discuss other alternatives with the Department of Rehabilitation and the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado.
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Can I get a tutor through DAS?No. Tutors are available through the Tutoring Center. Additionally, as a student registered with the DAS, you may be eligible to schedule one-on-one tutoring appointments
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