Academic accommodations and support services at the postsecondary level are not intended to remediate but are designed to provide students with equal access by reducing the negative impact of their disabilities.

"Remediation" is defined as instruction in basic skills not acquired earlier in the educational process (e.g., basic spelling), while "accommodation" refers to the provision of services that ensure equal access to a student with a disability (e.g., providing extended examination time for a student who processes information more slowly than other students because of a disability).

Academic accommodations and support services are determined on an individual basis. Each accommodation is based on functional limitations as identified in the documentation and is designed to meet a student's needs without fundamentally altering the nature of the student's instructional program(s) or altering any directly related licensing requirement. Accommodations and support services are provided upon the recommendation of a disability specialist, the Director of the Office for Students with Disabilities, or other qualified staff member designated by the Director.

Each postsecondary institution has procedures for resolving disputes regarding the provision of academic accommodations and support services.

A. Academic Accommodations

Appropriate academic accommodations may include but are not limited to the following: readers, notetakers, access to assistive technology, reduced course load, exception to the time limitations prescribed by minimum academic progress requirements, substitution of coursework required for graduation upon approval of an academic dean or equivalent, classroom modifications, and testing accommodations.

B. Academic Support Services

Appropriate disability-based support services may include but are not limited to the following: "disability management" counseling; priority enrollment; referral to faculty, staff, campus resources and community agencies; and assistance in compensatory strategies for reading, writing, math, and basic study skills.

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Page created and maintained by Carrol Waite, Program Assistant, Center on Postsecondary Education and Disability

Last updated 12/19/00