Student Disability Services

Students with disabilities in higher education are protected by two laws: The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Pub. L. No. 93-112, as amended) and the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (Pub. L. No. 1001-336). According to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA, 1990), a student with a disability is someone who has a physical or mental impairment, has a history of impairment, or is believed to have a disability that substantially limits a major life activity.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act: This is a civil rights statute designed to ensure that programs receiving federal funding are accessible to students with disabilities. This resource is from the U.S. Department of Labor regarding Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. 

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): ADA prohibits discrimination while ensuring opportunity for people with disabilities. This resource is from the U.S. Department of Justice regarding ADA and its amendments.

Rights and Responsibilities

Wayne State College, the accommodation process involves collaboration between the student, the Disability Services Office, faculty, and staff. Each party has specific rights and responsibilities.

Student rights

• Receive necessary, reasonable accommodations and support services to allow equal access to Wayne State.
• Participate in, and benefit from, courses, programs, services and activities offered through WSC.
• To be treated by faculty and staff with dignity and respect.
• Have discussions of their disability kept in confidence until permission of disclosure is given.
• Report a grievance to Disability Services if they feel that their disability related needs are not being met.

Student responsibilities

• Identify themselves as an individual with a disability when seeking an accommodation.
• Provide current documentation, if necessary, from an appropriate professional source that verifies the nature of the disability, functional limitations, and the need for specific accommodations.
• Notify Disability Services of any schedule changes after initial registration if they affect accommodations.
• Meet Wayne State’s qualifications including academic and institutional standards.
• Follow Wayne State’s Academic and Conduct Standards.

Wayne State College rights

• Establish essential functions, abilities, skills, knowledge and standards for courses, programs, services, jobs and activities or facilities and to evaluate students on this basis.
• Determine the appropriate standards in developing, constructing, remodeling and maintaining facilities.
• Request and receive current, relevant documentation that supports requests for accommodations.
• Discuss students’ accommodations with faculty and/or staff in order to implement approved requests.
• Select among equally effective accommodations.
• Deny a request for accommodations if the request is deemed unnecessary for equal access to the opportunities present for students on campus, should the request compromise the essential requirements of a course or program, cause undue administrative or financial hardship, compromise safety, or fundamentally alter a course or program.

Disability Services responsibilities

• Provide information to faculty, staff, students, and guests with disabilities in accessible formats upon request.
• Ensure that courses, programs, services, jobs, activities, and facilities are accessible.
• Provide or arrange reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities in courses, programs, services, activities, and facilities.
• Maintain appropriate confidentiality of records and communication except where permitted or required by law.

Faculty and staff responsibilities

• Provide and/or permit the use of approved accommodations to students when notified by Disability Services.
• Ensure that accommodations do not compromise academic standards or fundamentally alter the nature of the course.
• Refer students with a disability to Disability Services.
• Include WSC’s Disability Services syllabus statement.
• Provide exams and proctoring instructions to Disability Services prior to the scheduled exam.
• Contact the Coordinator of Disability Services, 402-375-7321 or [email protected] with questions, concerns, or clarification, if needed.