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Guide: Navigating the Transition to College Accessibility

1. Taking the Lead: Your Role as a Self-Advocate

At our college, we believe self-advocacy is a vital life skill that extends far beyond the realm of accessibility; it’s a tool that will serve you throughout your college career and your life as a whole. It is important to recognize that in this environment, your parents can only do so much; this process, among many other college milestones, must be student-led to be effective. While you are the leader of this journey, you are not on your own. We are here to support you, and the most important factor in your success is taking advantage of the resources available to you—starting with our office.

• Self-Disclosure vs. Privacy: To receive services, you must self-identify to the Accessibility Office. However, you never have to disclose your specific diagnosis or medical history to your instructors.

• The Accommodate System: You are the manager of your accommodations. Each semester, you are responsible for logging into the Accommodate portal to submit your accommodation letters to your instructors.

• Discussing Barriers: We focus on barriers, not "deficits." When talking to professors, you don'tneed to name a condition; instead, focus on the functional impact. Example: "Because of how I process timed information, I will be using my approved accommodation for a reduced-distraction testing environment."

2. The Legal Shift: From Institutional Duty to Equitable Access

The transition moves you from a system where the school has a legal mandate to identify your needs to a system where you have the right to an equitable and accessible environment.

Feature	High School (IDEA)	College (ADA & Section 504)
Primary Goal	Success: Ensuring the student progresses.	Access: Ensuring equal opportunity through equity.
Responsibility	Institutional Duty:School must find/identifyyou.	Equitable Access: Student self-identifies to the office.
Environment	School modifies the curriculum.	School removes environmental barriers.
Confidentiality	Parents have a right to information.	Records are private to the student.

3. Documentation & The Interactive Process

We operate on a social justice model of disability, which means we prioritize your self-report and our interactive conversation. We view you as the expert on your own experience.

Keep in mind that depending on the information provided to us, we may ask for documentation to aid in accurately determining eligibility for accommodations.

If You Received Services in High School:

Contact your Committee for Special Education (CSE) office and request:

• Psychological Educational Evaluation: The report of disability testing and assessment.

• Individual Education Program (IEP): Your high school plan for special education services.

• 504 Plan: Your disability support plan.

For All Other Disabilities (or no prior history):

If you do not have a high school plan or were diagnosed later in life, your documentation should contain:

• A clear statement of diagnosis.

• A description of current functional limitations in the academic setting.

• Details of current and past accommodations, services, or medications.

• Recommendations for potential academic adjustments.

• A signature and letterhead from a qualified professional.

4. Comparing Services & Accommodations

College accommodations focus on removing barriers to the environment, not changing the academic expectations or the core of the course.

• Testing: You may receive extended time or a reduced-distraction environment, but the content and grading of the exam remain the same for all students.

• Tutoring: In college, tutoring is a general resource for everyone; it is not a specific disabilityaccommodation.

• Independence: You are responsible for managing your own study time and deadlines. Your professors will look to your Accommodate letters to know which supports to provide.

5. Transition Timeline: Key Dates

Senior Year: Practice reflecting on your strengths and identifying the specific classroom barriers you currently face.

• July & August: This is the ideal time to schedule your intake conversation with our office to ensure your supports are ready for the fall.

• Two Weeks Prior to Semester: Log in to Accommodate to verify your approved accommodations and push your letters to your instructors.

Resources for Your Success

• U.S. Dept of Education: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities