Academy College is committed to providing equality of opportunity and clear access for qualified students with disabling conditions in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section #504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Academy College considers a qualified student with a disability to be someone who has a physical, psychological, attentional or learning-based disability, but who meets the academic and technical standards requisite for admission or participation in the college’s educational program.

Accommodation Guidelines

To receive services and accommodations at Academy College or to get information regarding eligibility of services, a student must notify the Campus Director and initiate the process for determining their eligibility for accommodations.

To receive accommodations at Academy College, a student must provide current documentation from an appropriate licensed professional regarding their disability and its impact in an academic setting. Sufficient documentation must:

  • Establish the professional credentials of the evaluator(s)
  • State the specific diagnosed disability
  • Describe the comprehensive testing and techniques (methodologies) used to arrive at the diagnosis, including evaluation date(s) and test results with sub-test scores
  • Describe the current functional limitations that may impact learning
  • Describe the expected progression or stability of the disability
  • Describe the current and past accommodations, services and/or medications
  • Describe the specific accommodations, adaptive devices, assistive services, compensatory strategies, and/or collateral support services requested

Recommendations for accommodations:

Accommodations are alterations or services that are intended to allow students to perform on an equal basis with peers in class. It is important to recognize that accommodation needs may change over time and may not always be identified through the initial diagnostic process. A prior history of accommodation does not, in and of itself, warrant the provision of a similar accommodation. Academy College reserves the right to deny any request for accommodations, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary services if the documentation demonstrates that services are not warranted, or if a student fails to provide appropriate documentation.

Costs for obtaining documentation:

Costs associated with diagnosis, evaluation, and testing are the responsibility of the student. If the initial documentation is incomplete or inadequate to determine the reasonable accommodation, Academy College reserves the right to require additional documentation, of which, cost coverage would also be the responsibility of the student.

Examples of Possible Accommodations offered at Academy College:

  • Extended time for completion of exams
  • Alternative exam area
  • Provision of reader for exams
  • Provision of note-taker
  • Preferential seating in class
  • Provision of recording devices
  • Provision of special text and/or materials

Specific accommodations depend on the disability, how an individual is affected by their disability and other regulations of current laws and legislation.

Examples of Modifications that are not typically offered at Academy College:

  • Adjusting assignment requirements
  • Altering grading scale
  • Adjusting degree requirements
  • Any accommodation that will require a substantial change to course, activity, program, policy or procedures

Rights and Responsibilities

In addition to providing notification and documenting the needs for accommodation(s), students with disabilities also have the following rights and responsibilities. Students with disabilities have the right to:

  • Full and equal participation to all Academy College services and activities
  • Reasonable accommodations, and/or auxiliary aids and services
  • Privacy and confidential treatment of personal information
  • Expect all disability-related information to be treated as confidential and the assurance that disability-related records be maintained separately from college records
  • Information readily available in accessible formats
  • Receive appropriate accommodations in a timely manner
  • Students with disabilities have the responsibility to:
  • Meet the Academy College admission qualifications and maintain essential institutional standards for courses, programs, services, or activities
  • Identify themselves to the Campus Director as a student with a disability requesting an accommodation
  • Provide current documentation of a disability to the Campus Director
  • Attend classes regularly and meet academic standards