Register

Students must complete a registration process to receive academic accommodations or adjustments. In order to fully evaluate a student’s application and to determine eligibility for services, documentation of the student’s disability is required.

Before proceeding, please read through all the information on this page, as well as these Step-by-Step Instructions which explain the online AIM form.

Until all steps of the registration process have been completed, the student will be considered pending with SAS and will not be eligible for services or accommodations. Incomplete files will be kept for one semester and then destroyed. The student may, however, begin the process again at any time.

Information on the Registering Process

• Who Is Eligible for Services?
• Confidentiality
• Disability Related Documentation
• Accommodations
• Notification to Instructors

Who Is Eligible for Services?

Bradley University provides services to all qualified students with disabilities as defined by law. A person with a disability means:

“…an individual who, with or without reasonable accommodations to rules, policies, or practices, the removal of architectural, communication, or transportation barriers, or the provision of auxiliary aids and services, meets the essential requirements for the receipt of services or the participation in programs or activities…”

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. §12131 [Sec. 201.]

The definition of a disability includes a person who:

1. has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more of such a person’s major life activities;
2. has a record of such impairment, or
3. is regarded as having such impairment.

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. §12131 [Sec. 201.]

A “qualified” person with a disability is defined as one…

“who meets the academic and technical standards requisite to admission or participation in the education program or activity.”

Confidentiality

All documentation provided to Student Access Services will be strictly confidential. No information, except as provided by law, will be released to anyone, including parents, without the student’s written consent.

Self-Identification

The first step in the eligibility process is to submit appropriate documentation of disability to Student Access Services (SAS). The documentation provided both establishes the individual as a person with a disability and provides a rationale for accommodations. The University is obligated to make an accommodation only to the known limitations of an otherwise qualified disabled student.

Disability Related Documentation

For conditions that are subject to change over time (including health related disorders, learning disabilities and psychological disabilities), the student may be asked to provide updated documentation for his/her file on an on-going basis in order for accommodations to be continued.

Students are required to provide documentation of their disability prior to the provision of services. This documentation must be provided by the student seeking accommodation as a person with a disability.

The professional documenting the disability must be identified by name, title, and professional credentials, provide information about license or certification as well as the area(s) of specialization, employment, and the state/province in which the individual practices. This information should be clearly stated within the documentation.

Additionally, documentation presented should be based upon assessment of the impact of the student’s disabilities on his/her performance at a given time in the student’s life. Therefore, it is in the student’s best interest to provide recent and appropriate documentation. A school plan such as an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a 504 plan may be insufficient documentation in and of itself but can be included as part of a more comprehensive evaluative report. The documentation must include any record of prior accommodations or auxiliary aids, including information about specific conditions under which the accommodations were used (e.g. standardized testing, final exams, licensing or certification examinations) and whether or not they benefited the individual.

Lastly, the appropriate clinical documentation should substantiate the disability and present evidence to establish a rationale supporting the need for accommodations. If the requested accommodations are not clearly identified in the diagnostic report, Student Access Services will seek clarification and, if necessary, more information. Student Access Services will make final determination of whether appropriate accommodations are warranted and can be provided to the individual.

Accommodations

An accommodation is a modification or adjustment to a course, program, service, activity or facility that enables a qualified student with a disability to have equal opportunity. An equal opportunity means an opportunity to attain the same level of performance or to enjoy equal benefits and privileges as are available to a similarly-situated student without a disability. The University is obligated to make an accommodation only to the known limitations of an otherwise qualified student with a disability.

To determine accommodations, Student Access Services may seek information from appropriate University personnel regarding the essential standards for courses, programs, services, activities and facilities. Students and the practitioners directly involved in assessing the individual student’s disability may provide recommendations for accommodations. However, final determination of accommodations that will allow the student equal access will be made by the Office of Access Services.

Accommodations are determined by examining:

1. The barriers resulting from the interaction between the documented disability and the campus environment;
2. The possible accommodations that might remove barriers;
3. Whether or not the student has access to the course, program, service, activity or facility without accommodations;
4. Whether or not essential elements of the course, program, service, activity, or facility are compromised by the accommodation.

Student Access Services realizes that accommodations are individualized and flexible, based on the nature of the documented disability and the environment. Accommodations will be continued only if they are shown to be effective in providing equal access and/or the student receiving accommodations uses them responsibly. The student should make an appointment prior to the start of each semester to discuss ongoing or new accommodations.

Under provision of the ADA regulations, students are guaranteed equal opportunity with no guarantee of specific outcomes. In addition, Bradley University reserves the right to define the essential skills for its various degree programs and certificates; to refuse services to students who do not meet the standards establishing them as a person with a disability; and who do not follow procedures for accessing services.

Notification to Instructors

Once appropriate documentation has been received and evaluated and accommodations have been approved, a Faculty Notification Letter can be generated. With the student’s permission, this form is used to communicate with faculty and staff about the accommodations needed for the student to have equal access. The student is responsible for talking to each instructor about the accommodations and any adjustments that may be needed in the course of the semester. Accommodations requested on the Faculty Notification Letter may change during the course of a student’s enrollment due to changes in disability status, disability documentation or program standards and requirements.