Disability and Accessibility Services

Disability and Accessibility Services serves students with documented disabilities significantly affecting major life functions. Students registered with our office have disabilities including, but not limited to: ADD/ADHD, autism, Asperger’s syndrome, traumatic brain injury, learning disabilities, deaf, hard of hearing, blind, low vision, diabetes, seizure disorders, anxiety, depression, PTSD, and chronic medical conditions. Students who are multi-language learners are also eligible for support.

Maybe. The decision to provide accommodations is based on the specific activity and whether the disability creates any barriers to doing it. For example, a student who is paralyzed from the waist down has a disability and needs a physically accessible environment. However, this same student would not be eligible for note-taking services or books on tape because the disability doesn’t interfere with writing or reading.

Our support services are available to students for as long as they are at Edgewood College and as often as they need them. Students must remember to stay in contact with Disability and Accessibility Services so that we can work together to ensure your success.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) governs special education services in public schools K-12. The focus of these programs is to identify an area of need and plan for annual goals that improve the student’s skills in that area. For example, a student with a low reading level due to a disability may receive extra instruction to raise their reading ability. At the college level, IDEA no longer applies and special education services for students no longer exist. The law is transitioned to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and becomes more of a civil rights concern, protecting the student from discrimination by providing reasonable accommodations as well as ensuring access to all educational programs and services for those with a qualified disability. For example, the same student may be allowed extra time to process reading tasks on tests and larger assignments, but would not have annual reading goals or be provided extra instruction to improve their reading level.

No. Check with Edgewood Central to inquire about federal aid, scholarships, and other funding options. Also search the internet for “Disability Scholarships.” Some agencies that may provide support are:

• Vocational Rehabilitation
• Workers Compensation
• Department of Veterans Affairs

Yes, if you want a Support Plan of accommodations. As soon as you have been admitted to Edgewood College, contact Disability and Accessibility Services for an intake interview with the Advisor.

To receive services, fill out the Disability Intake Form or contact Disability and Accessibility Services to start the application process.

When you consent to having your plan sent out, instructors will receive a copy that describes your accommodations but does not provide details about your disability. Students are free to share details with instructors as they see fit, and many do.

The plan does state the following: NOTICE: In providing services, Accessibility and Disability Services staff may disclose disability information provided by you with appropriate college personnel/faculty participating in your educational programming, including support services.

Current professional documentation that verifies your disability will be accepted. Documentation must be recent enough to identify functional limitations and support the need for academic accommodations. Student self-reporting is more important than documentation from a health care provider, as the student can speak directly to challenges faced in learning settings.

Contact Disability and Accessibility Services to discuss the situation, as each is unique. Edgewood College does not provide screening for disabilities or provide evaluations, but the Advisor can explain the process for the student to get evaluated. Costs incurred for any evaluation are the student’s responsibility. Students may choose to start with their physician, who may either assess them for a disability or refer them to someone more appropriate.

Neither your high school nor your post-secondary school is required to conduct or pay for a new evaluation to document your disability. You may, therefore, have to pay or find funding to pay an appropriate professional for an evaluation.

If you are eligible for services through your state vocational rehabilitation agency, you may qualify for an evaluation at no cost to you. You may locate your state vocational rehabilitation agency at rsa.ed.gov by clicking on “Info about RSA,” then “People and Offices,” and then “State Agencies/Contacts.” In Wisconsin, it is the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation for Wisconsin.