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Admissions

Is there a separate admissions procedure at Wheaton College for students with disabilities?

No. Disability status is never a consideration in any admissions decisions. All students that apply for admission to Wheaton College are subject to the same admissions process and criteria.

Do incoming students send their disability documentation along with their application?

Disability documentation may be submitted with the application, though this is not a requirement. The submission is voluntary, and any documentation is immediately forwarded to Accessibility Services and kept confidential in accordance with FERPA and Wheaton College Policy.

Confidentiality

Who at Wheaton College will know about the disability if a student meets with Accessibility Services about a disability?

Wheaton College ensures FERPA compliance, and therefore all documentation submitted to Accessibility Services will remain confidential. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate contact with Accessibility Services regarding any learning disability, and it is up to the student to continue the accommodation process by communicating their needs to the faculty. Wheaton College recognizes the right of the student to determine who receives disability-related information, as well as the right to confidentiality.

Does submitted disability documentation remain confidential?

Wheaton College ensures FERPA privacy rule compliance. All disability documentation submitted to Accessibility Services is confidential. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate contact with the Accessibility Services team regarding a disability, and it is up to the student to continue the accommodation process by communicating their needs to the faculty after completing the approval process.

Wheaton College recognizes the right of the student to determine who receives/has access to disability-related information, as well as the right to confidentiality.

Students may contact the Accessibility Services team at any time with questions or for more information regarding disabilities and academic accommodations, as well as other academic supports available to students through the Filene Center for Academic Advising, Support & Accessibility.

Documentation

Is there a deadline for submitting disability documentation?

Students should submit documentation before the beginning of the academic semester in order to ensure that each student’s needs are met appropriately and in a timely manner. Disability documentation is, however, accepted by Accessibility Services at any time.

What documentation is required to determine the most appropriate and reasonable accommodations?

Documentation must be current and comprehensive, made within three to five years of the request for accommodation. It must verify the nature and extent of a specific disability as diagnosed by an evaluator with appropriate professional credentials and include relevant testing results. The need for specific academic adjustments must be clearly substantiated based on current need.

Approved accommodations may differ from those previously provided, as they must appropriately address the current impact of the disability on the student’s performance in a collegiate setting.

What are some specific documentation guidelines?

The following are guidelines for acceptable disability documentation, based on information from the U.S. Department of Education, the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD), and the U.S. Office for Civil Rights (OCR).

Qualifications of Testing Evaluator(s)

The name, title, and professional credentials of the evaluator must be clearly stated in the documentation (including information about license or certification, area of specialization, state/province in which the individual practices)

Current Documentation

Students must provide recent and appropriate documentation, as eligibility for academic adjustment/services under the provisions of ADA is based on the current impact of the disability. A diagnostic evaluation, therefore, must have been completed within the past 3-5 years.

If the available documentation is not sufficient and/or does not address the student’s current level of functioning and need for academic adjustment, a reevaluation may be necessary.

The updated evaluation should include:

  • A detailed assessment of the current impact of the disability
  • A rationale for ongoing services and academic adjustments
  • A summary of previous diagnostic information

Comprehensive Documentation

Disability documentation must verify the nature and extent of the disability, as the need for specific academic adjustments must be clearly substantiated. Documentation should confirm the need for services based on the individual’s current level of academic functioning.

Comprehensive documentation should generally include the following:

  • Evidence of current impairment
  • Background information
  • Relevant testing
  • Specific diagnosis
  • An integrated summary

Rational for Recommended Accommodations/Adjustments

Accommodation needs can change over time and are not always identified through an initial diagnostic process.

The diagnostic report should include specific recommendations for accommodations that are reasonable. A detailed explanation should be provided for why specific accommodations are recommended. The accommodations should be correlated with the student’s specific functional limitations determined through the testing and observation.

Although prior documentation may have been useful in determining appropriate accommodations in the past, the current documentation should validate the need for services on the postsecondary level based on the student’s present levels of functioning.

What are some examples of acceptable standardized testing batteries to include in comprehensive disability documentation?

Examples of testing batteries include (but are not limited to):

  • Cognitive Assessments
        • Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale-III (WAIS-III)
        • Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery-III NU (WJ-III NU), Tests of Cognitive Abilities
        • Stanford Binet-Intelligence Scales 5th Edition (SBS-V)
        • Kaufman Adolescent and Adult Intelligence Test
  • Academic Achievement Assessments
        • Woodcock-Johnson-III NU: Tests of Achievement (General and Extended batteries including fluency measures)
        • Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT II) with reading rate measure
        • Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement, 2nd (KTEA-II)
        • Test of Written Language III (TOWL III)
  • Tests used to measure academic achievement in a timed setting
        • Nelson Denny Reading Test, with standard time and extended time, measures Stanford Diagnostic Reading Test (SDRT)
        • Stanford Diagnostic Math Test (SDMT)
        • Woodcock-Johnson III Fluency Measures
        • Test of Written Language-Third Edition (TOWL-3)

What are some more detailed documentation guidelines, specifically regarding Learning Disabilities?

More specifically, documentation for students with learning disabilities includes:

        • A complete assessment of intellectual (cognitive) functioning/aptitude as measured by acceptable testing batteries
        • A comprehensive academic achievement battery that measures current levels of functioning in reading, math and oral/written language
        • Assessment of specific areas of information processing (e.g., short/long term memory, auditory and visual perception/processing, processing speed, executive functioning, etc.)
        • Diagnosis of a specific learning disability

What happens after disability documentation is approved?

Students must meet with Accessibility Services to discuss the use of reasonable accommodations, sign appropriate forms and communicate with faculty each semester.

Where can I find information about testing for a learning disability and/or ADD?

Ask your primary care physician about a referral for appropriate testing options. The Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) website may also help students research other possibilities.

Requesting Accommodations

Does Wheaton College provide accommodations for students with disabilities?

Yes. Wheaton College, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, provides reasonable accommodations for eligible students with documented disabilities to afford equal access to educational programs and services.

Accommodations are determined on an individual basis, facilitated by Accessibility Services, using comprehensive disability documentation as well as confidential consultation with the student.

What accommodations and services can students be eligible for?

Wheaton College provides appropriate and reasonable accommodations to ensure that no student is discriminated against on the basis of their disability. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the College provides accommodations for eligible students with documented disabilities to afford equal access to educational programs and services.

Accommodations are determined on an individual basis, facilitated by Accessibility Services, making use of submitted comprehensive disability documentation as well as confidential consultation with the student.

The determined accommodations may differ from those previously provided to a student, as the accommodations must appropriately address the current impact of the disability on the student’s performance in a collegiate setting.

Will students who have been diagnosed with a disorder be automatically provided accommodations?

No. Documentation submitted to Accessibility Services regarding learning disabilities must be current and comprehensive, and will be reviewed by Accessibility Services as part of the case-by-case process. Comprehensive documentation must contain evaluations that include:

      • Evidence of current impairment
      • Background information
      • Relevant testing
      • Specific diagnosis
      • An integrated summary

How are accommodations determined at Wheaton College?

Accommodations are determined on an individual basis, with a thorough review of comprehensive disability documentation and a confidential consultation with the student.

Students must provide documentation to Accessibility Services in a timely manner, preferably within the first week of the semester, to ensure each student’s needs are addressed appropriately.

What is the process to request and attain learning disability accommodations at Wheaton College?

  • Students must gather copies of relevant disability documentation, and email our Accessibility Services team at [email protected].
  • Once the documentation is submitted, students must schedule a meeting with Accessibility
  • Services to discuss the need for appropriate and reasonable accommodations and to complete the internal accommodation forms.
  • As accommodation forms will be specific to individual courses, students must meet with Accessibility Services at the beginning of each semester to obtain updated forms and review progress.

General

What is the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)?

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provides special education and related services for those students in public schools in the primary and secondary levels who meet the criteria for eligibility in a number of distinct categories of disability, each of which has its own criteria.

Some students who are not eligible for services under IDEA may receive protection and reasonable accommodations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 while they attend school.

However, when students with disabilities graduate or reach the age of 22, they are no longer eligible for services under IDEA. Students who were eligible for services at the secondary level may not necessarily be eligible for services or accommodations at the postsecondary level.

Since IDEA includes transition to postsecondary education in transition planning services [20 U.S.C. § 1401 (30)] and requires reevaluation if the student’s parent requests it [20 U.S.C. § 1414 (a)(2)(A)], these guidelines are intended to support that planning.

What is Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 protects the rights of individuals with disabilities in programs and activities that receive federal funds. Section 504 (as amended, 29 U.S.C. 794) states: “No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States . . . shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. According to this law, disability is defined as “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity.”

Relevance to Wheaton College Students: Students who graduate from high school, or who reach the age of 22, are protected from discrimination on the basis of disability by Section 504 as well as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Under such legislation, individuals with disabilities are guaranteed certain protections and rights of equal access to programs and services. Eligibility is based on the existence of an identified physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity.

Is the eligibility process to qualify for accommodations the same as in high school?

No. Eligibility guidelines and accommodations in Post-secondary Institutions differ from those at the Primary/Secondary level. An Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan alone is not sufficient documentation to justify need for accommodation.

Where can I get more information about the transition from high school to college for students with disabilities?

The Association on Higher Education And Disability (AHEAD) website is an informative resource for students and parents who are looking for more information regarding services for disabilities at the post-secondary level.

References

Association on Higher Education And Disability (AHEAD)
AHEAD
107 Commerce Center Drive, Suite 204
Huntersville, NC 28078
Phone and text: (704) 947-7779
Fax: (704) 948-7779

Connecticut Association on Higher Education and Disability (CTAHEAD)
Office of AccessAbility Services, Eastern Connecticut State University
83 Windham Street, SSC 252
Willimantic, CT 06226-2295
Phone: (860) 465-5573

U.S. Department of Education (DOE)

U.S. Office for Civil Rights (OCR)