Disability Services[ Identified Disability | Undiagnosed ]
Previously Identified Disability
Students who have a previously identified disability may present current evidence of that disability to the Disability Services Director. Documentation will be reviewed, and, if adequate for determining eligibility, a plan of assistance will be worked out. The DS Director will help identify accommodations needed in various classes and campus services and programs. The DS Director will assist in communicating the student’s needs to faculty.
Disability Compliance
Lancaster Bible College and Graduate School is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (1973). Students with disabilities who wish to receive accommodations must self-identify to the Director of Disabilities Services. The student must provide the appropriate documentation to verify a formal diagnosis and determine appropriate accommodations. All documentation is treated as confidential information under FERPA guidelines.
Students’ Rights under the Law/Process for Requesting Services
According to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of the 1973, a postsecondary student with a disability who desires accommodations is obligated to provide documentation of the disability to the Disabilities Services Office of the College. Once all documentation is received, the Director will:
- review the material
- meet with the student (the “intake interview”)
- determine which services are appropriate accommodations for the particular student’s needs for each course in which that individual is enrolled.
Once determined, the accommodations are affective immediately, for that specific semester and are provided as a means of ensuring access to all programs for which the student is “otherwise qualified.”
Request for Academic Accommodations
Accommodations do not automatically carry over from one semester to the next; the Director of DS meets with each student for each term enrolled at the college. In anticipation of each upcoming semester, students with disabilities meet with the Director:
- to update the prior semester’s intake interview
- to provide the Director with updated documentation that may have been completed during the semester
- and to discuss the nature/requirements for the courses to be taken in the upcoming semester.
It is important to note that accommodations:
- which alter a program’s purposes, necessary requisite skills, or licensing and/or accreditation standards are not considered “reasonable” under the law and cannot be granted.
- which are requested after the semester has begun have no bearing on academic grades earned prior to the request. The student bears the consequences of failing to request accommodations in a timely manner; retroactive accommodations cannot be granted.
If a students thinks they have a disability that is undiagnosed, screening and interviews can be conducted on-campus to determine whether an outside referral is appropriate. The Director can refer the student for a more extensive evaluation if conditions support that action. No communication between DS and other agencies is permitted without explicit approval from the student.
Colleges and universities are not required to pay for diagnostic services to determine whether an individual is eligible for ADA accommodations. Lancaster Bible College has a very limited capacity for assistance in this area. The DS office has negotiated with a local Christian agency for evaluations. Students who think they may have an undiagnosed disability that is affecting their performance and success at Lancaster Bible College are encouraged to discuss their situation with the Director of Disability Services.