Policies and Procedures for Students with Disabilities
Admission
All students admitted to Baldwin-Wallace College must meet the required academic standards for admission. A prospective student with a disability is not required to disclose his or her disability, nor may college personnel inquire about same during the admission process. However, if the prospective student discloses a disability, discussion may take place, but such information may not adversely affect admission. Once admitted to the college, a student may choose whether or not to disclose a disability. A student with a disability will not receive accommodations unless s/he requests accommodations after admission and follows the college procedures for obtaining accommodation services.
Eligibility for Services
To be eligible for disability-related services on campus, students are responsible for identifying themselves and disclosing information about the disability to Disability Services for Students (includes the B-W Learning Center). Students must supply written documentation of the disabling condition as defined by the American with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to Teresa Seroke, Disability Specialist, Ritter Library, Rm. #207, Berea, OH 44017, fax: 440/826-3832 or Barbara Coniam, B-W Learning Center, Ritter Library, Rm. #213, Berea, OH 44017, fax: 440/826-3832. Once eligibility has been established, the student and a staff member will work to determine appropriate accommodations. Under the ADA and Section 504, a person has a disability if he or she has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities (e.g., walking, standing, seeing, speaking, hearing, breathing, learning, working, or taking care of oneself), has a record of such an impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment.
Documentation of Disability
Appropriate documentation required by Baldwin-Wallace College is a written report prepared on official letterhead by an appropriately credentialed professional that clearly diagnoses a disability and/or records showing the history of the disability. School plans such as individual educational plans (IEP) or 504 plans are not sufficient documentation although they may be included as part of the comprehensive evaluation and report. Documentation from one or more of the following professionals who has directly evaluated, diagnosed, and/or treated the individual with the disability will generally be acceptable:
- Hearing and speech disabilities. Qualified personnel include ear, nose, and throat specialist; audiologist; speech therapist; psychologist; family physician; or other qualified medical specialist.
- Learning disability and attention deficit disorder. Qualified personnel include licensed psychologist, psychiatrist, or school psychometrist.
- Mental or psychological disabilities. Qualified personnel include psychologist, psychiatrist, licensed counselor, family physician, or other mental health professional.
- Mobility, coordination, traumatic brain injury, HIV and AIDS, and health disabilities. Qualified personnel include family physician, orthopedist, neurologist, cardiologist, rehabilitation specialist, or other medical professionals. Medical records must clearly document, diagnose, and discuss the condition.
- Visual disabilities. Qualified personnel include ophthalmologist, optometrist, family physician, or other medical specialist.
This list is not intended to be exhaustive or to restrict assessment in other pertinent and helpful areas such as vocational interests and aptitudes.
Guidelines for Documentation of Disability
The following guidelines are provided to assure that evaluation reports are appropriate to document eligibility:
- Evaluations must be current. B-W generally requires documentation prepared within the past three years for conditions whose impact on academic performance may change over time. Disability Services for Students reserves the right to request an updated or more extensive evaluation.
- The written report must include a specific diagnosis, that is, clear and specific evidence and identification of a disability. For example, terms such as “learning styles,” “learning problems,” and “academic difficulties” do not constitute a learning disability. Remember, school plans, such as an IEP or 504 plan, are not sufficient by themselves, but they may be included in the comprehensive report.
- Diagnostic reports must be typed, dated, and signed on official letterhead and must include the following information: (1) name, title, and professional credentials of the evaluator; (2) a specific diagnosis and description of the functional limitations; (3) the specific diagnostic criteria (DSM-IV criteria when appropriate) and/or tests administered; (4) the date(s) of testing; (5) the test results (including test scores) and a thorough explanation of those results; and (6) specific accommodations and the rationale for each recommended accommodation . School plans such as an IEP or a 504 plan are insufficient documentation but may be included as part of the comprehensive diagnostic report.
- Documentation accepted at B-W may not be sufficient for graduate schools or assessments required for graduate school or licensure (e.g., the GRE, PRAXIS, etc.). Students are responsible for contacting the schools or organizations sponsoring the assessments for their specific documentation requirements.
- Confidentiality of diagnostic reports is strictly maintained. When a student provides documentation of a disability, only four offices on campus may have access to the information as needed to help provide or facilitate accommodations. These offices are Disability Services for Students, the Learning Center, the Counseling and Health Center, and the office of Student Affairs (includes Residence Life). A student must give written permission for release of information beyond these four offices. There are certain unusual circumstances that may permit exceptions to the rules of disclosure. They include a life-threatening medical emergency, an official court order, a report of child or elder abuse, and behavior that poses a direct threat to the health and safety of the student or others.
Requests for Accommodations
College students have the right to choose to disclose or not to disclose their disability. If a student chooses not to disclose, then s/he will not receive accommodations. The college is not required to provide accommodations to a student who does not self-disclose his or her disability. However, if a student chooses to disclose that s/he is an individual with a disability and in need of accommodations, then it is the student’s responsibility to request accommodations (and modifications or adjustments in services) from the Disability Services Office. Faculty and staff are not obligated to accommodate any student whose request is not made in a timely manner and is not conveyed in a letter from Disability Services or the Learning Center.
Once a qualified individual with a disability has requested services in a timely manner, the college personnel, after carefully reviewing the diagnostic evaluation, will meet with the student to determine appropriate accommodations based on the disability documentation. The student is responsible for scheduling appointments with the Disability Services or Learning Center personnel to discuss and determine appropriate and reasonable accommodations. Early consultation increases the likelihood that all the necessary services and accommodations can be in place by the beginning of each term.
General Considerations and Responsibilities
Responsibilities of Students
The philosophy of Baldwin-Wallace College is that students with disabilities have the right to full and self-directed participation in postsecondary education. At the same time, however, students with disabilities have certain responsibilities regarding their educational experience at Baldwin-Wallace. The student must:
- Identify his/her disability to Disability Services for Students or the Learning Center in a timely manner in order to qualify for accommodations on campus by providing written documentation of the disability.
- Schedule an appointment and meet with the Disability Services or Learning Center personnel each semester to request, review, and/or modify accommodations.
- Meet with instructors at the beginning of each semester and give him/her the accommodation letter developed and provided by the Disability Services or Learning Center personnel.
- Consult with Disability Services for Students personnel to determine whether exam accommodations are necessary. ALL exams taken at the Learning Center must be arranged with the professor and scheduled at least one week prior to each test.
- Contact Disability Services or the Learning Center personnel in a timely manner if adjustments or modifications of accommodations are necessary.
- Maintain the same academic standards required of all Baldwin-Wallace College students.
- Abide by the B-W Student Judicial Code on matters such as academic honesty and behavior.
Responsibilities of Faculty
Faculty play a central role in the implementation of accommodations to students with disabilities. According to federal law, faculty may not refuse to provide appropriate accommodations, may not question whether the disability exists when accommodations have been authorized by Disability Services for Students, and may not examine a student’s documentation. In keeping with the Baldwin-Wallace College policy of equal access for all qualified students, each faculty member will:
- Accommodate a student when s/he presents the letter from DSS outlining the required accommodations.
- Include in each syllabus a statement regarding disclosure to encourage students to disclose their disability to Disability Services for Students or the Learning Center early in the term. The preferred statement is provided in Appendix C.
- Meet with students as soon as possible upon notification of special needs.
- Provide accommodations in a fair and timely manner. Providing accommodations is not negotiable; the way the accommodations are provided is.
- Provide testing accommodations within the department when possible. When testing cannot be accommodated within the department, discuss and make arrangements, at least one week prior to each test, with both the student and the Learning Center for testing to be completed at the Learning Center.
- Contact Disability Services for Students or the Learning Center with questions or suggestions regarding the appropriateness of an accommodation. (In case of dispute, the faculty member should continue to provide the accommodation as recommended until settlement has been reached.)
- Maintain confidentiality regarding all aspects of a student’s disability.
Grievances
If a student with a disability believes that his or her requests for accommodations and/or modifications of those accommodations have not been met appropriately or in a timely manner, or if the student believes that he or she has been discriminated against on the basis of the disability, it is recommended that the student contact the person(s) considered to be the source of the problem and discuss the problem. If the student is unable to do this, if the problem cannot be resolved, or if the problem is not resolved satisfactorily, the student should contact Disability Services for Students. The coordinator of this office will work with the college personnel and the student with the disability to resolve the disagreement(s) regarding the recommended accommodations and/or modifications. If the matter is unable to be resolved informally or if the student with the disability is not satisfied with the resolution, the student may file a grievance with the Senior Vice President. A grievance filed with the Senior Vice President must be made in person or in writing and must include the following information:
1. the issue involved in the alleged discriminatory act;
2. identification of the complainant’s disability;
3. the date(s) of the alleged discriminatory act(s);
4. specific details of the alleged discriminatory act(s); and
5. identification of witnesses who have knowledge of the discriminatory act(s).
If the Senior Vice President determines that a violation of the law and/or the Baldwin-Wallace College policy has occurred, a remedy will be offered. If not, the complainant will be informed in writing and/or be offered other possible remedies to the complaint within thirty days.
Appendix A
Information and Campus Resources
Counseling and Health Services
Health Center, 207 Beech Street
Marcy Hunt-Morse, Ph.D, Director, Counseling Services, 440/826-2180
Senior Vice President
Bonds Administration Building, 275 Eastland Road
Dick Fletcher, 440/826-2323
Learning Center
Ritter Library, 55 E. Bagley Street
Barbara Coniam, Director, Room 213, 440/826-2147
Lynn Christie, Learning Specialist, Room 204, 440/826-2147
Jim Buddie, Math Specialist, Room 210, 440/826-2147
Sue Maxymiv, Learning Specialist, Room 212, 440/826-2147
David Duvall, Learning Specialist, Room 205, 440/826-2147
Joanne Meyer, Tutor Coordinator, Office Manager, Room 203, 440/826-2147
Office of Disability Services for Employees
Bonds Administration Building, 275 Eastland Road
Sam Ramirez, Coordinator, Room 213D, 440/826-2220
Office of Disability Services for Students
Ritter Library, 55 E. Bagley Street
Teresa Seroke, Disability Specialist, Room 207, 440/826-5936
Ohio Relay Services
150 E. Gay Street, Room 21B, Columbus, Ohio 43215
1-800-750-0750
This is a relay service for TTY/voice or voice/TTY phone conversations. It operates twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays.
Residence Life
Heritage Hall, 114 Tressel Street
Karen Sency, Housing Coordinator, 440/826-2114
Policy and Advisory Committee for Disability Services
Barbara Coniam, Director of the Learning Center, Ritter Library, Rm. 213, 440/826-2147
Nancy Gussett, Ph.D., Assistant Professor - Psychology, Carnegie Hall, 440/826-2027
Robin Gagnow, Associate Dean of Students and Director of Residence Life, Bonds Rm. 102, 440/826-2114
Teresa Seroke, Disability Specialist, Ritter Library Rm. 207, 440/826-5936
Sam Ramirez, Coordinator of Disability Services for Employees, Bonds Hall Rm. 213D, 440/826-2220
Student Representative
Appendix B
Disability Conditions
The following are general guidelines for determining a qualified person with a disability:
- Attention Disabilities: Conditions that affect the ability to sustain and regulate attention. Inattention, impulsiveness, and sometimes hyperactivity are characteristic.
- Hearing Disabilities: Conditions that affect hearing either partially or totally.
- Health Disabilities: Conditions, communicable or non-communicable, affecting general health, strength, vitality, or alertness. Examples include heart conditions, epilepsy, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS.
- Learning Disabilities: Conditions referring to a heterogeneous group of disorders manifested by significant difficulties in the acquisition and use of listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning, or mathematical abilities. These disorders are intrinsic to the individual, presumed to be due to central nervous system dysfunction, and may occur across the life span. Problems in self-regulatory behaviors, self-perception, and social interaction may exist with learning disabilities but do not by themselves constitute a learning disability. Although learning disabilities may occur concomitant with other disabling conditions (e.g., sensory impairment, mental retardation, serious emotional disturbance) or with extrinsic influences (e.g., cultural differences, insufficient or inappropriate instruction), they are not the result of those conditions or influences. (National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities, 1988b, p. 1)
- Psychological Disabilities: Conditions leading to behavior that differs significantly from that of peers, resulting from a serious emotional or mental disturbance. Examples include mood, anxiety and personality disorders.
- Orthopedic or Mobility Disabilities: Conditions limiting mobility partially or totally. Examples include spina bifida, cerebral palsy, amputation, and spinal cord injuries.
- Speech Disabilities: Conditions that affect expressive or receptive communication either partially or totally.
- Traumatic Brain Injuries: Conditions of brain dysfunction due to organic disorders or head injuries. They are characterized by memory and recall problems, perception problems, and communication problems.
- Visual Disabilities: Conditions resulting in visual problems. The terms partially sighted, legally blind, and totally blind are used to describe individuals with visual disabilities.
Appendix C
Sample Syllabus Statement
To encourage disclosure of a disability, faculty members should include the following statement in all course syllabi.
- Any student with a documented disability (e.g., physical, learning, psychological, vision, hearing, etc.) who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of that disability should contact the Disability Services at 440-826-5936 in the Ritter Library, Room 207, to establish eligibility and to coordinate reasonable accommodations. Students will not be accommodated unless they provide their instructors with a letter from Disability Services documenting their eligibility and delineating reasonable and appropriate accommodations. The accommodation letter must be updated each semester. Students are encouraged to meet with each professor early in the semester to discuss their disability letter regarding how to implement their accommodations in relation to specific course requirements.
275 Eastland Rd.