Students with Disabilities FAQ
These are some of the most frequently asked questions about services for students with disabilities. If you don’t see your question here, please don’t hesitate to contact us at studentsuccess@indianatech.edu or at 800.937.2448, ext. 2292.
An Access Plan is a document that notifies university faculty and staff that a student has a documented disability. It lists the reasonable accommodations that must be provided in order for the student to have equal access to courses, programs, services, etc. In high school a student with a disability would have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). At Indiana Tech the document is called an Access Plan.
Reasonable accommodations are those academic adjustments, auxiliary aids and services, program modifications, or physical access adjustments that are made to provide equal access to all otherwise qualified students with disabilities.
The university is responsible for determining what is reasonable and for ensuring that adjustments do not fundamentally alter the nature of a course, program, service, etc. Students may make requests, and the professionals providing documentation may make recommendations, but the university must make the final decision.
Every student’s needs are unique. Reasonable accommodations must be provided that are specific and appropriate to each student. While there are many accommodations that are typically provided, such as extended test time for a student with a learning disability, there is not a finite menu of accommodations.
The university requires that the student provide adequate documentation of the disability.
Students must provide documentation from a professional source that is qualified to diagnose or make determinations about a particular disability. Sometimes diagnostic testing is required in order to determine a need for accommodations.
The student is responsible for paying for professional evaluations, if they are needed.
Information about a student’s disability is confidential and may not be released without the student’s consent. At Indiana Tech, students with Access Plans sign an Informed Consent and Release of Information that gives their professors and advisors access to the information.
Students are responsible for giving a copy of the Access Plan to each of their professors at the beginning of each semester or session to ensure that their accommodations are provided.