Student Guide
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the following questions can be found in order on this page.
- What is a disability?
- Who qualifies for accommodations and services?
- Is there a separate admissions process for students with disabilities?
- Will the accommodations that were provided to me in high school automatically be provided to me in college?
- How do I register for services?
- How accessible is campus?
- What documentation do I need to provide?
- Do I have to pay for a new evaluation, and who can I find do it?
- What should I do if my accommodation or services are not working?
- What is the Testing Services Center?
1. What is a disability?
Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provide protection from discrimination for individuals on the basis of a disability. Section 504 states that:
“No otherwise qualified person with a disability in the United States … shall, solely by the reason of …disability, be denied the benefits of, be excluded from participation in, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”
Under the ADA a “person with a disability” is someone with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, such as caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, learning, breathing, and working. Physical or mental impairments include, for example, learning disabilities, emotional or mental illness, blindness and visual impairments, deafness and hearing impairments, mobility impairments and some chronic illness.
2. Who qualifies for accommodations and services?
A “qualified” person with a disability is one who, with reasonable accommodations (if necessary), meets the essential standards required for admission or participation in Towson University’s programs and activities. An example of a reasonable accommodation in a college setting would be allowing a student to take tests with extended time.
3. Is there a separate admissions process for students with disabilities?
There are no separate admissions procedures or criteria for students with disabilities. Prospective students should contact the undergraduate or graduate admissions office for application information. The admission office will not refer students who identify themselves as having a disability to DSS. Therefore, students should contact DSS upon admission to register for accommodations and services. Registering with DSS will enable students to receive appropriate accommodations and services, including accommodations necessary for orientation programs or required placement exams, as well as classroom and testing accommodations.
4. Will the services and accommodations that were provided to me in high school automatically be provided to me in college?
College-level services for students with disabilities are not a continuation of special education services received in high school. The university must provide accommodations that address your documented disability, thus affording you an equal opportunity to participate in its programs, courses and activities. However, the university is not required to provide accommodations as they appeared in your high school IEP or Section 504 plan. In fact, DSS staff may determine that some accommodations you received in high school alter aspects of the curriculum, and are therefore not reasonable. When discussing possible accommodations for college-level work, be prepared to consider alternative accommodations in the event that some may no longer be available to you.
5. How do I register for services?
You may request an accommodation at anytime, however, students are encouraged to contact DSS upon admission to the university. To be eligible for services, students must make an appointment to meet with a specialist for an intake interview and submit current, comprehensive documentation of his/her disability. Eligibility guidelines are available online in this Student Guide and from the DSS office.
For high school and transfer students starting college in the fall, DSS staff is available to meet with you over the summer. DSS participates in Towson University Open Houses and TU Cares Programs. During this time, students are invited to meet with DSS staff, who will answer questions about our program and services.
6. How accessible is campus?
Although the university is physically accessible to students with disabilities, the terrain on campus is hilly. Disability Support Services has available a campus accessibility guide that shows grade changes and traveling routes from easiest to most difficult. An Orientation and Mobility Specialist may be provided to work with students individually.
Transportation services are also provided. An on-campus Shuttle Bus Service is available during the Fall and Spring semesters. The Shuttle takes students to and from campus buildings and classrooms. The front seats in each Shuttle are reserved for students with disabilities. Additionally, there is Mobility Van equipped with a wheelchair lift that will make pickups and drop-offs at any TU campus location.
7. What documentation do I need to provide?
All students who request accommodations must submit documentation of their disability to Disability Support Services. The documentation must be up-to-date and include a complete written evaluation from a physician, psychologist or other qualified specialist. In most cases, a diagnostic evaluation must have been completed within the last three years (or up to five years for some adults), depending upon the nature of the disability and individual needs and circumstances. Specific guidelines for documentation are located in the Student Guide.
8. Do I have to pay for a new evaluation, and who can I find do it?
For a student with a disability leaving high school and entering college, it is recommended that you work with your high school to obtain an updated evaluation appropriate to document your disability and need for accommodations as you transition to college. Generally, for a high school student, the evaluation should be no more than three years old. Although many high schools are willing to conduct and pay for a new evaluation, neither your high school nor college is required to do so. This may mean that you have to pay or find funding to pay an appropriate professional to do it. Disability Support Services maintains a list of qualified evaluators who conduct psycho-educational evaluations, including those who use a sliding fee scale. Also, if you are eligible for services through your state vocational rehabilitation agency, you may qualify for an evaluation at no cost to you.
9. What should I do if my accommodation or services are not working?
Let your Disability Support Services (DSS) specialist know as soon as you become aware that the results are not what you expected. It is harder to correct a long-standing problem and it may be too late if you wait too long or until the course or activity is completed. You and your DSS specialist should work together to resolve the problem, and in collaboration with college faculty, staff and administrators, as appropriate.
10. What is the Testing Services Center?
The Testing Services Center provides testing accommodations to students registered with DSS. The Center is equipped to provide extended test time, a reduced distraction testing environment, readers, scribes, and word processors, as well as other assistive technology. To use the Testing Services Center, the student and instructor must follow the Center’s procedures as outlined on the Test Accommodation Request Form and on the DSS website.
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