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Students with Disabilities
Cornell College is committed to compliance with federal
law regarding students with disabilities. Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 states: ``No otherwise qualified individual
in the United States, as defined in section 706(7) of this title, shall,
solely by reason of his handicap, be excluded from participation in, be
denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any
program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance...'' (29
U.S. Code, paragraph 794).
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 states that a handicap shall
be defined as ``a physical or mental impairment that substantially
limits one or more of the major life activities.'' (42 U.S. Code,
paragraph 12102[2]).
The Office of Civil Rights, Department of Education, states that any
postsecondary education program which receives Federal financial
assistance ``shall make such modifications to its academic requirements as are necessary to
ensure that such requirements do not discriminate or have the effect of
discriminating, on the basis of handicap, against a qualified applicant
or student'' (34 Code of Federal Regulations, paragraphs 104.41 and 104.44[a]). In
addition to academic adjustments, ``a recipient ... shall take such
steps as are necessary to ensure that no handicapped student is denied
the benefits of, excluded from participation in, or otherwise subjected
to discrimination ... because of absence of educational auxiliary
aids for students with impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills''
(34 Code of Federal Regulations, paragraph 104.44[d]).
The concept of academic adjustments is not aimed at giving students with
disabilities undue special advantages in order to help them pass, nor
does it require that they be graded on a different scale from their
classmates; it requires educational access and opportunity, not a
guarantee of success.
A student qualifies for disability services at Cornell when the
student provides documentation of the disability from a medical doctor
(M.D.), educational or school psychologist (Ph.D.), or other individual
licensed by the state of origin to diagnose learning or physical
disabilities, to the Registrar, where it is placed on file as a confidential
record. Cornell College reserves the right to determine what constitutes
appropriate documentation. The student must also request appropriate accommodation from the instructor of each course within the first three days of each term.
For further information about accommodations for students with disabilities consult the Registrar.
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