DISABILITY SERVICES
Disability Services at Kettering University serves an important role in helping students with disabilities obtain access to academic and programmatic services at the University, as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation in Education Act of 1973. The University provides disability services in compliance with the American with Disabilities Act (1990) and its amendments, along with state and local regulations regarding students, employees, and applicants with disabilities. Under these laws, no qualified individual with a disability shall be denied access to participation in services, programs, and/or activities at Kettering University. In carrying out Kettering‘s policy regarding disabled students, employees and applicants, we recognize mobility, sensory, medical, psychological, and learning disabilities. We will attempt to provide accommodations for these disabilities for all students who meet the criteria described in the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Any Kettering student who has been diagnosed with a physical, medical, psychological, or learning disability, or suspects that s/he may have one, must contact the Zelpha McKinnon Wellness Center. The Center will evaluate the required documentation in support of the claim of disability and make an assessment of a student‘s needs on a case-by-case basis. The Wellness Center will then make recommendations for the appropriate services and accommodations necessary to meet the legal requirements as set forth by the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Center will inform faculty and staff who may be responsible for providing the services and/or accommodations.
Prospective students in the admissions process should contact the Wellness Center to discuss appropriate documentation needed to verify a disability and to identify the type of services, accommodations, and/or adaptive equipment that may be necessary.
Matriculated students are required to make arrangements for accommodation with each individual professor in advance of assignment deadlines, examination and quiz dates, etc. Students who do not confer with their professors in advance may jeopardize their right to accommodation.
Our Philosophy: Self-Advocacy
Kettering University subscribes to a self-advocacy model of development for students with disabilities. We believe the ability to self-advocate is a fundamental skill for our students to learn, in order to be successful in college and at all stages of their lives. Self-advocacy locates responsibility for disability management with the disabled individual so that students learn how to navigate life’s challenges and obstacles and to seek out the services and resources needed.
Disability Documentation Policy
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Kettering University recognizes that qualified students who have diagnosed or identified learning, physical, or emotional disabilities are entitled to the same benefits from the educational programs of the university as non-disabled students. To establish that an individual is covered under the ADA, the documentation should indicate that the disability substantially limits some major life activity, including learning. Accommodations are individualized and determined on a case-by-case basis for students who are qualified for equal access to programs and courses.
It is your responsibility to provide appropriate documentation of your disability to the Wellness Center. The documentation provided must include a diagnosis of a physical or mental impairment, discuss how the disability limits one or more major life activities, address how the disability will affect you in the learning environment, and outline the reasonable accommodations recommended.
Submission of the documents, review and interview with Wellness Center staff can take up to five business days. Requests for accommodations should be made as early as possible in the term to ensure that appropriate time is given to professors if accommodations are needed in the classroom. Professors require a minimum one week notice to review accommodation requests prior to quizzes and exams.
What documents do I need to provide?
An Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan cannot serve as the stand alone documentation for accommodations and services at the university level. It is your responsibility to provide the appropriate documentation which identifies the nature of your disability, discusses how your disability will impact you in the learning environment, and outlines the necessary reasonable accommodations to be provided in the classroom or on campus. Your documentation must be prepared by a person who is not a family member and by a person who is qualified by professional training and practice to diagnose and treat those impairments associated with your disability.
Documents must be typed and printed on the letterhead of the practitioner, agency, clinic, or hospital. The documentation must contain the name, title, professional credentials, licensure or certification information, original signature, and contact information of the professional. The university reserves the right to ask for more recent documentation or additional documentation for clarification as appropriate. Handwritten notes on prescription pads will not be accepted.
The following is a summary of the documentation you will need to provide based on your specific disability. For more detailed information, refer to the appropriate set of documentation guidelines found on the left navigation bar.
Learning Disability
Students must provide a psycho-educational evaluation not more than three years old with qualifying cognitive and processing standardized test scores and a DSM IV diagnosis of a learning disorder. The documentation must also discuss the effect on the student’s functioning in the academic environment, and include a discussion of the reasonable accommodations recommended. The evaluation must be completed by a licensed school psychologist or psychologist who diagnoses learning disabilities.
Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder
Students must provide a letter or report not more than three years old from a psychologist, psychiatrist, or M.D. qualified to diagnose the condition. The letter must be typed on letterhead and signed. The letter must identify the specific disability, the effect on the student’s ability to function in the learning environment, and the reasonable accommodations recommended.
Psychological or Mental Disorder
Students must provide a letter or report not more than three years old from a psychologist, psychiatrist, or M.D. qualified to diagnose the condition. The letter must be typed on letterhead and signed. The letter must identify the specific DSM IV disability, the effect on the student’s functioning in the learning environment, and the reasonable accommodations recommended.
Physical or Other Health Impairment
Students must provide a letter or report not more than three years old from a psychologist, psychiatrist, or M.D. qualified to diagnose the condition. The condition or its effects must be long term to permanent. The letter must be typed on letterhead and signed. The letter must identify the specific disability or health impairment, the effect on the student’s functioning in the learning environment, and the reasonable accommodations recommended.
Hearing Impairment or Deafness
Students must provide an audiogram indicating level of hearing loss or letter on letterhead not more than three years old from an M.D. qualified to diagnose the condition. The condition or its effects must be long term to permanent. The letter must identify the specific disability, the effect on the student’s functioning in the academic environment, and the reasonable accommodations recommended.
Speech Impairment
Students must provide a report or letter on letterhead not more than three years old from a speech pathologist or an M.D. qualified to diagnose the condition. The condition or its effects must be long term to permanent. The letter must identify the specific disability, the effect on the student’s functioning in the learning environment, and the reasonable accommodations recommended.
Visual Impairment or Blindness
Students must provide a letter or report not more than three years old from an M.D. qualified to diagnose the condition. The condition or its effects must be long term to permanent. The letter must be typed on letterhead and signed. The letter must identify the specific disability, the effect on the student’s functioning in the learning environment, and the reasonable accommodations recommended.
Why can’t I use my Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan from High School?
An Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan cannot serve as the stand alone documentation for accommodations and services at the university level.
Records must contain information meeting the disability documentation requirements previously outlined (diagnosis, functional limitations, and recommendations). IEPs are primarily plans for education prepared by K-12 public school systems appropriate to assuring a student with a disability has equal access to a free and appropriate education in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Various educational records such as an IEP, a transcript, or other special-education records, however, may provide valuable information about what kinds of accommodations and services were effective in the past. The IEP is a useful tool to assist the disabilities specialist in identifying appropriate classroom accommodations and learning strategies that may have been effective in previous educational experiences. The office for Services for Student with Disabilities encourages students to provide a copy of their most recent IEP in addition to the required documentation.
