Reasonable Accommodation and Its History at Ball State

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 states that "no otherwise qualified person with a disability in the United States shall, solely by 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." Reasonable accommodation in higher education refers to an "otherwise qualified" disabled student's ability to fulfill course requirements in the classroom when faculty and staff provide equal access to learning. Faculty and staff accomplish this in the following ways:

providing alternative ways to fulfill course requirements,
using innovative teaching techniques, providing supervised tutorial assistance and use of technology,
tailoring requirements to individual needs, and adapting tests to assure measurement of a disabled student's knowledge, not the disability.

The History of Reasonable Accommodation at Ball State Even before Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, there had been a commitment to disabled students attending Ball State University. Since the 1973 law, the office of Disabled Student Development (formerly Handicapped Services) and the university have worked together to facilitate enhancements to the law.

Ball State is committed to providing equal opportunity in higher education to academically qualified students with disabilities who demonstrate a reasonable expectation of college success. Students with disabilities attending this university are integrated as completely as possible into the university comunity. Ball State does not offer a specialized curriculum for students with disabilities nor does it assume the role of a rehabilitation center. The university seeks input from students for modifying campus facilities and programs to meet individual needs. Students with disabilities at Ball State are given access to the tools and resources that will enable them to manage day-to-day life in college.

The professional staff and faculty strongly encourage disabled students to be involved in both academic and extracurricular activities-special interest groups, sports, wellness programs, student organizations, and student government activities-because these kinds of involvements will help prepare disabled students for success after college by giving them a well-rounded background.

To ensure equal oppportunity, the post-secondary educational experience of students with disabilities must be comparable to that of their able-bodied counterparts. Following are some aspects of Section 504 concerning higher education. Most related practices at Ball State preceded the legislation and, in fact, have often been stronger.

Quotas or special admission criteria for handicapped persons are ruled out, as are pre-admission inquiries regarding an applicant's disability.
Instututions must assure "program accessibility" of activities and programs to disabled students and employees. The institution is not expected to make all of its buildings completely accessible, although new construcution must be fully accessible. Accessibility may be achieved by rescheduling classes in accessible locations or by taking other steps to ensure program accessibility. Students with disabilities should have the same options available to them as others in selecting courses and housing.
Students with impaired sensory, manual, language or processing skills must be allowed to use educational auxiliary aids. Such aids may include taped texts, readers, interpreters, notetakers, tape recorders, adapted classroom equipment, and other simialr services or equipment.
Depending on the circumstances, the provision of such aids may be the responsibility of Vocational Rehabilitation, the individual, or the university. Institions cannot impose rules limiting the use of such aids in the classroom, although institutions are not required to provide services or equipment of a personal nature or those that are personally prescribed (e.g., wheelcairs, attentdants, prosthetic equipment or devices, crutches, canes, hearing aids).
Modification of academic requirements may be nessary to accommodate qualified disabled students. Modification, if necessary or apporpriate, may include changes in the length of time permitted for completion of degree requirements, substitution of specific required courses, and adaptiations in the manner courses are conducted or learning is demonstrated. Requirements essential to the program of instruction or related to licensing requirements are not regarded as discrminatory.
Tests that the instuitution uses must not discriminate against disabled students. Tests must be selcted and administered so tht results for students with impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills are not distorted and so that they measure the students' aptitudes or achievement levels rather than the functional limitations of their disabilities.

In meeting these requirements institutions must take care not to isolate or segregate disabled students from able-bodied persons wherever integrations is feasible.