Copies of this guide are also available through Disability Services

Civil Rights Restoration Act Guide for Students with Disabilities

The University of North Carolina at Wilmington is open and accessible to students with disabilities. We are committed to providing assistance to enable qualified students to accomplish their educational goals as well as assuring equal opportunity to derive all of the benefits of campus life.
Too often freshmen with disabilities struggle to make a successful transition to college. It's easy to understand why the transition can be so difficult. The laws are different and so is the accommodation process. UNCW wants to provide information which may ease the transition and provide a successful beginning to university life.

Laws:

IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 are very different. In high schools for example, under IDEA, special education program procedures may apply primarily to Learning Disabilities. High school students who are in wheelchairs, may fall under a subpart of Section 504. IEP's (Individual Education Plans) are developed for these students simply because that is the procedure required under the IDEA mandated program. The misunderstanding comes from the practice of assuming that the "504 Plan" or the IEP developed at a high school will be binding on a college or university.

High School:

Post-Secondary:

Differences:

High School Responsibilities:

University Responsibilities:

Universities are NOT required to:

In contrast to the K-12 educational experience where many of the responsibilities are assumed by the school, student responsibilities at a university change as follows:

Student Responsibilities:

• Act as independent adults
• Self-identify or disclose their disability
• Provide verifying documentation
• Obtain assessment and test results and provide them to the university
• Arrange their own weekly schedules
• Contact their instructors regarding requests for accommodations
• Arrange for and obtain their own personal tutoring

Things to Remember

Students attending universities are considered adults, with privacy and confidentiality protections. University staff cannot talk with parents and guardians about a student's academic activities as in the K-12 setting.

Documentation requirements may vary from institution to institution. Each institution has the right to establish it's own guidelines for documentation requirements. Check with each institution to obtain the documentation requirements. The documentation must verify the disability, describe the extent/severity of the impairment and provide information regarding the functional impact of the disability which supports the need for a specific accommodation.

College students must structure and plan their own study time; colleges do not set up study periods or provide for time to do homework during classes.

Professors and classes may differ regarding attendance requirements, scheduling assignment due dates and exams. It is the student's responsibility to study each professor's syllabus to determine these requirements. Attendance may be considered an essential requirement of some courses and therefore not subject to waiver or reduction. Grades reflect the quality of the work submitted.

Checklist Prior To Entering A University

REMEMBER – IF STARTED JUNIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL - IT MAY BE TOO LATE!