Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
Excelsior University’s Commitment to Accommodation
Excelsior University is committed to the principle that every individual will have an equal opportunity to participate in a degree program, holistically aligning their academic, personal, and professional aspirations toward gaining knowledge, experiences, connections, skills, and competencies under appropriate conditions to complete a degree and reach goals. We provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities recognized under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). The provision of aids and modifications allows access to all students with disabilities.
What is a Disability?
The Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) defines a disability as any physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.” Major life activities include, but are not limited to, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working.
The ADA requires an institution of higher education to provide accommodations to a qualified individual with a disability, provided that the accommodation does not: 1) fundamentally alter the nature of an academic program, or 2) create undue hardship to the institution. An undue hardship refers to proposed accommodations that are impossible, unfeasible, or excessively disruptive or burdensome to administer. Both matriculated and non-matriculated students may request accommodations from Excelsior University.
Additionally, the University is required to abide by the provisions of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act which protects otherwise qualified individuals from discrimination based on disability. To be considered otherwise qualified, a student with a disability must be capable, either with or without accommodation, of fulfilling the essential requirements of the educational program.
Management of Student Information
Excelsior University receives and retains in a secure manner all inquiries and requests for accommodation and the required documentation. Requests for accommodation and related documentation will be scanned into the ADA database and the original documents will be retained by the University during the period of the student’s enrollment. Access to information regarding student requests for accommodation is on a “need to know” basis consistent with the requirements of Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 USC 1232g and related regulations at 34 CFR Part 99 regarding the confidentiality of and access to student records. To preserve student confidentiality, all information regarding requests for or delivery of accommodations is housed in a secure ADA database and access is restricted to staff supporting Excelsior’s accessibility services processes.
Student Support Contact Information
If you need assistance submitting your request, or have any questions about your accommodations, contact us.
Phone: 877-852-5692
Email: StudentSupport@excelsior.edu
