Americans with Disabilities Act
The United States Sports Academy acts in accordance with two relevant laws: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provides federal civil rights protection to people who are considered disabled. Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act is a priority of the Academy. To ensure institutional compliance, the institution administration has:
Appointed the Registrar to oversee compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act; and has provided assistance from the Dean of Academic Affairs as well as the Division Head for Student Services to assist the ADA Coordinator in the functions in preparation of the evaluation and implementation of a plan of compliance.
Questions or concerns regarding this Act should be directed to the Registrar, United States Sports Academy, One Academy Drive, Daphne, Alabama 36526.
Providing Services for Students with Disabilities
Services and reasonable accommodations are provided pursuant to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The Academy is committed to working with individuals with disabilities. It is the goal of the Academy to ensure that students with disabilities have the programmatic and architectural accesses needed for integration into Distance Learning Life.
All applicants must meet the academic and technical standards requisite for admission. The Academy will not reduce standards in the grading and/or evaluation of students. Academic requirements that are determined to be essential or fundamental will not be modified.
The Academy strives to eliminate barriers to learning or participation in other institutional activities, and provides the following services for students and faculty:
- Screening of disability documentation
- Determination of appropriate accommodations
- Communication with faculty and/or staff regarding student needs
Providing reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities requires an individual assessment of need and is a problem solving process. Specific accommodations depend upon the nature and requirements of a particular course or activity and the skills and functional abilities of a particular student. Appropriate accommodations may include:
- Extended time on exams
- Change in test format
- Priority registration
- Use of Spell checker
- Extra time for assignments
- Alternative evaluation methods
- Change in test format
Students with disabilities are responsible for informing the Academy about the disability and the need for reasonable accommodation. This should be done prior to or upon enrollment. Students must furnish adequate documentation of their disabilities from medical or other appropriate professionals in order to substantiate the need for services.
Criteria for Disability Documentation
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 states the qualified students with disabilities who meet the technical and academic standards at the Academy are entitled to reasonable accommodations. Under these laws, a disability is defined as any physical or mental impairment which substantially limits a major life activity, a history of such impairment, or the perception of such impairment. The Academy does NOT provide disability documentation for students. It is the student’s responsibility to provide appropriate documentation to the office responsible for handling the request and to request accommodations. Appropriate documentation is defined as that which meets the following criteria:
Psychological Disorder
A letter or report form a mental health professional (psychologist, neuropsychologist, licensed professional counselor), including:
- Clearly stated diagnosis
- Defined levels of functioning and any limitations
- Current treatment and medication
- Current letter/report (within 1 year), dated and signed
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
A comprehensive evaluation report by a rehabilitation counselor, speech-language pathologist, orthopedic specialist, and/or neuropsychologist (or other specialist as appropriate), including:
- Assessment of cognitive abilities, including processing speed and memory
- Analysis of educational achievement skills and limitations (reading comprehension, written language, spelling, and mathematical abilities)
- Defined levels of functioning and limitations in all affected areas (communication, vision, hearing, mobility, psychological, seizures, etc.)
- Current treatment and medication
- Current letter/report (post-rehabilitation and within 1 year), dated and signed
Learning Disabilities (LD)
A comprehensive evaluation report for a clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, neuropsychologist, school psychologist, learning disability specialist, or diagnostician, including:
- Clear statement of presenting problem; diagnostic interview
- Educational history documenting the impact of the learning disability
- Alternative explanations and diagnoses are ruled out
- Clearly stated diagnosis of a learning disability based upon DSM-IV criteria
- Defined levels of functioning and any limitations, supported by evaluation data
- Defined levels of functioning and any limitations, supported by evaluation data
- Current report (within 3years of enrollment date), dated and signed
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
A comprehensive evaluation report from a physician, psychiatrist, clinical psychologist, neurologist, or neuropsychologist, including:
- Clear statement of presenting problem; diagnostic interview
- Evidence of early and current impairment in at least two different environments (comprehensive history)
- Alternative explanations and diagnoses are ruled out
- Relevant test data with standard scores are provided to support conclusions
- Clearly stated diagnosis of ADD or ADHD based upon DSM-IV Criteria
- Defined levels of functioning and any limitations supported by evaluation data
- Current report (within 3 years of enrollment date), dated and signed
