Academic & Disability Support Office

Students with Disabilities

Moravian College is committed to ensuring equal access and reasonable accommodations to students with documented disabilities.  Students with disabilities are considered for admission to Moravian College on the same basis as all other applicants.  Once admitted, students may request support services in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2009.

Types of Disabilities

  • Cognitive disabilities (e.g., learning disabilities, ADD/ADHD, neurological impairments)
  • Sensory impairments (e.g., visually impaired/blind, hard of hearing/deaf)
  • Physical disabilities (e.g., mobility impairments, chronic health illnesses)
  • Psychiatric and/or psychological disabilities
  • Autism spectrum disorders

Documentation Requirements for All Disabilities Should Include:

Information and guidelines from the Association on Higher Education And Disability (www.ahead.org) was used in developing these disability documentation requirements, specifically AHEAD’s document: Seven essential elements of quality disability documentation.

  • The credentials of the evaluator(s)
  • A diagnostic statement identifying the disability
  • A description of the diagnostic methodology used
  • A description of the current functional limitations
  • A description of the expected progression or stability of the disability
  • A description of current and past accommodations, services, and/or medications
  • Recommendations for accommodations, adaptive devices, assistive services, compensatory strategies, and/or collateral support services

Student responsibilities  

It is the responsibility of students with disabilities to register with the Office of Learning Services if they wish to receive classroom accommodations. Reasonable accommodations are determined on an individual basis and are based upon the specific nature of the disability.

The documentation and information regarding the specifics of a student’s disability are confidential and are not released by the Office of Learning Services.  Students must sign an authorized release each semester in order to provide faculty with notification of their disability.

Students requesting accommodations must submit current documentation of a diagnosed disability. The evaluation, based on adult norms, must have been administered within three years of matriculation at Moravian College. 

The report must be comprehensive and should follow the recommended format from AHEAD (see above)

Continued Support

Students with disabilities may obtain continued support throughout the academic year by meeting regularly with the Assistant Director of Learning Services for Disability Support.  The Assistant Director is available for consultation with faculty members who are providing accommodations. All students are strongly encouraged to use all the support services available to help them reach their academic goals.  It is the responsibility of the student to seek all support services. 

References