This page outlines the Owens Disability Resource Center’s (DRC) adherence to confidentiality and the importance of accommodations vs. modifications. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Owens DRC at (567) 661-7007 or disability@owens.edu.
Confidentiality
In accordance with federal law and the ADA, the Disability Resource Center protects the rights of all approved students with disabilities.
- All correspondence with the Disability Resource Center must take place through your Owens Community College email address. We will not open or respond to messages sent from outside providers such as Gmail, Yahoo, or any other addresses. This ensures confidentiality in that we are communicating directly with individual students which otherwise would not be verifiable outside of their Owens student email.
- Documentation provided to verify approval of accommodations will not become a part of the student’s College transcript or academic file.
- Documentation of student disability is maintained separate from their individual educational records and is only accessible by DRC staff. Individual students have the right to disclose their disability to whomever they choose, however, they must disclose their disability to the Disability Resource Center in order to be eligible to receive accommodations and support.
- Diagnosis or any provided disability information will not be included on any outgoing documentation which is provided to instructors outlining accommodations. The only information included on accommodations documentation will be the student’s name, identification number, and current semester.
- Disability information will not be disclosed to anyone without written consent form from the student except for situations that involve emergencies or imminent risk as allowed by FERPA.
- Another difference following graduation from high school at the college level is all students are considered to be adults who are presumed to manage their own lives. Federal privacy laws require us to acquire the student’s written authorization to permit academic and nonacademic information to be shared with parents, instructors or other staff members.
- Personal care attendants or specific support personnel are not provided at the college level. Students are responsible for coordinating and disclosing their own personal care and the services needed to meet any specific medical and other needs.
Accommodations vs. Modifications
The Disability Resource Center works in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These are the federal laws that mandate access to programs and services for people with disabilities, including students in postsecondary education.
The ADA does not permit fundamentally altering the content of college courses in the form of modifications. This directly impacts how services are provided at the college level when referring to modifications vs. accommodations. There are several differences between accommodations and modifications:
Modifications
- Fundamentally change the content of the course consequently modifying the curriculum by altering what is learned by:
- Removing choices
- Altering the length of required content
- Extending due dates
- Providing breaks between tasks
- This may guarantee success at the K-12 level, but again based on ADA regulation is not allowable at the college level as modifications would fundamentally alter or lower expectations or standards in instructional level, content or performance criteria.
- Grading and expected outcomes are different, which again is not allowable at the college level based on ADA guidelines.
Accommodations
- Ensure equal access to learning in college programs and equal opportunity to demonstrate what is learned by:
- providing extended time
- reduced distractions
- test or text read
- Accommodations do not fundamentally alter or lower expectations in instructional level, content or performance criteria.
- Grading is the same as other students.