The purpose of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is to ensure that students with disabilities are provided a free and appropriate public education from K-12 grades. However, in college, students with disabilities are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. These two laws provide reasonable means to ensure that students with disabilities have access to the same collegiate environment as their non-disabled peers.

In grades K-12, public schools are responsible for identifying students with disabilities as well as assessing and providing services as necessary. However, on a collegiate level, students self-identify their disability to disability support offices. At Eastern, that office is the Office of Disability and Access. After disclosing a disability, the student is responsible for providing appropriate documentation and assessments.

IEP’s and 504 Plans provided to students with disabilities in the K-12 setting may not alone suffice as adequate documentation in the collegiate setting. IEP’s and 504 Plans may be helpful to colleges, but they do not always provide the testing or evaluation that was done to inform the need for special education services. Oftentimes, additional documentation is needed on top of a student’s IEP/504 Plan in the collegiate setting.

In the K-12 setting, communication with parents and guardians is often mandated. It is also understood that teachers and administrators in the K-12 setting communicate with parents and guardians on a regular basis about student progress. However, in college, parents interested in their child’s academic progress must communicate with the student directly. Eastern, by law, cannot share information about a student’s academic performance unless the student gives the college permission to do so.

In K-12 settings, IEP’s and 504 plans include disability related supports that are provided by the school. It is the school’s responsibility to arrange support for students. However, at the collegiate level, many students are in charge of the use of their accommodations. Students approved for accommodations may choose not to use them in all of their classes. Students are also responsible for communicating with their professors about how their approved accommodations work in each of their classes. Although Eastern’s Office of Disability and Access is available to support the student in the process, much of the use of accommodations is up to the student. It is also important to note that all colleges and universities have different policies and procedures in regards to accommodations. Transfer students may have different experiences between institutions. Because of this, it is important to make sure that the student is familiar with how their current institution handles accommodations.