Disability Access Student Rights & Responsibilities

Rhode Island College has a commitment to ensure that students with disabilities have an equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from all services, programs, and activities of the College. However, students with disabilities also have a responsibility to follow reasonable procedures, as outlined by the institution, to receive requested services or adjustments on the basis of disability.

Laws Related to Accommodations

Qualified students with disabilities are entitled to receive reasonable and appropriate accommodations, auxiliary aids, and services that facilitate meaningful access without posing a fundamental alteration or undue burden, in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act as Amended, and related state and federal civil rights laws. A qualified student with a disability is someone who, with or without reasonable accommodation, meets the essential requirements of a service, program, or activity of the College.

Every Qualified Student with a Disability has the Right to:

• Receive equal access to all educational opportunities at the College including all College courses, programs, activities, services, and facilities.
• Receive reasonable and appropriate accommodations, policy modifications, auxiliary aids, or services as determined through an individualized assessment in an interactive process with the Center for Disability Access.
• Receive effective communication access including the delivery of information in accessible formats across College platforms.
• Expect confidentiality of all disability-related information shared with the Center for Disability Access, with the choice to disclose specific information to selected parties with express consent, except where required by law.
• Be free from discrimination, disparate treatment, or harassment on the basis of disability.
• File a grievance with the College’s Office of Institutional Equity or the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights if the student has experienced harassment, discriminatory treatment, or been denied access relative to a disability.

Every Qualified Student with a Disability has the Responsibility to:

• Meet essential requirements for admission, eligibility, and participation in College services, programs, or activities, including relevant technical and behavioral standards, with or without reasonable accommodations.

If Seeking Disability-Related Accommodations, Every Qualified Student with a Disability has the Responsibility to:

• Self-identify to the College by registering with the Center for Disability Access and following established procedures to request accommodations in advance of anticipated need. Please Note: Accommodations cannot be granted retroactively.
• Provide supporting documentation to the Center for Disability Access that establishes the presence of non-observable disabilities or disabling medical conditions and the disability-related need for the requested accommodation, according to our Documentation Guidelines.
• Follow reasonable procedures and timelines for requesting accommodations, as outlined by the Center for Disability Access separately. Some services—like test proctoring, accessible media provision, assistive technology loans, communication access services, notetaking services, or housing accommodations—may require additional lead-time and advanced coordination to facilitate timely and appropriate administration of these services. If not adhered to, the Center for Disability Access cannot guarantee that the accommodation can be provided.
• Request accommodation letters from the Center for Disability Access for each course needed, each semester, in advance of anticipated need. Accommodation letters can be customized based on eligible accommodations. Faculty are not obligated to provide accommodations without official notification from the Center for Disability Access through the accommodation letter.
• Understand that disability-related accommodations, auxiliary aids, and services are meant to facilitate equal access to educational opportunities but are not guaranteed to provide successful outcomes.
• Notify the Center for Disability Access if there are any issues or concerns about the administration of accommodations. The Center for Disability Access staff will work to address the concern, which may include providing an effective alternative to the accommodation while working towards resolution.