Looking for a college or university is a challenging and important task for students and their parents.  When you have a disability that negatively impacts your educational performance, the search can be daunting.  Thank you for your interest in accessibility services offered at Trinity International University for students with a disability.  This webpage offers helpful and useful information for both parents and students interested in learning more about reasonable accommodations at TIU.  Please direct any questions you might have to Dr. Peter Wright, Coordinator of Student Accessibility Resources at pwright@tiu.edu.

The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) provides for an IEP for eligible students in the public schools who have a disability that has an adverse effect on educational performance.  Instruction is specially designed to meet the unique needs of a student with a disability.  When a student graduates from high school, or reaches the end of their 21st year, the IEP ceases to exist along with requirements of IDEA.  Thus, IEPs do not carry over to the post secondary educational setting.  In accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Americans with Disabilities Act, 1990, colleges and univsersities offers appropriate and reasonable accommodations, or academic adjustments, to students with a documented disability.  The formal paperwork that you were used to in the public schools is not required at the post secondary level.  Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibit discrimination against individuals with disabilties.

As a parent of a student with a disability, you have attended many IEP meetings and are familiar with the requirements of IDEA and the volume of paperwork associated with special education.  You signed many documents and gave permission for evaluations, IEP service and re-evaluations.  At the college level, the model of services changes in a distinct way.  Rather than the parent being in the driver's seat, the student now is.  There are no IEPS, related services, or team members.  The IEP case manager that you were used to no longer exists.  The college student, who is at least 18 years of age, is now considered an adult in the eyes of the law.  She or he is the only one who can initiate and participate in the process of reasonable accommodations.  As the parent, you now step back and let your student take on this adult responsibility.  For some parents, this is a very unsettling proposition!  Encourage your student to seek out the necessary reasonable accommodations and then step back, yet still be there for support.

Because many disabilities are lifelong, college is a time for you to hone your self-advocay skills before you get to the occupational marketplace.  It is in this arena that you will need to intelligently advocate for yourself and be able to explain to employers what reasonable accomodations you require.  Because college is likely the first time you take full responsibility for your disability, what you learn in your college years will be highly beneficial to you and your future employment.