The Legal Obligations and Opportunities module clarified that disability law in higher education rests on two federal statutes — Section 504 (1973) and the ADA (1990). Both protect the person with a disability, not the disability itself, and place responsibility on the institution rather than individual staff.
Students have one fundamental right — equal access to educational opportunities. Accommodations are not separate rights but the means by which equal access is achieved.
The case-by-case principle protects both students and institutions. Each request is evaluated individually, with the only precedent being the same careful consideration for the next request.
In my context at an Early College Center, this means partnering with CVCC's Disability Services rather than acting alone. High school IEPs do not automatically transfer to college — fresh documentation is required.
Equal access is not equal treatment. It is whatever ensures every student has the same opportunities to succeed.
With Benevolence, Shannon
