Disability Services
The Office of Disability Services recognizes that disability is an integral part of the university community and broader society. In alignment with this, the Office of Disability Services works collaboratively with students, faculty and staff to ensure students have access to learning environments to fully participate in academic and campus life.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
This act made discrimination based on race, religion, sex or national origin illegal.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
This act said that no otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States shall solely by reason of her or his disability be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefit of or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance or under any program or activity conducted by any executive agency or the U.S. Postal Service.
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
The language of the Americans with Disabilities Act was based on Section 504. It prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, state and local government, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation and telecommunication.
The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008
The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act was passed in response to a number of decisions by the Supreme Court that interpreted the original text of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Congress felt that the courts were moving away from the anti-discrimination spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act and, based on their rulings, eroding the law to be more focused on individuals needing to prove their membership in this protected class under civil rights law. The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act changed the language of the Americans with Disabilities Act in a way that nullified those previous court rulings and attempted to return the emphasis to individuals with disabilities.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
First passed in 1975, the purpose of this act is to ensure children with disabilities have the opportunity to receive a free appropriate public education, just like other children. Individuals from birth through 21 or until the end of their secondary education are covered.
