Disability Services

1. Apply and be accepted for admission at Clark Atlanta University.
2. Complete an application for Disability Services Program Eligibility and return it with sufficient documentation in the form of an evaluation completed by a qualified licensed professional such as a physician, psychologist, therapist, diagnostician or audiologist. *The evaluation can’t be more than 3 years from the date it was completed. Any evaluation more than 3 years will not be accepted by the Office of Counseling and Disability Services.
3. Submit the completed application and evaluation/documentation to:

Clark Atlanta University
Office of Counseling and Disability Services
223 James P. Brawley Drive
Trevor Arnett Hall, Third Floor
Atlanta, GA 30314
Telephone: (404) 880-8044
Fax: (404) 880-8440

4. During the intake appointment the assistant director of disability services reviews the application and supporting documents to certify eligibility for services, gather proper information from the student, and discuss reasonable accommodations and services.
5. If eligible for reasonable accommodations, the OCADS office staff will make a second appointment with the student to discuss and review accommodations established for the student.
6. Please allow 3 business days for Letters of Accommodations to be completed and issued to the student.
7. *The assistant director of disability services will not make a decision regarding eligibility for services until all required documentation and Disability Services Application have been received. Subsequently, Letters of Accommodation will not be provided to students in place of the required documentation.

A person with a disability includes any person who has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities. A qualified person with a disability is defined as one who meets the academic and technical standards requisite to admission or participation in the education program or activity. *The diagnostician/evaluator for any disability must be impartial and not a family member of the student.

Types of Disabilities

Visual Impairment
Learning Disability
Cerebral Palsy
Partial Vision Loss
Impaired Mobility
Hearing Impairment
Partial Hearing Loss
ADD/ADHD
TBI/Closed Head Injury
Speech Impairment
Psychological/Psychiatric Disorder
Diabetes

Documentation Guidelines

Documentation serves as a foundation that legitimizes a student’s request for appropriate accommodations. Documentation must include very specific information regarding the individual’s actual current functional limitations. The Office of Counseling and Disability Services does not base eligibility on what could/might occur or often occurs with those who have been given this diagnosis. Documentation should be current (not exceeding 3 years) and answer the following questions:

Does the individual have a physical or mental impairment? 
Documentation must be current and include a mental or physical diagnosis made by a qualified licensed professional. Sometimes students may be asked to provide updated comprehensive information if their condition is potentially changeable and/or previous documentation does not include sufficient information. 

Does the impairment affect a major life activity? 
Legal eligibility requires that the physical or mental impairment substantially affects a major life activity. A major life activity is a basic function of life. Disability laws list the major life activities as breathing, caring for self, hearing, learning, performing manual tasks, seeing, speaking, walking, working or other activities that are a basic function of life. Documentation must clearly identify which major life activities are affected by the impairment. If an impairment interferes with certain functions that are not major life activities, although the individual is restricted, the individual is not eligible under disability laws. 

Does the impairment substantially limit the individual’s life? 
Documentation must state what specific activities that individual is unable to perform or is significantly restricted in performing when compared with an average person in the general population. Documentation must state the nature and severity of the impairment, the duration or expected duration of the impairment, and the permanence or expected long-term impact.

Below are lists of services in which the Office of Counseling and Disability Services provides but are not limited to:

• Testing Accommodations
• Classroom Accommodations
• Student Success Workshops
• Personal Counseling

Notes: Accommodations are not retroactive. Therefore, accommodations begin upon the Office of Counseling and Disability Services receiving all required documentation from the student to determine eligibility.

The Office of Counseling and Disability Services does not provide comprehensive psycho-educational evaluations which include but are not limited to assessment of cognitive, academic achievement, and information processing for the diagnosis of learning disabilities.

An Individual Education Plan-IEP and/or 504 from a P-12 secondary school district does not meet the specific documentation requirements for eligibility for disability services/accommodations.

Students have the right to choose if and when to reveal their disability. If they do not reveal, then faculty should respect their privacy and not ask them directly. Faculty can say something like, “I see you are really struggling in my class.” “Is there something I can do to help?”  Then if the student says, “I am really having trouble reading.” I just can’t seem to get the information.” The faculty can refer the student to a number of support services and include the Office of Counseling and Disability Services in that list of places. 

Student Responsibilities

• Identify themselves to the Office of Counseling and Disability Services
• Provide proper documentation of disability.
• Assume personal responsibility for meeting with faculty, as well as requesting assistance through supplemental services such as the Office of Counseling and Disability Services in meeting college standards.
• Provide for his/her personal independent living needs or other personal disability-related needs.

• Clark Atlanta University seeks to ensure that people with disabilities are given full access to and participation in all aspects of college life by removal of both physical and attitudinal barriers. Clark Atlanta University is an institution of higher education that welcomes and supports a diverse student body. By embracing our core values of Diversity and Inclusion,   Innovation and Collaboration, Accountability and Integrity, Ethical Behavior, and Social Responsibility, and Student-Centeredness we hope to create a learning environment that encourages as well as challenges students.  
• The Office of Counseling and Disability Services (OCADS) is the designated office which maintains disability related documents, determines eligibility for reasonable accommodations, and develops plans for the provision of such accommodations at Clark Atlanta University. The Office of Counseling and Disability Services provides students and faculty with assistance and information for meeting the requirements of the law, and integrating students with disabilities into Clark Atlanta University. The office serves as an advocate for students with documented disabilities, ensuring they have the physical and programmatic access to all university programs.    

Syllabus Statement

• Clark Atlanta University is committed to providing students with a documented disability an equal opportunity to pursue a college education. Efforts will be made to meet requests for reasonable accommodations for those eligible under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 2008, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Section 504. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the Office of Counseling and Disability Services at (404-880-8044) located on the 3rd floor of Trevor Arnett Hall to discuss accommodations. Once reasonable accommodations are determined, it is the student’s responsibility to present the Letter of Accommodation from The Office of Counseling and Disability Services to their professors.

Recording Lectures 

• The Office of Counseling and Disability Services, may recommend for a student with a documented qualifying disability be permitted to record lectures as a form of an academic accommodation. Students with documented disabilities who are unable to take or read notes have the right to record class lectures for their personal study only.** Lectures recorded for this purpose may not be shared with other people without the consent of the faculty. Recorded lectures may not be used in any way against the faculty member, other lecturers, or students whose classroom comments are recorded as part of the class activity. Information contained in the recorded lecture is protected under federal copyright laws and may not be published or quoted without the express consent of the faculty member and without giving proper identity and credit to the faculty person.