Essential Information for College Success

Taylor University complies with the federal mandates outlined in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008. Taylor accepts students who are able to engage in college-level studies and meet the University’s admissions criteria.

Taylor provides students who have disabilities with the appropriate services needed to give them equal access to academic programs and participation in the Taylor whole-person education experience. Students with disabilities wishing to receive support services should contact Lisa Wallace to start the process.

Services may include assistance with note taking, alternative testing, or other accommodations deemed reasonable and necessary by qualified professionals. A student requesting services should provide documentation of a disability in order to receive any services. For further information, refer to the handbook for Students with Disabilities.

Advice from a Disability Expert and Parent

As a parent of a student with disability and as a professional in Higher Education Disability Services, Dr. Jane Jarrow shares relevant and relatable insight in her “Open Letter to Parents of Students with Disabilities about to Enter College.” Parents and students alike are encouraged to review this valuable resource.

Defining “Learning Disability”

According to the Learning Disability Association of American (LDA), a learning disability is “a neurological condition interfering with an individual’s ability to store, process, or produce information. Learning disabilities can affect one’s ability to read, write, speak, spell, compute math, reason and also affect an individual’s attention, memory, coordination, social skills and/or emotional maturity.” We encourage you to visit the LDA website to better understand learning disabilities and higher education.

Students’ Responsibility for Accommodations

One of the greatest challenges for students with disabilities in college is the shift of responsibility from the school to the student. “In public school (grades p-12), the school system has a duty to identify students with disabilities. This is not so in college. The student has the responsibility to disclose the disability and to request accommodations.” Read more about Learning Disabilities and the Law.

Transitioning to higher education can bring major changes. The paradigm of students having a right to an education now shifts to students receiving access to an education making students responsible for requesting accommodations. The inherent nature of a course, such as changing exams, assignments, etc., is no longer allowed to be altered for the sake of a student’s disability. Consequently, students who received individualized education plans in high school will experience a significant shift in allowable accommodations.

Students are not required to disclose that they have a disability. If students want accommodations, they should provide appropriate documentation as found below. AEC faculty and staff will then work with students to provide reasonable support as outlined in the documentation. Students will need to take responsibility for their learning, including intentionally and proactively seeking help and following up with the AEC.

The accommodation process is collaborative and interactive as professionals work with students to remove barriers to successful education experiences. Students are encouraged to meet with support professionals to determine if and how accommodations will impact their experience at Taylor.

Documentation for Requesting and Receiving Support at Taylor

Students with disabilities wishing to receive support services should contact the Academic Enrichment Center. Instructions and forms for appropriate documentation are listed below.