Welcome, ÃØÃÜÑо¿Ëù!
Welcome to South Alabama
The ÃØÃÜÑо¿Ëù welcomes you, Jaguar parents and family. You're entrusting our staff and faculty with your most sacred treasure and, as some of us are parents ourselves, who have sent our own children off to school, we understand.
The best advice we can give you is this: stand behind your children, not in their path. Support them along their journey to independence and growth. Our goal as a University is to foster that growth, and provide them with every opportunity to succeed and become self-assure, self-advocating, confident, and strong. We realize it can be difficult, and at times scary, to let go and watch them succeed and fail on their own but that will create a more resilient, creative, and outstanding student.
Differences Between K-12 and University Accommodations
Many of our students are accustomed to K-12 accommodations that are based on an IEP. The accommodations that we are able to offer at the university level can be very different from the ones they are used to because we are not governed by IDEA (the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). Colleges and Universities operate under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and all applicable sections under the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) of 1990.
The other major fundamental difference is that in K-12, the school district attempts to identify students who many need extra assistance to succeed whereas at the college level, students are expected to self-identify and be their own advocates to they can acquire the skills needed to propagate their own success. Our role becomes one of a partner that assists the student rather than a leader making decisions for them.
What This Means For You and Your Student
The Center for Educational Accessibility & Disability Resources at the University of South Alabama is committed to creating as level a playing field as possible without creating fundamental alterations to the coursework required to graduate once they self-identify and reach out to our office for assistance. It is crucial to their success as a student that they initiate the conversation with our office as early as possible as once they have entered into our interactive process, we can begin determining the best strategies and accommodations to help them succeed while enrolled at the University of South Alabama.
At a Glance
Description | K-12 | University |
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Federal Laws |
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Purpose of Legislation |
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Eligibility for Services |
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Necessary Documentation |
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Receiving Services |
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Self-Advocacy |
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