The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 prohibit discrimination against individuals with disabilities. At The Academy, our entrances are suitable for wheelchair access and wheelchair accessible restroom facilities are also available. Aisles are wide and allow for easy wheelchair maneuvering. Handicapped parking spaces are available. Students with special needs are encouraged to notify instructors and/or administrative staff for assistance.
No otherwise qualified individual with a disability shall, solely by reason of his/her disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discriminations under any program or activity of a public entity.
"Qualified" with respect to postsecondary educational services, means "a person who meets the academic and technical standards requisite to admission or participation in the education program or activity, with or without reasonable modifications to rules, policies or practices; the removal of architectural communication or transportation barriers; or the provision of auxiliary aids and services".
"Person with a disability" means "any person who 1) has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities [including walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working], 2) has a record of such and impairment, or 3) is regarded as having such an impairment."
Disabilities covered by legislation include (but are not limited to) AIDS, Cancer, Cerebral Palsy, Diabetes, Epilepsy, head injuries, hearing impairments, specific learning disabilities, loss of limbs, Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, psychiatric disorders, speech impairments, spinal cord injuries, and visual impairment.
The student with a disability is the best source of information regarding necessary accommodations. In postsecondary settings it is the student's responsibility to request special accommodation if desired, but a faculty member can make a student comfortable by inquiring about special needs.