Parent/Guardian/Family Resources

Parental Role

At Student Accessibility Services (SAS), we understand that you as parents may be accustomed to playing a very active role in your student’s education. Also, we understand that parents of students with a disability have additional concerns beyond those of other parents.

While in the secondary education level (elementary to high school) as parents of a student with a disability, you may have worked closely with a multi-disciplinary team at the high school level or below, to make sure that your student received accommodations. At the post-secondary level or college, this model changes immensely. While Student Accessibility Services assists students with a disability on campus, there is no equivalent to the team approach to which you may be familiar to obtaining. This means that Student Accessibility Services and the Delaware State University faculty are not responsible for identifying students with a disability or connecting them with SAS. Students must identify first themselves to SAS. Furthermore, since your student is attending college, and is at least (or almost) 18 years of age, he or she is viewed as an adult. The student is the only one who can initiate and participate in the process of applying for accommodations Therefore, the student staying involved in the accommodation process with the Coordinator and the Faculty is critical for academic success.

Finally, your role is to encourage your student to apply for the necessary accommodations, and then allow the student to take on the responsibility. Some of the experiences and independence your student will gain by going to college includes making the choice about whether or not to obtain disability accommodations.

Internet

• DSU Counseling Services - helping student meet their personal, social and academic needs (located in the Education and Humanities Building, room 123)
• Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund - A Comparison of ADA, IDEA, and Section 504
• Are Colleges Required to Comply with 504 Plans?

Information

• Parent/Guardian/Family Resources
• Summary of Legal Difference between Secondary and Postsecondary Education
• Unreasonable Accommodations - list of what is not considered reasonable accommodations in college.