Eligibility for Services

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In order to qualify for special accommodations, you must provide documentation attesting to the presence of a disability as defined by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Under these laws, you are determined to have a disability if your documentation establishes:

• A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities (such as walking, standing, seeing, speaking, hearing, sitting, breathing, reading, learning, performing manual tasks, caring for oneself)
• A record or history of such impairment
• That you are regarded as having such an impairment

The diagnosis of a disability does not automatically qualify you for accommodations of either an academic or personal nature. The disability must, as the law stipulates, be substantially limiting. The degree to which a disability imposes a functional limitation on your ability to perform a major life activity is a significant determining factor in establishing the need for accommodations and is based on the documentation you submit to SDS.

The Rhodes Disability Support Committee delegates authority to review and approve/deny your request for accommodations based on a disability. Members of this committee include the Dean of Students, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and the Director of Disability Services, or their designated representatives.