Disability law compliance
Disability Services at º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿Ëù complies with all applicable laws, including but not limited to, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as Amended, the Fair Housing Act, and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
Our core principles
Disability Services is committed to supporting students with disabilities throughout their time at Mount Holyoke. We strive to follow these core principles based on current best practices in the field, legal compliance, and Mount Holyoke policy.
Individualized and interactive process
Disability Services uses an individualized and interactive process when identifying reasonable accommodations for a student. Accommodation Coordinators consider accommodation requests on a case-by-case basis, based on supporting documentation and an intake conversation with a student. Once accommodations are approved, Disability Services staff will collaborate with the student and relevant faculty and staff across campus to implement accommodations collaboratively.
Confidentiality and release of information
We are committed to ensuring that all disability information is maintained confidentially. Your documentation will be securely filed within the Disability Services office. The documentation is not kept with any other student records on campus. The information can only be shared on a limited "need to know" basis within the º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿Ëù community. Accommodation letters contain only the accommodation information, and not specifics of the disability or diagnosis(es) itself. You may choose to disclose more details with faculty or staff, but are not obligated to do so. However, in order to implement your accommodations with your professors, you must share your accommodation letter with them.
We cannot re-release documentation, per FERPA policy, as it becomes part of your student record. For this reason, we ask that you only give the office copies of any and all documentation.
Once you matriculate you, as a student, are protected by FERPA. Disability Services cannot legally share information with your anyone, including your family members or care providers, unless we have a signed release from you. If you authorize disclosure of information pertaining to a disability, that authorization may be revoked at any time by providing written notification to Disability Services. However, we are always happy to share general information about our office and receive any information that a family member or clinician would like to share with us.
