Americans with Disabilities Act (Students)

The United States Sports Academy acts in accordance with two relevant laws: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is civil rights legislation that extends the anti-discrimination legislation of Section 504 to all institutions of higher education, whether or not they receive federal financial assistance. The purpose of this act is to provide a clear and comprehensive mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities. This statute became effective for public entities on January 26, 1992. It provides comprehensive civil rights protection to individuals with disabilities in the areas of employment, state and local governments, public accommodations, and telecommunications.

Documentation of Disability (Students)

The Academy Registrar assists students with disabilities in receiving accommodations. The first step in receiving academic accommodations is to complete the attached Academy Disability Self Identification Form. Documentation serves as a foundation that legitimizes a student's request for appropriate accommodations. The first purpose of verifying documentation is to establish the existence of a disability as defined under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (1973) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) – see ADA Form. Under these statutes, the severity of a disability or degree of impact on life functions is important.

To establish the existence of a disability under these statutes, the documentation must demonstrate that the condition is a "mental or physical impairment that substantially limits a major life activity" (ADA 1990). Life activities that are typically important to college students are such functions as reading, listening, walking, writing, learning, and speaking. In order for the United States Sports Academy to be able to determine whether reasonable accommodations can be designed and what those accommodations can be, we need detailed information about the impact of the disability.

Who Can Provide Verifying Documentation?

In most cases, documentation will be needed from doctoral level professionals, such as a certified and /or licensed psychologists, medical doctors, psychiatrists, or neurologists. The professional should be experienced in diagnosing and treating the disability, should prepare the documentation on appropriate clinical stationary, should sign the document, and should provide the United States Sports Academy with verification of the experience and expertise in the specialty, if asked. The diagnostician must be an impartial individual who is not related to the student.

Recommended Documentation

1. A clear statement that a disability is present along with the rationale for this diagnosis. A school plan, such as an individualized education program (IEP) or a 504 plan is insufficient documentation, but it can be included as part of a more comprehensive assessment battery. (Note: individual learning deficits, learning styles, and learning differences do not constitute a learning disability or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.)
2. Documentation for eligibility should be current, within the last three years. (The age of acceptable documentation is dependent upon the disabling condition, the current status of the student, and the student's specific request for accommodations. All cases will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.)
3. A narrative summary of assessment procedures and evaluation instruments used to make the diagnosis.
4. A statement of the functional impact or limitation of the disability on learning or other major life activity, and the degree to which it impacts the student in the learning context.
5. A list of recommended reasonable accommodations for the post-secondary environment.
6. All documentation is confidential and should be submitted to: USSA Student Services Department, Attention: Registrar.