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National Center for Information and Technical Support for Postsecondary Students with Disabilities

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Purpose

Program Office: Institutional Service

CFDA Number: 84.116D
Program Type: Discretionary/Competitive Grants
Also Known As: NCITSPSD; the Center

Program Description

This program supports a National Center for Information and Technical Support for Postsecondary Students with Disabilities (the Center) to provide technical assistance and information on best and promising practices for students with disabilities as they transition to, or attend, postsecondary education.

Institutions of higher education, as well as elementary and secondary schools, have legal obligations under two civil rights laws prohibiting disability discrimination, section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794) and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) (42 U.S.C. 12101-12213). The technical assistance and information provided by the Center can help students, parents, and educational officials in determining how to meet these obligations and ensure the rights of students with disabilities.

In particular, the Center can assist students with disabilities and their families in understanding that in institutions of higher education, students with disabilities do not have the same rights and protections they had in secondary school under section 504 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), 20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq., for eligible children with disabilities. Students with disabilities and their parents need to understand the differences in these rights and responsibilities as they enter college and pursue postsecondary education. Specifically, unlike students in secondary school, postsecondary students are responsible for requesting the academic adjustments, auxiliary aids and services, and other accommodations they need in order to succeed, and are expected to comply with reasonable requirements that an institution of higher education may have concerning documentation of disability and the need for accommodations under section 504 and the ADA.



   
Last Modified: 05/11/2016