Student Rights & Responsibilities

Understanding your Rights & Responsibilities as a STUDENT with a disability

Rights things that are due to a person by law such as the laws discussed below. An example a right is a right to reasonable accommodations due to a disability.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 , the Americans Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Americans Disabilities Act Amended Act of 2008  prohibit discrimination against individuals with disabilities.

According to these laws, no otherwise qualified individual with a disability shall, solely by reason of his/her disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity or a public entity.

“Person with a disability” is someone who (1) has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity, (2) has a history or record of such an impairment (such as cancer in remission) or (3) is perceived by others as having such an impairment (such as a person who has scars from a severe burn).

What are major life activities? Are activities you do on a daily basis, including your body’s own internal processes. Examples include: Eating, sleeping, speaking, breathing, standing, walking, lifting, seeing, hearing, working, reading, learning, talking and others.

“Students with disabilities who know their rights and responsibilities are much better equipped to succeed in postsecondary school.” – US Department of Ed Office for Civil Rights

Responsibilities are things you are accountable for doing such as contacting OARS to self-identify as a student with a disability, notifying OARS if you are not receiving your accommodations, and attending class as scheduled.

” If you would like more information about the responsibilities of postsecondary schools to students with disabilities, read the OCR brochure Auxiliary Aids and Services for Postsecondary Students with Disabilities: Higher Education’s Obligations Under Section 504 and Title II of the ADA.

UNCG wants you to succeed! Here are a few things that you can do to ensure your success during your time at UNCG:

• Contact OARS if you are not receiving your accommodations.
• Connect with other Campus Resources for tutoring or counseling
• Meet with your professors to ask questions or gain better understanding of material
• Participate in campus activities