Your Access Specialists are committed to ensuring that all information and communication pertaining to a student’s disability is maintained as confidential as required or permitted by law. The following guidelines about the treatment of such information have been adopted by Disability and Access. These guidelines incorporate relevant state and federal regulations.
- No one will have immediate access to student files in Disability and Access except appropriate staff of Disability and Access. Any information regarding a disability is considered confidential and will be shared only with others within the college who have a legitimate educational need to know.
- Accommodation Letters addressed to the student’s faculty will not inform the instructor of the nature of the disability. The letter will only state that the student has met with an Access Specialist in Disability and Access and that we have determined the student is eligible for the accommodations listed.
- Students are encouraged to discuss details of their learning style/patterns/preferences with their instructors, but they are not required (nor should the instructor ask them) to discuss the disability itself.
- Personally-identifiable information relating to a student may not be disclosed to any third-party, including a student’s parent except as authorized by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and other applicable federal and state laws.
- Any information in the student’s Disability and Access files relating to the student will not be released except in accordance with federal and state laws.
- A student’s file may be released pursuant to a court order or subpoena.
- If a student wishes to have information about the disability shared with others outside the College, the student must provide written authorization to their Access Specialist to release the information to a specific person or institution.
- A student may be given access to certain information in their Disability and Access file with reasonable notification.