OVERVIEW

If you are a current Cottey College student and qualify for disability services, you should be aware of your rights and responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), as amended, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. These two pieces of legislation were passed as civil rights mandates to ensure persons with disabilities were not discriminated against.

You are encouraged and invited to explore the Disability Services’ website in detail and to use the Coordinator of Disability Services’ open-door policy to ask questions, share educational achievements, and express any concerns or needs that may arise throughout your academic career. To contact or learn about the Coordinator of Disability Services, email (smcghee@cottey.edu).

Below you will find helpful information aimed to prepare you for success. We are so glad you’ve chosen to attend Cottey and look forward to working with you as a liaison, advocate, and support system while you pursue your dreams!

SELF-ADVOCACY

Self-advocacy is one of the most important skills you can hone during your time at Cottey College. According to Webster Dictionary, advocacy is defined as “the act or process of supporting a cause or proposal”. Therefore, self-advocacy can be described as the act or process of supporting oneself. There is no one who knows or understands your needs better than you, and, as a student, it is your responsibility to learn to speak up for your needs in a professional and effective manner.

During your meeting with the Coordinator of Disability Services, you will go over a tip sheet that offers strategies to developing your self-advocacy skills, which you will employ with professors, administrators, and even peers. This document, Strategies for Self-Advocacy, can be accessed here or by visiting the Coordinator of Disability Services in the Kolderie Center (RBAC 164).

Accommodations

After you’ve been deemed qualified for disability services, you will work with the Coordinator of Disability Services to determine reasonable accommodations based upon the functional limitations of your condition. These accommodations will be formally written on the Official Documentation of Disability Services form for you to distribute to professors and other relevant personnel on campus.

It is important this is done in a timely manner. Accommodations cannot be implemented retroactively. Getting accommodations in place within the first two weeks of the semester is the most ideal timeline. In order to do this, you should schedule an appointment with the Coordinator of Disability Services immediately after registering for your classes each semester.