Central Washington University -

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

Comparison of IDEA, Section 504, and the ADA

Washington State Core Services Act Summary

The Washington State Legislature passed a law that affirms the rights of individuals with disabilities in colleges and universities already guaranteed in Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Known as the Core Services Act, the legislation specifies examples of core services that colleges and universities may use to offer access to otherwise qualified students experiencing disabilities. The text of the act follows:

Section 1: Text of Core Services Act

It is a fundamental aspiration of the people of Washington that individuals be afforded the opportunity to compete academically. Accordingly, it is an appropriate act of state government, in furtherance of this aspiration, to make available appropriate support services to those individuals who are able to attend college by virtue of their potential and desire, but whose educational progress and success is hampered by a lack of accommodation. Furthermore, under existing federal and state laws, institutions of higher education are obligated to provide services to students with disabilities.

The legislature does not intend to confer any new or expanded rights, however, the intent of this act is to provide a clearer, more succinct statement of those rights than is presently available and put Washington on record as supporting those rights.

It is the intent of the legislature that these services be provided within the bounds of the law. Therefore, the institution of higher education's obligations to provide reasonable accommodations are limited by thedefenses provided in federal and state statutes, such as undue financial burden and undue hardship.

Each student with one or more disabilities is entitled to receive a core service only if the service is reasonably needed to accommodate the student's disabilities. The requesting student shall make a reasonable request for core services in a timely manner and the institution of higher education or agency providing the service shall respond reasonable and in a timely manner.

Each institution of higher education shall ensure that students with disabilities are reasonable accommodated within that institution. The institution of higher education shall provide students with disabilities with the appropriate core service or services necessary to ensure equal access.

Core services shall include, but not be limited to:

Flexible procedures in the admissions process that use a holistic review of the student's potential, including appropriate consideration in state-wide and institutional alternative admissions programs;
Early registration or priority registration;
Sign language, oral and tactile interpreter services, or other technological alternatives;
Textbooks and other educational materials in alternative media, including, but not limited to, large print, braille, electronic format, and audio tape;
Provision of readers, notetakers, scribes, and proofreaders including recruitment, training, and coordination;
Ongoing review and coordination of efforts to improve campus accessibility, including but not limited to, all aspects of barrier-free design, signage, high-contrast identification of hazards of mobility barriers, maintenance of access during construction, snow and ice clearance, and adequate disability parking for all facilities;
Facilitation of physical access including, but not limited to, relocating of classes, activities, and services to accessible facilities and orientation if route of travel needs change, such as at the beginning of a quarter or semester;
Access to adaptive equipment including, but not limited to TDDs, FM communicators, closed caption devices, amplified telephone receivers, closed circuit televisions, low-vision reading aids, player/recorders for 15-16 4-track tapes, photocopy machines able to use eleven-by-seventeen inch paper, Brailling devices, and computer enhancements;
Referral to appropriate on-campus and off-campus resources, services, and agencies;
Release of syllabi, study guides, and other appropriate instructor-produced materials in advance of general distribution, and access beyond the regular classroom session to slides, films, overheads and other media and taping of lectures;
Accessibility for students with disabilities to tutoring, mentoring, peer counseling, and academic advising that are available on campus;
Flexibility in test taking arrangements;
Referral to the appropriate entity for diagnostic assessment and documentation of Th disability;
Flexibility in timelines for completion of courses, certification, and degree requirements; (14)
Flexibility in credits required to be taken to satisfy institutional eligibility for financial aid; and
Notification of the institution of higher education's policy of nondiscrimination on the basis of disability and of steps the student may take if he or she believes discrimination has taken place. This notice shall be included in all formal correspondence that communicates decisions or policies adversely affecting the student's status or rights with the institution of higher equation. This notice shall include the phone numbers of the United States Department of Education, the United States Office of Civil Rights, and the Washington State Human Rights Commission.

Section 4

Reasonable accommodation for students with disabilities shall be provided as appropriate for all aspects of college and university life, including but not limited to: Recruitment, the application process, enrollment, registration, financial aid, course work, research, academic counseling, housing programs owned or operated by the institution of higher education, and nonacademic programs and services.

Contact Information

400 E. University Way
Ellensburg, WA 98926
963-2171
email: dahlberc@cwu.edu

Central Washington University

400 E. University Way, Ellensburg WA 98926

This Site Optimized For Newer Browsers.