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Students with disabilities (e.g., learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, neurological disorders, health, physical, mobility, hearing, visual, mental, health/psychiatric) should contact the assistant director of learning services for disability support for assistance and information.
The institution adheres to the principles and mandates of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
A disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, even when using mitigating measures, such as glasses, medication, prostheses, or hearing aids. Major life activities are functions such as breathing, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, learning, exercising cognitive abilities, sitting, standing, lifting, reaching, and working. The institution will provide reasonable accommodation, upon request, to students whose conditions meet the legal definition of a disability under the ADA and who are considered otherwise qualified.
Special classroom set-ups, alternate testing, physical plant (campus) alterations, and other accommodation for students with documented disabilities are available on a case-by-case basis. It is the responsibility of students with disabilities to self-identify and request accommodations through the appropriate office.
The institution has an accessible minibus which is used on a daily basis for runs between the two campuses. If it is needed for transportation between campuses at a time other than scheduled for such runs, the requestor must contact the Facilities Office at least two working days in advance so that a driver may be arranged.
Persons with a mobility impairment who require the use of the minibus for transportation between campuses on a regular basis are requested to submit a schedule of routine times and days they will need this service to the Facilities Office at least two weeks before the start of classes so that drivers can be scheduled accordingly.
The minibus generally will not be available for off-campus use by groups or departments for field trips unless it is requested to accommodate a mobility-impaired person or persons and unless it does not affect the needs of other passengers that require this bus for routine transportation between campuses.
Service/Assistance Animals
Some individuals with disabilities utilize the services of trained animals to directly assist them in daily life. Service animals, often referred to as assistance animals, are permitted to accompany a person with a disability everywhere on campus.
According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a service animal is defined as "any animal individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including, but not limited to, guiding individuals with impaired vision, alerting individuals to an impending seizure or protecting individuals during one, and alerting individuals who are hearing impaired to intruders, or pulling a wheelchair and fetching dropped items."
Requirements of service animals and their owners at Moravian College include:
- Dogs must be licensed in accordance with city regulations and wear a valid vaccination tag.
- Any other animals that are trained for service to a person with a disability must have vaccinations appropriate for that type of animal.
- Animals must be in good health. Any service animals occupying college housing must have an annual clean bill of health from a licensed veterinarian.
- Animals must be on a leash at all times.
- The owner of the service animal must be in full control of the animal at all times.
- The owner is responsible for appropriate waste clean-up and overall cleanliness of the animal.
The service animal owner is responsible for the appropriate management of his or her animal in all college facilities. Disruptive and/or aggressive behavior on the part of the animal may result in the owner being asked to remove the animal from college facilities.
Students with Service/Assistance Animals
Students with disabilities desiring to use a service animal on campus must contact the Learning Services Office to register as a student with a documented disability. The assistant director of learning services for disability support will assist the student in determining any additional accommodation appropriate to the functional limitations of his or her disability. A student with a disability who uses a service animal and who resides in campus owned housing is required to alert the Office of Enrollment of the animal's status.
Etiquette with Service/Assistance Animals
- Allow a service animal to accompany the partner at all times and everywhere on campus except where service animals are specifically prohibited.
- Do not pet a service animal; petting a service animal when the animal is working distracts the animal from the task at hand. Service dogs typically wear a leather harness, scarf or sign to indicate they are working animals.
- Do not feed a service animal. The service animal may have specific dietary requirements. Unusual food or food at an unexpected time may cause the animal to become ill.
- Do not deliberately startle a service animal.
- Do not separate or attempt to separate a partner/handler from her or his service animal.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Moravian Seminary adheres to the principles and mandates of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
A disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, even when using mitigating measures, such as glasses, medication, prostheses, or hearing aids. Major life activities are functions such as breathing, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, learning, exercising cognitive abilities, sitting, standing, lifting, reaching, and working. The Seminary will provide reasonable accommodation, upon request, to students whose conditions meet the legal definition of a disability under the ADA and who are considered otherwise qualified.
Students with health, physical, mobility, hearing, visual, mental health/ psychiatric, or drug-and alcohol-related disabilities should contact the Assistant Director of Learning Services for Disability Support for further assistance and information.
Students with disabilities that affect cognition (learning disabilities, ADHD, neurological disorders) should contact the director of learning services.
Special classroom set-ups, alternate testing, physical plant (campus) alterations, and other accommodations for students with documented disabilities are available on a case-by-case basis. It is the responsibility of students with disabilities to self-identify and request accommodation through the appropriate office.
Students must provide documentation of a disability and the rationale for the requested accommodation from a professional with expertise in the condition. The documentation must include a specific diagnosis and a thorough report. Required documentation for learning disabilities and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder must include the results of a comprehensive psychoeducational assessment (including all subtest scores) that evaluates the intellectual functioning, achievement, and information-processing domains of cognitive functioning. All evaluations should be based on adultnormed measures. The diagnosis should be based on DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. In addition, documentation for ADHD should include evidence of early as well as current impairment, a diagnostic interview with third party input (teachers, parents), and an interpretive summary that explains how the disability is a substantial limitation to learning. Testing should be recent (administered within three years prior to enrollment) for learning disabilities and ADHD. The Seminary reserves the right to request updated verification of the functional impact of fluctuating conditions in order to assess the need for ongoing accommodations.
It is the responsibility of the student to request accommodation well in advance of the need in order to give the Seminary a reasonable amount of time to evaluate the documentation and implement the request. Classroom accommodation requiring notification to faculty must be requested for each semester for which it is needed.
A student who disagrees with an action or decision of a disability support provider, faculty member, or college administrator, may file a grievance with Dr. James Skalnik, assistant dean for academic advising, who serves as the College's Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) coordinator for students. The grievance must be submitted in writing. The ADA coordinator will review the student's complaint and investigate the action or decision in question. The ADA coordinator will issue a written decision within two weeks of receiving the grievance.
The student may appeal the ADA coordinator's decision to the president of the College. An appeal must be submitted in writing. The president will respond to the appeal in writing within two weeks.
If more than two weeks are needed for either the ADA coordinator or the president of the College to complete his/her investigation and render a decision, the student will be notified of this in writing and given a specific time-frame for a decision to be made.
A detailed copy of the complete Grievance Procedure may be obtained in the Moravian College Student Affairs Office at 1301 Main Street (610 861-1503) or on the College website.
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