Welcome to Berea College’s Disability &amp; Accessibility Services. DAS provides services to the Berea College community to ensure that students with disabilities have equal access to all aspects of college life. We hope the information you find on this website is helpful to you. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us by phone, email, or in person. We look forward to working with you.

Disability &amp; Accessibility Services (DAS) works toward making programs, services, and activities accessible for all students. Every student should be able to take part in all facets of the Berea experience. Collaboration with the college’s diverse community is crucial. The office follows the <a href="https://next.berea.edu/our-inclusive-mission">mission of Berea College</a> to create an environment that “frees persons to be active learners, workers and servers as members of the academic community and as citizens of the world.” Disability &amp; Accessibility Services recognizes disability as a valued aspect of diversity, embracing access as a matter of social justice and supports welcoming and inclusive environments for all.

 
<h2 id="h-how-to-apply" class="wp-block-heading"></h2>

Mission

In order to receive services, a student will submit an application to register with DAS and must have a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act: "a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment."

An interactive process is then used to determine if/what accommodations are reasonable for an individual student on a case-by-case basis. DAS will review the Student Application and supporting documentation before meeting with the student to tailor accommodations to the individual and their disability-related barriers. DAS encourages students who do not have documentation to meet with a DAS Specialist. Situations occur where provisional accommodations can be provided.
<ol>
 	<li>Submit an online <a href="https://rainier.accessiblelearning.com/s-Berea/ApplicationStudent.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">New Student Application</a></li>
 	<li>Provide supporting documentation as outlined in <a href="https://legacy.berea.edu/das/wp-content/uploads/sites/61/2023/08/Documentation-Guidelines.pdf" data-internal-link="true">Documentation Guidelines</a></li>
 	<li>Schedule to meet with DAS Senior Specialist, <a href="http://www.calendly.com/hollyhatfield" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Holly Hatfield</a></li>
 	<li>Establish eligibility and begin interactive process to determine accommodations</li>
 	<li>Meet with instructors to discuss academic accommodations</li>
</ol>
DAS, in collaboration with appropriate departments, will also assist with accommodations for <a href="https://next.berea.edu/labor-program-office">Labor</a>, <a href="https://next.berea.edu/life-at-berea/student-life" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Student Life</a>, <a href="https://next.berea.edu/life-at-berea/housing-dining" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dining Services</a> (meal plan), <a href="https://next.berea.edu/life-at-berea/student-life/department-of-public-safety">Public Safety</a> (e.g. parking, car on campus) and others as needed. The staff at Disability &amp; Accessibility Services is looking forward to working with you in creating an equitable campus experience for you!

How to Apply

Berea College is guided by the <a href="https://www.ada.gov/law-and-regs/">Americans with Disabilities Act</a> and its amendments and <a href="https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/hq5269.html">Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973</a>. As such, accommodations are determined based on the specific limitations of a disability. The purpose of documentation may be to substantiate a disability and its severity, to demonstrate the impact of the disability in a higher education living and learning environment, and to help us understand what accommodations would be most appropriate.

When considering accommodation requests, Berea College follows the documentation guidance of AHEAD (Association on Higher Education and Disability). However, it is important to note that other colleges and universities may require additional documentation of the disability. Testing agencies, which administer standardized tests such as the GRE or PRAXIS, often have stricter documentation guidelines as well.

Documentation should be completed by an appropriate credentialed professional who has relevant training and experience diagnosing and treating the reported condition and is unrelated to the student. The documentation should be provided on official letterhead or via the <a href="https://bereaedu.wpenginepowered.com/das/wp-content/uploads/sites/61/2022/09/DAS-Provider-Verification-Form.pdf">Medical Verification Form</a>. When needed, documentation can be supplemented with medical reports, psychoeducational testing, IEPs or 504 Plans, or other relevant documents. Diagnoses of Learning Disabilities should be accompanied by copies of the psychoeducational assessment. Preferably, documentation should address the following:

• A diagnosis of the current disability
• The date of the diagnosis
• The severity and functional limitations of the disability and a description of the current impact as it relates to meeting the various demands of higher education (academically,       socially, emotionally, physically, medically)
• Expected progression or stability
• Notation of any medical equipment that is required
• Notation of medications, if any, and potential impact on learning and/or side effects
• Possible recommendations, based on functional limitations for postsecondary education, to ameliorate the limitations

Documentation will be kept private. Limited information, when needed for legitimate educational interest, is released and/or discussed on a need-to-know basis and is subject to FERPA guidelines. Outside the <a href="https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/">FERPA guidelines</a>, no information will be released and/or discussed without consent from the individual.

Documentation Guidelines

Disability &amp; Accessibility Services (DAS) works toward making programs, services, and activities accessible for all students. Every student should be able to take part in all facets of the Berea experience. Collaboration with the college’s diverse community is crucial. The office follows the <a href="https://next.berea.edu/our-inclusive-mission">mission of Berea College</a> to create an environment that “frees persons to be active learners, workers and servers as members of the academic community and as citizens of the world.” Disability &amp; Accessibility Services recognizes disability as a valued aspect of diversity, embracing access as a matter of social justice and supports welcoming and inclusive environments for all.

 
<h2 id="h-how-to-apply" class="wp-block-heading"></h2>

In order to receive services, a student will submit an application to register with DAS and must have a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act: &#8220;a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment.&#8221;

An interactive process is then used to determine if/what accommodations are reasonable for an individual student on a case-by-case basis. DAS will review the Student Application and supporting documentation before meeting with the student to tailor accommodations to the individual and their disability-related barriers. DAS encourages students who do not have documentation to meet with a DAS Specialist. Situations occur where provisional accommodations can be provided.
<ol>
 	<li>Submit an online <a href="https://rainier.accessiblelearning.com/s-Berea/ApplicationStudent.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">New Student Application</a></li>
 	<li>Provide supporting documentation as outlined in <a href="https://legacy.berea.edu/das/wp-content/uploads/sites/61/2023/08/Documentation-Guidelines.pdf" data-internal-link="true">Documentation Guidelines</a></li>
 	<li>Schedule to meet with DAS Senior Specialist, <a href="http://www.calendly.com/hollyhatfield" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Holly Hatfield</a></li>
 	<li>Establish eligibility and begin interactive process to determine accommodations</li>
 	<li>Meet with instructors to discuss academic accommodations</li>
</ol>
DAS, in collaboration with appropriate departments, will also assist with accommodations for <a href="https://next.berea.edu/labor-program-office">Labor</a>, <a href="https://next.berea.edu/life-at-berea/student-life" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Student Life</a>, <a href="https://next.berea.edu/life-at-berea/housing-dining" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dining Services</a> (meal plan), <a href="https://next.berea.edu/life-at-berea/student-life/department-of-public-safety">Public Safety</a> (e.g. parking, car on campus) and others as needed. The staff at Disability &amp; Accessibility Services is looking forward to working with you in creating an equitable campus experience for you!

Berea College is guided by the <a href="https://www.ada.gov/law-and-regs/">Americans with Disabilities Act</a> and its amendments and <a href="https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/hq5269.html">Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973</a>. As such, accommodations are determined based on the specific limitations of a disability. The purpose of documentation may be to substantiate a disability and its severity, to demonstrate the impact of the disability in a higher education living and learning environment, and to help us understand what accommodations would be most appropriate.
When considering accommodation requests, Berea College follows the documentation guidance of AHEAD (Association on Higher Education and Disability). However, it is important to note that other colleges and universities may require additional documentation of the disability. Testing agencies, which administer standardized tests such as the GRE or PRAXIS, often have stricter documentation guidelines as well.
Documentation should be completed by an appropriate credentialed professional who has relevant training and experience diagnosing and treating the reported condition and is unrelated to the student. The documentation should be provided on official letterhead or via the <a href="https://bereaedu.wpenginepowered.com/das/wp-content/uploads/sites/61/2022/09/DAS-Provider-Verification-Form.pdf">Medical Verification Form</a>. When needed, documentation can be supplemented with medical reports, psychoeducational testing, IEPs or 504 Plans, or other relevant documents. Diagnoses of Learning Disabilities should be accompanied by copies of the psychoeducational assessment. Preferably, documentation should address the following:
• A diagnosis of the current disability 
• The date of the diagnosis 
• The severity and functional limitations of the disability and a description of the current impact as it relates to meeting the various demands of higher education (academically,       socially, emotionally, physically, medically) 
• Expected progression or stability 
• Notation of any medical equipment that is required 
• Notation of medications, if any, and potential impact on learning and/or side effects 
• Possible recommendations, based on functional limitations for postsecondary education, to ameliorate the limitations
Documentation will be kept private. Limited information, when needed for legitimate educational interest, is released and/or discussed on a need-to-know basis and is subject to FERPA guidelines. Outside the <a href="https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/">FERPA guidelines</a>, no information will be released and/or discussed without consent from the individual.

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