It is the policy and practice of Tulane University to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 , as well as state and local requirements regarding individuals with disabilities. Under the ADA and Section 504, no qualified individual with a disability shall be denied access to or participation in services, programs, and activities of Tulane University.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended (2008), prohibit discrimination based on a person's disability in several areas:
- Employment
- Transportation
- Public Accommodation – Public spaces, physical access
- Communications
- Access to state and local government programs
- Federally-funded institutions, including universities
Who qualifies for protection under the laws?
People who:
- have a disability;
- have a record of a disability; or
- are regarded as having a disability
A disability can be temporary or permanent.
Under Section 504 and the ADA, the definition of a disability is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity. An impairment need not prevent or significantly limit a major life activity to be considered "substantially limiting." Nonetheless, not every impairment will constitute a disability. A major life activity includes caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, etc.
Types of disabilities might include physical, mental, sensory, non-apparent, static (all the time), or dynamic (fluctuating in severity). Remember that disability is not an illness to be cured, and to emphasize abilities, not limitations (e.g., "person who uses a wheelchair" not "wheelchair-bound; confined to a wheelchair").
Resources
National / Federal
Recommended Accommodations for Executive Functioning Deficits
Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy
Association for Higher Education and Disability
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
EEOC Disability-Related Resources
State / Local
Governor's Office of Disability Affairs
Tulane
