Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

Excelsior University is committed to the principle that every individual will have an equal opportunity to participate in a degree program, holistically aligning their academic, personal, and professional aspirations toward gaining knowledge, experiences, connections, skills, and competencies under appropriate conditions to complete a degree and reach goals. We provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities recognized under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). The provision of aids and modifications allows access to all students with disabilities.

Requesting Disability Accommodations:

As an Excelsior student, you only need to request your accommodations once unless you have been notified by our team or have temporary disabilities. We automatically receive notice when every student with a verified disability registers for course(s). Accommodation plans are communicated to course instructors prior to the course start date and students will always be copied on that notification.

We recommend at least 3 weeks (15 business days) prior to the course term. Late requests may result in accommodations not being available at the start of your course. Accommodations are never retroactive and request deadlines coincide with late registration closing dates.

Once received, our team creates a verified disability file and accommodations plan in your student record that carries with you throughout your time at Excelsior University. This is visible to staff who support you and allows us to best serve your individual and unique needs, holistically. Students are notified of the status of their requests every step of the way.

If you need assistance submitting your request, or have any questions about your accommodations, contact us.

Student Support Contact Information

Phone: 877-852-5692
Email: StudentSupport@excelsior.edu

What is a Disability?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) defines a disability as any physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.” Major life activities include, but are not limited to, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working.

The ADA requires an institution of higher education to provide accommodations to a qualified individual with a disability, provided that the accommodation does not: 1) fundamentally alter the nature of an academic program, or 2) create undue hardship to the institution. An undue hardship refers to proposed accommodations that are impossible, unfeasible, or excessively disruptive or burdensome to administer. Both matriculated and non-matriculated students may request accommodations from Excelsior University.

Additionally, the University is required to abide by the provisions of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act which protects otherwise qualified individuals from discrimination based on disability. To be considered otherwise qualified, a student with a disability must be capable, either with or without accommodation, of fulfilling the essential requirements of the educational program.

Management of Student Information

Accessibility Services receives and retains in a secure manner all inquiries and requests for accommodation and the required documentation. Requests for accommodation and related documentation will be scanned into the ADA database and the original documents will be retained by the University during the period of the student’s enrollment. Access to information regarding student requests for accommodation is on a “need to know” basis consistent with the requirements of Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 USC 1232g and related regulations at 34 CFR Part 99 regarding the confidentiality of and access to student records. To preserve student confidentiality, all information regarding requests for or delivery of accommodations is housed in a secure ADA database and access is restricted to staff supporting Excelsior’s accessibility services processes.

Technology

Excelsior will maintain a barrier-free Web site. To further this commitment, we are using Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1, Level AA (WCAG 2.1 AA), which provides standards for making web content more accessible for all visitors, including people with disabilities. In the interest of staying ahead of emerging technology, the Excelsior website is tested regularly with the latest software and methodologies to maintain accessible content for all. We are committed to addressing any issues that may arise while accessing our digital content and will readily aid those with disabilities as needed if immediate solutions are not available. The Excelsior website is consistently tested with assistive technology tools including screen reader software, keyboard-only functionality, color contrast and magnification software. Usability is also tested to ensure the minimum accessibility standards are surpassed.

Each page of the website will include a link to a form allowing users to submit feedback on the site; any issues with accessing content on this website should be submitted there. This information will be compiled and considered during the regular website review process. Any submitted feedback will be responded to within 72 hours. To obtain more information on this topic, see: https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/

In accordance with the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Standards and Guidelines under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, Excelsior University is committed to ensuring accessibility in Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) and its learning resources including textbooks, labs, simulations, etc. Excelsior University strives to ensure that all individuals including those with disabilities, encompassing staff, students, faculty, and the public, have equally effective access to the services and content that Excelsior makes available.

We are endorsed by Ablr, an accessibility company who employs and utilizes people who are blind and visually impaired in providing audits, training, and consulting for all digital content.