Image: Young man in a school library with the text: Technical Standards | The Pathway to Compliance
Author: Karen Pettus, Ph.D.
The ADA/504 Team at Grand River Solutions has created a great resource for understanding Technical Standards. Students with disabilities must be able to meet both academic and technical requirements to be considered “otherwise qualified” for a program. Both the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act prohibit institutions from imposing eligibility criteria that screen out individuals with disabilities unless those criteria are essential for the program. Institutions are required to provide reasonable accommodations to allow students with disabilities to meet technical standards such as modifications to program delivery, alternative formats for materials, or auxiliary aids, that do not fundamentally alter the program or create an undue burden for the university. Students with disabilities require clear information about the responsibilities and expectations associated with their course of study to make informed decisions about the accommodations necessary for them to complete their program of study.
Well-written technical standards provide students with essential information on ethics, interpersonal interactions, professional behavior expectations, and other crucial non-academic competencies expected of graduates….
Download the Full Article and Technical Standards Checklist Here.