Accessibility

Student Accessibility and Advocacy Office

Albright College ensures that people with disabilities have equal opportunity to participate in its programs and activities, in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) and encourages qualified students to request impairment-related accommodations for which they qualify. Impairment-related academic adjustments, auxiliary aids, and services are offered through the Student Accessibility & Advocacy (SAA) office, which handles all requests for academic accommodations and makes referrals to other college units as needed.

The Director of Student Accessibility & Advocacy is committed to providing individual assessment of student needs and promotes self-advocacy and intentional learning among students with disabilities. The department endeavors to foster independent learning by students with disabilities through a strengths-based approach and by providing faculty with consultation and resources. Impairment-related accommodations are provided to students with disabilities while maintaining the academic standards of the college. Students, including prospective students, are encouraged to use their strengths and develop a growth mindset to nourish their commitment to lifetime learning.

Office Location

The McMillan Student Center Conference Room
(down the hall from the Dining Hall)

Contact Information

SAA@albright.edu
610-921-7503

Accommodations

Animals on Campus

Temporary Medical/Extended Absence

Resources

Appeal/Grievance Procedure

Frequently Asked Questions

What services do you offer to students with disabilities?

Students with disabilities can receive reasonable accommodations, auxiliary aids, and services, per the ADAAA. Accommodations are created for each individual student based on their documentation and are provided on a case-by-case basis. The best way to determine what a student’s accommodations will be is to provide the SAA office with documentation that meets the documentation standards.

The most common accommodation is extended time for exams.  However, this accommodation is not ideal for all students and recent research suggests that this accommodation may not be the “fix all” for all students with disabilities. Other accommodations include FM systems, access to ADA bathrooms for residential students, permission to record lectures, and access to text-to-speech software.

Albright does not provide personal attendants, devices, or services.  “Institutions are not required to provide personal devices and services such as attendants, individually prescribed devices, such as eyeglasses, readers for personal use or study, or other services of a personal nature, such as tutoring.” Copied from number 6 of the Department of Education’s Transition Guide

Do you offer a program for students with disabilities?  Who works with students with disabilities?

Who counsels students with learning disabilities during registration, orientation, and course selection?

Who can parents contact if they have concerns during the academic year?

If parents have concerns, we encourage open communication with their student as a first step. Empowering students to advocate for themselves is an essential part of their personal and academic growth. Parents may suggest that their student reach out to appropriate resources such as the SAA office or the Student Success office. Parents may also encourage the student to reach out to counseling resources on campus. If further assistance is needed, parents may contact the SAA office for guidance. Please note that we are only able to discuss specific student information if the student has granted us permission through their FERPA. 

Is tutoring an available accommodation? What kind of tutoring is available?

Tutoring is not an ADAAA accommodation; however, Albright offers tutoring through the Student Success Center (SSC) and the Writing Center for all students! Students should contact the SSC or the Writing Center directly for more information. The staff members of the SSC and the WC are kind, helpful, and dedicated to student success. Please see their websites for further information.

Academic Services