Are the policies and procedures for meeting the access needs of students with disabilities the same in college as in high school?
A. No. The primary law which applies to K-12 is different from the laws which apply to colleges. While some of the same laws (Section 504 and the ADA) apply in K-12, the application of those laws is very different. The primary law governing K-12 is IDEA, which has very strict administrative and due process standards. While these IDEA standards are not required by Section504 or the ADA, they are deferred to and enforced in the K-12 setting. They are not in the postsecondary setting. In addition, the schools have different obligations under the IDEA than they do under Section504 or the ADA. For example, K-12 schools have an obligation to identify students with disabilities. No such requirement exists in postsecondary education. The responsibility for identification rests with the student, not the college.
