Student Support
Services

KCU adheres to the definition of “students with disabilities” found in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Public Law 93-122). Section 504 defines a persons with disabilities as anyone with a physical or mental disability that substantially impairs or restricts one or more of such major life activities as walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, working, or learning. A person with a disability is someone who: has a physical or mental impairment; has a record of such impairment; and/or is regarded as having such impairment. To be an otherwise qualified student with a disability, these individuals must meet the academic and technical standards and perform all essential functions requisite for admission, participation, and continuation in the institutional programs and activities.

Under Section 504, institutions must make appropriate and reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities to ensure accessibility to academic activities (courses and examinations) and nonacademic activities (admissions and recruitment, admission to programs, academic adjustments, housing, financial assistance, physical education, athletics, and counseling). In order to be granted protection under Section 504, students must self-identify to the college, provide current and comprehensive documentation concerning the nature and extent of the disability, and articulate their needs for the disabilities service provided on campus.

KCU is not required to provide the best or most desired accommodation but rather accommodation sufficient to enable these persons to enjoy equal opportunity and access. Reasonable accommodations will be provided for qualified individuals with disabilities to the extent these modifications do not: 1) result in a fundamental alteration of the service, program, or activity or; 2) result in undue financial, administrative or academic burden; or 3) result in a direct threat to the health or safety of the person or other individuals.

Qualified persons with disabilities are responsible for providing to the Director of Residence Services with documentation that identifies their specific disability and requested housing accommodations. Documentation submitted should not be more than three years old. Students with disabilities must make timely requests for accommodations so the Director of Residence Services has reasonable time to review the request and coordinate accommodations. Requests which will require modifications to existing residential facilities must be made 90 days prior to the beginning of a semester. Untimely requests, those made in less than 90 days before a semester, may result in delay, substitution, or denial of accommodations.

Should a student with a disability feel as though the College has instituted a policy or made a housing assignment that does not accommodate his/her disability and/or endangers his/her security, that student can file for an appeal with the Vice President for Academic Affairs who will make an independent and impartial review of the institutional policy or housing assignment in question and make a judgment on the appeal. The student’s parents and/or advocates may also be included with the student in the appeal process.