October is National Disability Awareness Month

Did you know . . . .

People with Disabilities constitute the nation’s largest minority group, and the only group any of us can become a member of at any time. (Source: 2009 Disability Funders Network)

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990 and was amended in 2008 (ADAAA). The Act protects individuals with disabilities from discrimination that may occur as a result of misconceptions, attitudinal barriers, and/or failure to provide appropriate accommodations. Obligations of colleges/universities are outlined under Title 2 of the ADA.

ADA Definition of Disability: Having a record of or being regarded as having a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. (ADA, 42 U.S.C. § 12102(2)

Major life activities include: caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, working. The list of major bodily functions that are now considered major life activities includes, but is not limited to: functions of the immune system, normal cell growth, and digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, and reproductive functions. See Amendments Act § 4(a) (codified as amended at 42 U.S.C. § 12102)

What does that mean for GRCC in terms of our obligations under the law . . . .

• Prevent discrimination based on a student’s disability
• There are 4 basic implications:
  • Right to higher education
  • Right to confidentiality
  • Right to access to all programs
  • Right to reasonable accommodation
• Students are responsible for requesting accommodations from the College, and providing the necessary documentation and testing.
• The College is not responsible for providing diagnostic testing, and is not responsible for identifying students with disabilities. (That said, we make every effort to communicate information about the GRCC Disability Support Services (DSS) Office to both students and faculty/staff.)

George Eyser (born August 31, 1870, date of death unknown) was a German-American gymnast who competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics, earning six medals in one day, including three gold and two silver medals. Eyser competed with a wooden prosthesis on his left leg, having lost his real leg after being run over by a train. Despite his disability, he won gold in the vault, an event which then included a jump over a long horse without aid of a springboard. (Wikipedia)