General Rule:
Accessibility Services is required by law to maintain student confidentiality. All requests for accommodations and all supporting information are considered confidential.
The Family Educational Rights Privacy Act (FERPA) regulates how Accessibility Services discloses the documentation and records that the office maintains. Under this federal act, the student must provide written consent before Accessibility Services can release any disability documentation or records.
An Exception to the Rule:
Under FERPA, Accessibility Services is permitted to release information to any college official who has a “legitimate educational interest.”
What does this mean?
A college official, acting in the student's educational interest, who needs the information for administrative, counseling, supervisory, academic, or student support purposes may request student information from Accessibility Services. We will only share information on a “need-to-know” basis. The office will carefully consider the student’s desire for privacy before disclosing any information.
FERPA also allows students to inspect and review their files maintained by Accessibility Services. Students have the right to challenge any information contained in the files that is incorrect or misleading and to request an amendment to this misinformation.