Disability Support Services

Although Goucher does not have a structured program for students with disabilities, the college will make reasonable academic adjustments or provide necessary auxiliary aids to accommodate students with documented disabilities, as required by federal law. The college evaluates requests for accommodations on an individual basis, and reasonable academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids are provided for students with disabilities on a case-by-case basis.

The college provides academic support services for all students through the Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) and the student-staffed Writing Center. Students with disabilities are encouraged to take advantage of these resources.

To ensure the college is able to meet the needs of students with disabilities in a timely manner, documentation and diagnosis of a specific disability should be completed by a qualified examiner and submitted to the disabilities specialist before the beginning of the semester in which the student is requesting the accommodations.  Appropriate documentation will help the student to better understand his/her learning needs in a higher education setting and will assist the student and the College Disabilities Specialist in making informed decisions about academic accommodations so that an "Agreement for Students with Disabilities" can be developed in a timely manner.  For students with learning disabilities and/or attention deficit disorders, a psychoeducational evaluation may be required. (See Policy: Documentation of Learning Disability and/or Attention Deficit Disorder.)  Students with physical and/or sensory disabilities are encouraged to submit appropriate medical or clinical documentation that identifies the student's current disability and specifies the recommended academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids. (See Policy: Documentation for Physical Disability/Medical Problem that will require academic adjustments or auxiliary aids.)

For additional forms and policies, see the Forms and Downloads page.

See also: Goucher College's Disability Initiative.