H-0929

WHEREAS, There are an estimated one hundred seventy thousand working age people with disabilities in this state who are not employed, more than seventy thousand of whom are living in poverty; and

WHEREAS, Employers cite the lack of education and training as the primary reason for not hiring people with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, The Washington State Law Against Discrimination, Title V of the Federal Rehabilitation Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act all require institutions of higher education to provide equal opportunity to people with disabilities and to make reasonable accommodations to the known disabilities of otherwise qualified persons with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, A clear, succinct declaration of the basic rights of students with disabilities in higher education is a necessary first step toward building understanding of this issue and focusing efforts to address this need;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, By the House of Representatives of the state of Washington, the Senate concurring, that each institution of higher education as defined in RCW 28B.10.802 ensure that students with disabilities are reasonably accommodated within that institution. The institution should, as a minimum, provide the following core services for students who are identified by the institution as needing services due to the students' disabilities.

Core services include, but are not limited to:

(1) Flexible procedures in the admissions process that use a holistic review of the student's potential as part of the institution's goal to achieve diversity, including appropriate consideration in the alternative admissions program;

(2) Early registration and early follow-up registration and assistance;

(3) Sign language and oral and tactile interpreter services;

(4) Textbooks and other educational materials in alternative media, including, but not limited to, large print, braille, and audio tape;

(5) Provision of readers, notetakers, scribes, and proofreaders, including recruitment, training, and coordination;

(6) Ongoing review and coordination of efforts to improve campus accessibility, including, but not limited to, all aspects of barrier-free design, signs, high contrast identification of hazards of mobility barriers, maintenance of access during construction, snow and ice clearance, and adequate disability parking for all facilities;

(7) Facilitation of physical access, including, but not limited to, relocating classes, activities, and services to accessible facilities, and orientation to the campus at the beginning of a quarter or semester and when route of travel needs change;

(8) Access to adaptive equipment, including, but not limited to, TDDs, FM communicators, closed caption devices, amplified telephone receivers, closed circuit televisions, low vision reading aids, player/recorders for 15/16, 4-track tapes, photocopy machines able to use 11 x 17 paper, brailleing devices, and computer enhancements;

(9) Referral to appropriate on-campus and off-campus resources, services, and agencies;

(10) Arrangement of educational materials in advance, including, but not limited to, syllabi and study guides released in advance, access to slides, films, overheads, and other media, and taping of lectures;

(11) Tutoring, mentoring, peer counseling, and academic advising available on campus accessible to students with disabilities. Students with disabilities may need additional academic services, beyond the legal minimum, that are necessary to maintain suitable academic progress toward a degree, particularly counseling;

(12) Test taking arrangements;

(13) Referral to diagnostic assessment and documentation of disability;

(14) Flexibility in timelines for completion of course, certification, and degree requirements;

(15) Flexibility in load requirements and eligibility periods for financial aid; and

(16) Notification of the institution's policy of nondiscrimination on the basis of disability and of steps the student may take if the student believes such discrimination has taken place. This notice shall be included in all correspondence that communicates decisions or policies affecting the student's status or rights with the institution. This notice shall include the phone numbers of the department of education, office of civil rights, and the Washington state human rights commission; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That each student with one or more disabilities be entitled to receive a core service only if the service is needed to reasonably accommodate the student's disabilities. All provision of services to accommodate students with disabilities should be predicated on the understanding that responsibility for providing the service in a timely manner must be shared equally by the requesting student and the educational institution or other agency providers. In addition, reasonable accommodation should be provided as appropriate for all aspects of college and university life, including but not limited to: Recruitment, the application process, enrollment, registration, financial aid, course work, research, academic counseling, housing, and nonacademic programs and services.