The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act define a disability as a physical or mental condition that substantially limits one or more major life activities. These civil rights laws protect students with disabilities from discrimination. The ADA and Section 504 protections also extend to students who have a record of or are regarded as having such an impairment.
Below is a partial list of disabilities typically identified by students:
- ADHD
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Blindness and Visual impairments
- Chronic health conditions (e.g. cancer, diabetes, migraines)
- Communication impairments
- Deaf/Hard of Hearing
- Intellectual disabilities
- Learning disabilities (e.g. dyslexia, dyscalculia)
- Mental health conditions (e.g. depression, anxiety, PTSD)
- Mobility impairments
- Temporary impairments (e.g. broken limbs, concussion)
- Traumatic Brain Injury