- Disability Support Services (DSS)
- Accessing DSS
- Eligibility for DSS
- Students Currently Registered with DSS
- Specialized Housing Accommodation Requests
- Emotional Support and Service Animal Accommodations
- Prospective and First Year Students
- Documentation for Learning Disabilities
- Documentation for Other Disabilities
- More Resources
- Counseling & Health Services Home
Quick Contact
Counseling & Health Services
4200 54th Avenue South
St. Petersburg, FL 33711
Counseling: (727) 864-8248
Health: (727) 864-8326
Counseling Services Hours
M - F 8:30am - 5:00pm
Health Services Hours
M, T, Th, F 8:30am - 5:00pm
W 9:00am - 6:00pm
Disability Support Services
Information for Prospective and First Year Students
Disability Support Services at Eckerd College have been designed to provide students equal access to facilities, programs and services of the college. We support students with documented disabilities and provide a "level playing field" so that all students have the opportunity to succeed.
Please refer to Eligibility for Disability Support Services for the process of registering with Disability Support Services and obtaining reasonable accommodations. The information on this page is designed to assist first year students and their families in understanding the differences between the guidelines established for disability accommodations in secondary school versus post-secondary school.
A qualified professional must provide written documentation on letterhead that is dated and signed, with the name, title, and professional credentials of the evaluator clearly indicated.
The documentation should be current and comprehensive. A specific diagnosis, significant background information, the current impact of the impairment on functioning (with effects of medication or other treatment), recommended accommodations, and supportive rationale should be included. (See the Guidelines for Disability Support Services brochure for more information.) Individual Education Programs (IEPs) and previous 504 plans may be provided as a source of useful information, but are not sufficient documentation to establish a disability.
In High School: |
In College: |
| IDEA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 apply. | The ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 apply. |
| Schools must identify students who qualify under these laws. | Students must provide documentation of a disability under these laws. |
| Schools identify a student's specific learning needs. | Students must request accommodations in a timely fashion. |
| Parents participate in the special education process. | Students, not parents, are responsible for self-advocacy with the college. |
| School provides special instruction and modifies education to meet the student's needs. | College provides reasonable accommodations that ensure equal access to activities. |
| Special education should ensure achievement to the student's potential. | Accommodations must ensure equal access to college activities, but do not ensure successful completion of all academic requirements. |
| Tutoring or other services may be provided to meet the student's needs. | Services such as the Writing Center are available to all students. Your professors can often help arrange tutoring. |
| Exceptions may be made for failure to abide by the school's code of conduct. | Students are expected to meet standards of conduct established by the college. |
Students are strongly encouraged to apply to their State Department of Rehabilitation Services for support during the post-secondary education experience.
