PrivacyAccessibility Resources

Accessibility Resources at Gustavus ensures that information regarding students with a disability is maintained in a confidential manner as required or permitted by law. Information on students includes: disability documentation, test data, appointment notes, and academic notifications. Disability documentation is used to determine appropriate accommodations and establish protection under the law. Information about the impact of the student’s disability is shared with appropriate faculty or other campus personnel as allowed by the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). Accessibility Resources staff will release information regarding a student’s disability if there is legitimate need to know. Some level of disclosure is needed to facilitate accommodations through faculty and other appropriate campus staff. They will need to know what accommodations are required to meet the student’s needs. They do not need to know a specific diagnosis.

• Students may sign a consent to release information form allowing Accessibility Resources staff to share additional information beyond what can be shared under FERPA.
• Disability files including disability documentation are stored in files and software that are accessible to Center for Academic Resources and Enhancement staff only. Accessibility Resources records are not accessible to faculty or other personnel.
• Disability status is not noted on or transferred to other academic records. It only appears on records housed in Accessibility Resources on our software.
• Student files in Accessibility Resources are kept for 7 years after the student is no longer registered for classes or graduates. After this time, the file is destroyed.
• The student has the right to access their file and can arrange to do so with a Accessibility Resources staff member present. All information in the file is property of Accessibility Resources.
• Accessibility Resources staff does not automatically notify professors if a student makes contact with the Accessibility Resources. It is the student’s responsibility to notify professors that the student is registered with Accessibility Resources and needs accommodations.