Disability Services

Confidentiality

The college recognizes that student disability records contain confidential information are to be treated as such. Therefore, documentation of a student’s disability is maintained in a confidential file in the ADA office and is considered part of the student’s education record. Information related to a disability may be disclosed only with the permission of the student or as permitted by the college’s student records policy and federal law. At the same time, however, a students’ right to privacy must still be balanced against the college’s need to know the information in order to provide requested and recommended services and accommodations. Therefore, in the interest of serving the needs of the student, the provision of services may involve ADA staff disclosing disability information provided by the student to appropriate college personnel participating in the accommodation process. Information may be disclosed to appropriate parties in a health or safety emergency if knowledge of the information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other individuals. This is limited to a specific situation that presents imminent danger to a student, other students, or other members of the school community. Any release must be narrowly tailored considering the immediacy, magnitude, and specificity of information concerning the emergency. The amount of information that may be released is determined on a case-by-case basis.