Training and Professional Development is provided for small or large groups of individuals requiring knowledge of the rights and responsibilities of Americans with disabilities as they access education, employment, recreational services, public transportation, and any other services offered to the American public.

A Special Access Services Consultant will travel to your location and provide all training materials.  Training sessions will incorporate a variety of learning activities.

Select your area of need from the list below to obtain more specific information:

     Individuals with Disabilities

     Disability Advocates & Parents                                             

     Personnel/Human Resources Departments

     Private K-12Schools                                                                                                                                                  

     Post-Secondary Education: Academic Programs

     Post-Secondary Education: Student Services

     Post-Secondary Education: Facilities Management

     Building Inspector Certification Programs

Individuals with Disabilities

If you are an individual with a disability, you should know that the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), as well as the older Section #504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, guarantee you equal access to services, places, and privileges accorded all other Americans.  These laws also provide you with protections against discrimination due to your disability in education, employment, and physical access.

If you are a student in elementary, middle, or high school, you should also know that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEIA) guarantees your rights to access a free appropriate education, including receiving learning accommodations, through age 22 or graduation from high school, whichever comes first.  Because of the ADA, you are also covered if you are a private school student.

Special Access Services will provide assistance to you in acquiring those services to which you are entitled.  A consultant will be happy to meet with you and other students to detail your rights and assist you with self-advocacy.

Please contact us and/or complete the Request for Services Form and email it to us.

Parents and Other Disability Advocates

If you are acting as the advocate of an individual with a disability, your role will be different depending on the age and competency of that individual.  If you are a parent advocate for your child who is under age 23 and not a high school graduate, you will be most aided by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEIA) and/or by Section #504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.  If your child attends a private school, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) may also be helpful.  Your areas of advocacy should include the following:

•      Free and appropriate education
•      Reasonable accommodations versus modifications
•      Access to community services and programs
•      Teaching self-advocacy to your child

Advocates for adults with disabilities (those who have finished high school) will need to rely on Section #504 and the ADA, since IDEIA applies only to children and adolescents.  These laws differ somewhat but continue to provide protection against discrimination.  Areas of advocacy for adults should include the following:

•      Reinforcement of self-advocacy
•      Educational accommodations, post-secondary
•      Employment accommodations
•      Access to adult community services & programs
•      Acquiring basic health care

Special Access Services will provide training to parent support groups or advocacy groups to facilitate each individual with a disability receiving appropriate access to programs and services.  Training is also available on the role of the Office of Civil Rights and on advocating via appropriate channels.

Please contact us and/or complete the Request for Services Form, and email it to us.

Personnel Department (Human Resources)

Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) protects the rights of persons with disabilities in all phases of employment, including the guarantee of access to all employee benefits and privileges.  Most of the ADA court cases during the past five years have centered on employment issues.  Are you, your personnel staff, and others who interview, supervise, and evaluate staff sure of the answers to these questions?:

     What accommodations need to be given to an applicant with a disability?

     What kinds of questions may be asked/ may not be asked when interviewing a person with a disability?

     If the person's disability is obvious (i.e., using a wheelchair), does one need to ask for documentation of disability before providing appropriate accommodations?

     How will the public know the process for acquiring accommodations when positions are advertised?

     What is the process for accommodating an employee who becomes disabled after being hired?

     What are the disabilities covered under the ADA, and how will one know if an employee is trying to get an unfair advantage?

     If an employee with a disability is not performing according to the job requirements, what are the options for the supervisor and personnel manager?

     What incentives are offered by the U. S. government to those companies who hire people with disabilities?

     How does a company pay for any specialized accommodations for employees with disabilities?

     How does a company include employees with disabilities in an emergency evacuation plan?

For the answers to these and other questions on employing, retaining, and fairly discharging persons with disabilities, please contact us and/or complete the Request for Services Form, and email it to us. 

Private K-12 Schools

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) assures that children and adolescents with disabilities receive a free and appropriate education at private facilities.This means that private schools need to provide physical access and access to learning through reasonable accommodations, when necessary.  A process must be in place to plan and provide for the educational needs of children who enroll with disabilities, as well as those who acquire disabilities later in their school years.

Sometimes, money may be available from the public schools or the state when families transfer their previously-enrolled public school children to a private school.  Often, training may be provided to current teachers in private schools rather than hiring additional staff with certification in exceptional student education.

At Special Access Services, we will meet with administrators and plan cost-effective solutions for providing students with disabilities educational opportunities equal to those offered to all students.  Further, we will provide teacher training, if desired.  Please contact us and/or complete the Request for Services Form, and email it to us.

Post-Secondary Education:  Academic Programs

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), as well as Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, assure that post-secondary students with disabilities will receive the same educational opportunities as students who have no disabilities.  Included are physical access to instructional areas, equipment, and materials; equal access to curriculum materials, including library resources; participation in field experiences; and opportunity to demonstrate learning to instructors.  Often, instructors have the following questions:

     How will I know if I have a student with a "hidden" disability in a given class?

     How will I know how to accommodate a student for a given disability?

     What is universal design in instruction, and will it help students with disabilities?

     What are other instructional methods that will accommodate students with disabilities?

     What are some of the disabilities my students may have?

     What are the three attributes of a "reasonable" accommodation?

     When is a student with a disability not qualified to be a degree-seeking student?

For the answers to these and other questions, please contact us and/or complete the Request for Services Form, and email it to us.  We will provide professional development sessions and/or classroom demonstrations.

Post-Secondary Education:  Student Services

The Americans with DIsabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) assures that students with disabilities will be able to access all student programs and services available to the general student population.  These services include both curricular and extra-curricular programs, as described below.

                Curricular                                                                         Extra-Curricular

     Application & Registration                                              Clubs & Councils (Student Life)

     Advisement & Counseling                                               Music, Theater, & Art Presentations

     Disability Services                                                           Trips & Recreation

     Career & Placement Services                                        Student Transportation, if available

     Foreign Exchange/ Study Abroad                                   Student Housing, if available

     Tutoring Programs                                                            Student Media

     Mentoring Programs                                                         Student Government

     Campus Bookstore                                                           Student Athletics

Please contact us and/or complete the Request for Services Form, and email it to us.  We will be happy to provide one:one consultation, as well as small group or large group training sessions.

Post-Secondary Education:  Facilities Management

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) assures that students with disabilities will be able to access all facilities available to the general student population.  The law also protects the access rights of employees with disabilities.  Some accommodations or building modifications may be necessary.

In order to avoid future problems with the Office of Civil Rights, it is best to be pro-active when planning new construction or renovating existing buildings.  The following list of problematic areas are common:

     Initial planning-- Who represents persons with disabilities?

     Preliminary architectural plan-- Who checks for ADA requirements? 

     Final architectural plan-- Is this approved by your facility's ADA Coordinator?

     Facility oversight of general contractor--  Is the contractor making changes to the previous ADA requirements?

     Final building inspection-- Does the building inspector have up-to-date knowledge of ADA requirements?

The errors made at any of the above stages may result in non-compliance in one or more areas of facility ADA access.  We will train your staff in preventing errors or be with you for the entire process, if desired.  Please contact us and/or complete the Request for Services Form, and email it to us.

Building Inspector Certification Programs

Programs for training and certifying Building Inspectors, whether they be conducted by municipalities or states, need to include detailed review of ADA requirements for renovations and new construction.  ADA Access Guidelines (ADAAG) need to be reviewed thoroughly, and those who would be certified need to be tested on these guidelines.  It is obvious to many ADA Coordinators, as well as to persons with disabilities, that most current training is inadequate.

Special Access Services will travel to any training site in the U.S. and provide ADA (ADAAG) training to candidates for Building Inspector certification.  Please contact us and/or complete the Request for Services Form, and email it to us.