The Americans with Disabilities Act is the federal law that prohibits schools from discriminating on the basis of disability. In addition, schools receiving federal money in the form of financial aid payments must comply with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Schools receiving federal dollars are also under the jurisdiction of the Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education. California Civil Code Section 51 offers similar protection at the state level. School employees may not know what the law is or may not follow it.
Inappropriate questions can crop up at any point during the interview and application process.
Applicants should anticipate questions and decide in advance on strategies for handling those questions. In an effort to encourage constructive relations between the student and the school in the future, this article does not identify the school by name. This article was taken from APLA's Positive Living newsletter.