Yes. Title II of the ADA covers colleges, universities, and trade schools that are public. Title III of the ADA covers colleges, universities, and trade schools that are private (The Illinois Human Rights Act covers all schools). Public schools are ones that are state-owned and run. meaning they are state-owned and -run. If a college, university, or trade school gets any money from the federal government, students also have rights under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

No. The ADA gives rights to any person who wants to enter the school. For example, teachers and parents in wheelchairs who want to get into the college or trade school have the right to get in. That means the buildings have to be built with ramps.

Yes. The ADA says that all these places have to make reasonable modifications and accommodations to help students with disabilities. This can be anything from giving a student more time to take a test to letting a service animal to come to class.

Sometimes a college, university, or trade school does not have to make an accommodation if it can show that the changes would too hard or too much money.

Yes. Places that give students tests like the Medical College Admissions Test or the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar are covered by the ADA. This means that students can ask for reasonable accommodations.

In Illinois, the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights is in charge of making sure these places follow the ADA.

If there are any questions or is a need to report a violation of the ADA, contact:

Chicago Office
Office of Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Education
Citigroup Center
500 W. Madison St., Suite 1475
Chicago, IL 60661-4544

Telephone: 312-730-1560
FAX: 312-730-1576
Email: OCR.Chicago@ed.gov