SPRINGFIELD – To make the transition to higher education smoother for students with disabilities, State Senator Laura Fine is sponsoring The Removing Barriers to Higher Education Act. This legislation will make it more convenient for students to provide documentation to the school to demonstrate that they have a disability.

“Under current law, students may have to undergo costly assessments to prove they qualify for disability services in college,” said Fine (D-Glenview). “This initiative will allow students to save time and money by allowing them to submit documentation of accommodations that they received during their K-12 years.”

Senate Bill 99 would establish a process for students with disabilities to receive reasonable accommodations from public universities and colleges.  This measure defines the types of documents that state universities must accept as proof of a disability, including previous diagnostic testing or other recent documents. From this information, colleges and universities could provide reasonable accommodations that they deem to be appropriate for the student requesting the services. This will ensure that students will receive the support they need to thrive in higher education.

“Every student should have the tools they need to succeed,” said Fine. “Prioritizing accommodations and accessibility programs for our college and university students is an important step to fight systemic barriers people with disabilities face in higher education.”

Senate Bill 99 passed the Higher Education committee on March 7th. It now goes to the Senate floor for further discussion.