The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is committed to the success and well-being of degree-seeking athletes. One of the NCAA's fundamental values is its dedication to inclusivity and promoting equitable participation for student-athletes from diverse backgrounds. In further acknowledging that value, the NCAA is increasing its efforts to provide opportunities to student-athletes with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities.

Disabilities Impacting Student-Athlete Education

The NCAA defines a disability as a "current impairment that has a substantial educational impact on a student's academic performance and requires accommodation." Education-impacting disabilities (EIDs) are wide-ranging, but the NCAA states that some of the most common forms are:

• Learning disability or disorders like dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia.
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
• Mental health disorders like depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.
• Medical conditions that may affect the cardiovascular, endocrine, musculoskeletal, or respiratory systems
• Auditory, speech, or visual impairments
• Autism spectrum disorders like Asperger's Syndrome or High-Functioning Autism

Accommodations for Student-Athletes With Disabilities

Student-athletes with disabilities attending NCAA member institutions will have the opportunity to participate in intercollegiate athletics and other physical activities to the extent of their abilities and desires. The NCAA states that colleges and universities will have "the right to seek" a reasonable modification or accommodation of a playing rule on behalf of any student-athlete with a disability. Such reasonable accommodations will be provided if they do not:

• Alter an "essential element" that changes the nature of the game
• Compromise the safety of any student-athlete or increase the risk of injury
• Provide a student-athlete an unfair advantage over other competitors

On the academic side, accommodations for student-athletes may include:

• Extra time for assignments or exams
• Learning environment modifications
• Substitute assessment methods
• Flexible attendance and assignment submission policies

Eligibility Requirements for Student-Athletes With Disabilities

Any college or university-bound student-athlete must meet the same eligibility requirements as others without disabilities but may be afforded accommodation to meet the thresholds or conditions of play. In the transition to athletics in post-secondary programs, the student-athlete must have a documented EID from high school or its equivalent. The NCAA explains that disabled student-athletes may enroll in classes designed for students with EIDs if they are NCAA-approved core courses. Such courses must be "substantially comparable, qualitatively and quantitatively, as a regular core course offered in that academic area and must appear on the high school's list of approved core courses."

The NCAA Eligibility Center must approve EID documentation. Insofar as the amount of core courses is concerned, Division I athletic programs mandate that students can take up to three core courses after high school graduation and before enrolling full-time if they graduate in eight consecutive semesters after beginning ninth grade. Student-athletes with disabilities attending Division II schools can take an unlimited number of core courses after beginning ninth grade and before enrolling in college.

How Attorney Joseph D. Lento Can Help with Student-Athlete Disability Accommodations

The NCAA and its member institutions may claim that not all accommodation requests are reasonable relative to the student-athlete's disability or academic course load. An attorney-advisor experienced in education law can help you or your child negotiate with NCAA or school disability office liaisons to provide legally-required accommodations. Federal laws like Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act compel colleges and universities to provide reasonable accommodations for qualifying disabilities. Attorney Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team stand ready to ensure you or your child is eligible to participate in NCAA athletics. Call 888-535-3686 today or visit the confidential online consultation form to retain Attorney-Advisor Lento and the Lento Law Firm.