Accommodating Students with Disabilities in Philadelphia, Cherry Hill, and West Atlantic City
At Prism Career Institute, we believe that everyone deserves an equal chance to pursue career training programs. Our campuses in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and West Atlantic City, NJ, support this belief by accommodating medical assistant and nursing students with disabilities. We observe detailed policies and provide a host of services to support the rights and advancement of all our students with disabilities.
About Our Accommodations
All three of our locations provide reasonable and appropriate accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. This legislation applies to individuals with documented disabilities who request and demonstrate the need for accommodation on a case-by-case basis. As defined by the law, a person has a disability if a physical or mental impairment substantially limits one or more of their major life activities, has a record of such impairment, or is regarded as having such impairment. These life activities may include:
- Walking
- Standing
- Seeing
- Speaking
- Hearing
- Breathing
- Learning
- Working
- Taking care of oneself
Verifying Your Eligibility
It is the applicant’s responsibility to identify their disability and disclose the appropriate information — in writing — to the Compliance Coordinator at the time of enrollment so we can determine eligibility for disability-related on-campus services. This documentation must be prepared on official letterhead by a professional with the appropriate credentials to diagnose a disability and include records showing a history of the disability.
After our Compliance Coordinator assesses your request(s), they will inform you if accommodations will be provided. Certain job competencies may be deemed by the field as nonessential, and thus some accommodations may not be available. Contact us for more information.
Please note: Students have the right to choose whether to disclose their disability. If a student chooses not to disclose, they will not receive accommodations. Prism Career Institute is not required to provide accommodations to a student who does not self-disclose their disability.
In addition, school plans, such as individual education plans, are not sufficient forms of documentation, although they may be included as a portion of the student’s comprehensive evaluation and report.
- Students with Disability Policy – Click Here
- The person responsible for coordinating our efforts to comply with Section 504 is our Compliance Coordinator Fred Fitchett. All requests for reasonable accommodation must first be submitted to the Compliance Coordinator : (856) 317-0100 or by email: [email protected]
Supporting Student Success
After establishing an applicant’s eligibility, a dedicated Prism Career Institute staff member will guide students through the rest of the process, delivering reasonable and appropriate accommodations based on the documentation provided. We also advise that students receiving disability support meet with the Campus Director at the beginning of each term to discuss any concerns after enrollment in one of our programs.
How to Join Our Inclusive Environment
In addition to accommodating medical assistant and nursing students with disabilities, we also require all students to abide by our Student Code of Conduct, which states in Section 11 that:
Harassment shall be defined as an act that creates a hostile environment and shall include but not be limited to derogatory comments related to race, gender, ethnicity, or sexual preference, inappropriate sexual comments or advances, and intolerance towards a student with disabilities.
Not only will our students with disabilities receive the accommodations they need and deserve, but they’ll also be able to prepare for an exciting career in the healthcare industry in an environment filled with supportive peers. To join one of our inclusive campuses in Philadelphia, Cherry Hill, or West Atlantic City, learn more about our Practical Nursing and Medical Assistant programs or apply to Prism Career Institute today.