 |
Veteran and Disabled Veteran Status
USC Aiken is committed to ensuring equal educational opportunity to individuals with disabilities, disabled Veterans, Vietnam Era Veterans, other protected Veterans, and newly separated Veterans. USC Aiken and the Office of Disability Services are subject to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974. Under these Acts, the University is obligated to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified persons who are members of the above-named groups.
USC Aiken invites all students who are persons with disabilities, disabled Veterans, Veterans of the Vietnam Era, other protected Veterans, or newly separated Veterans to identify themselves as such. Persons with disabilities are also invited to request any reasonable accommodations that may allow them to perform as equally as their peers in the educational environment. Self-identification and requests for accommodation may be made at any time. Individuals who have submitted self-identification forms or accommodation requests are not required to do so again as long as their status has not changed.
You may be considered a person with a disability if you:
- presently have a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities; or
- have a record of having such an impairment; or are regarded as having such an impairment.
You are considered a disabled Veteran if you:
- are entitled to disability compensation under laws governed by the Veterans Administration for disability rated at a 30 per cent or more; or
- were discharged or released from active duty for a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty while serving in the United States Armed Forces at any time.
You are considered a Vietnam Era Veteran if you:
- served on active duty for a period of more than 180 days, any part of which occurred between February 28, 1961 and May 7, 1975, and were discharged or released there from with other than a dishonorable discharge; or
- were discharged or released from active duty for a service-connected disability, if any part of such active duty was performed between February 28, 1961 and May 7, 1975.
You are considered an other protected Veteran if you:
- served on active duty during a war; or
- served on active duty during a campaign or expedition for which campaign badge, service medal, or expeditionary medal has been awarded.
You are considered a newly separated Veteran if you:
- served on active duty in the United States military, ground, naval, or air service, and were discharged or released from active duty less than one year before today's date.
Disclosure of this information is entirely voluntary. No adverse consequences will result from providing this information, or from refusing to provide it. Any information provided will be used only in a manner consistent with the Acts.
Information provided as part of this self-identification process will be kept confidential.
- Proper personnel, to the extent appropriate, if the disability might require emergency treatment.
- Government officials studying compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act
If you wish to identify yourself as a person with a disability, a disabled Veteran, a Veteran of the Vietnam Era, any other protected Veteran, or a newly separated Veteran, please contact the Disability Services Coordinator by calling (803) 641-3609.
