Show h 1 SV- SV 1 ie I Harris Warns HEW 4 i t Will v. v Champion 7 V Handicapped Students r Despite Court US U.S. Dept of Health Edu Education Welfare Secretary Patricia Harris has told college presidents that if their schools dont don't admit handicapped students the admission denial mu must t be rigorously defended In a letter to American college and university presidents dated Oct 20 Harris attempted to soften the effects of a recent US U.S. Supreme Court decision decision decision deci deci- sion that could hurt the chances o of handicapped students to get into academic programs The court ruled in Southeastern Community College Colleg v. v Davis in June that prior interpretations of Section of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act had been too liberal Section forbids forbids for for- bids discrimination against otherwise other other- otherwise wise qualified handicapped people The court ruled that Frances Davis a partially deaf woman who had applied to Southeastern's nurse training training train train- ing program was not otherwise qualified because part of the program program program pro pro- gram would have to be waived in order for her to compete Harris' Harris letter seemed to narrow the rulings ruling's impact She wrote that if a college excludes a disabled student because of the students student's inability to complete course requirements the college still has to demonstrate that the requirements requirements requirements require require- ments are necessary to the program The court ruling she warned would not stop HEW from making colleges colleges col col- col- col leges improve access to campus buildings buildings build build- ings provide extra teaching aids to the handicapped and let the disabled substitute courses or work on degree programs longer A school remains obligated to tomake tomake tomake make adjustments in its programs when those adjustments are related to the method of offering the program as opposed t to the conte content t of the pro pro- gram |