Services Available to Students with Disabilities

The Services for Students with Disabilities Department has been designated by the University to ensure access for all students with disabilities to all academic programs and University resources. Types of disabilities include medical, physical, psychological, attention-deficit, and /or learning disabilities. Reasonable accommodations are provided to minimize the effects of a student's disability and to maximize the potential for success.

Our goal is to support and encourage all college students who have disabilities to participate fully in campus life, its programs and activities. We emphasize growth and individual achievement. We address this goal through the provision of academic accommodations, support services, self-advocacy skill training, and disability-related educational programming for the University community.

In order to obtain services from the Services for Students with Disabilities department, a student must submit appropriate documentation of his or her disability from a qualified professional (i.e. a psychiatrist, psychologist, and/or physician). The Director will provide information on the types of documentation required and referrals to qualified professionals upon request.

Accommodations Available:

Before you can receive accommodations, a documentation review must be completed, and it must be found in this review that you meet the requirements as defined by the ADA. Upon verification of eligibility, you may receive accommodations, some which are included in the following list:

• Priority Registration
• Assistance in scheduling classes in accessible locations
• Extended testing times
• Testing in a distraction reduced testing environment
• Reader and/or transcribers
• Interpreters and/or captionists
• Sign Language Interpreters
• Assistance in obtaining text books on tape
• Adaptive technology (i.e. for visually impaired, or those students with learning disabilities etc.)
• Network referral system of outside agencies which may further assist a student with a disability.

Examples of accommodations that are not made or arranged by the Services for Students with Disabilities department:

ADA does not require colleges to provide personal assistants or personal assistive technology. Whenever possible, the department will refer students to agencies which may provide personal assistance of that nature. Accommodations are not made which would reduce academic expectations, standards, or which would eliminate essential components of any course.