Office of Disability Accommodation Support

A disability is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of the individual.

• Major Life Activities:
  The phrase major life activities refers to normal functions such as caring for one’s self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working.
• Physical Impairment:
  A physical impairment includes any physiological disorder or condition, cosmetic disfigurement, or anatomical loss affecting one or more of the following body systems: neurological, musculoskeletal, special sense organs, respiratory and speech organs, cardiovascular, reproductive, digestive, genitourinary, hemic and lymphatic, skin and endocrine.
• Mental Impairment:
  A mental impairment includes any mental or psychological disorder such as organic brain syndrome, emotional or mental illness, and specific learning disabilities.
• Learning Disability:
  A learning disability is a generic term that refers to a heterogeneous group of disorders manifested by significant difficulties in the acquisition and use of listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning, or mathematical abilities. These disorders occur in persons of average to very superior intelligence and are presumed to be due to central nervous system dysfunction.

Specific disabilities include, but are not limited to, the following: blindness or visual impairment; chronic illnesses; ADHD; Autism; mental health disabilities (anxiety and related disorders, depression, etc.); deafness or hearing impairments; epilepsy or seizure disorders; orthopedic impairment; specific learning disability; speech disorder; spinal cord or traumatic brain injury; and neurological and neuromuscular disorders.

Students with temporarily disabling conditions resulting from concussions or other injuries, surgery, or pregnancy related or postpartum related medical complications may need access to accommodations similar to individuals with permanent disabilities. Students desiring temporary accommodations must submit a request for accommodations along with documentation from their licensed health care provider indicating that the condition substantially limits one or more major life activities.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability against students in institutions of higher education. Section 504 mandates “reasonable” accommodations to provide equal program access to all students with disabilities. Faculty are responsible for implementing reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities as approved through the University’s disability services process.

The university has an obligation to make reasonable accommodations in policies, practices or procedures when needed to prevent discrimination on the basis of disability unless making such accommodations would fundamentally alter the nature of the service, program or activity, or would result in undue financial and administrative burdens.

Students with documented disabilities may be eligible for some of the following services:

• Extended time for testing
• Testing in a quiet environment
• Priority registration
• One-on-one accommodation advising
• ASL Interpreters
• Osborne Assistive Learning Technology Center:
  • JAWS for Windows: screen reading software for the visually impaired
  • Kurzweil 3000: scanning and reading software for students with reading disabilities
  • Dragon Naturally Speaking: speech recognition software which can turn speech into print
  • CCTV: magnification hardware for the visually impaired