Online Disability Academic Support

Residential Students:
Residential Disability Support

Our Purpose:

The Liberty University Online Office of Disability Academic Support (LU ODAS) exists to coordinate support services for online students with a documented disability. Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, we seek to provide "reasonable" accommodations and create equal program access to all students. Our office works in conjunction with students and faculty to ensure that reasonable accommodations are made for students with documented disabilities.

Definition of Disability

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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Mental Impairment: A mental impairment includes any mental or psychological disorder such as organic brain syndrome, emotional or mental illness, and specific learning disabilities.
4. Learning disabilities:  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; psychiatric and emotional disabilities (ADHD, 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 neuro-muscular disorders.

Reasonable Accommodations

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

New or prospective students are encouraged to review the information presented in the Overview of LUO ODAS Processes site to become familiar with the process, requirements and expectations of the LUO ODAS office. If you have a documented disability and would like to know what types of accommodations you may be eligible to receive in your classes, please contact the ODAS staff at luoodas@liberty.edu with the following information:

1. Notification that you are a prospective student requesting information regarding accommodations.
2. A description of your disability.
3. Your intended start date for class (if known).

Our office will email you a list of possible accommodations that you may be eligible to receive.

Requesting  Disability Accommodations

Online students requesting academic accommodations for their disability must first contact the Liberty University Online ODAS office by submitting a Notification of Need form. Once completed, this form should be emailed as an attachment to luoodas@liberty.edu to notify the ODAS office of your request to receive academic accommodations.

Submitting Documentation

In order to receive academic accommodations, a student must also submit medical documentation to the ODAS office. Costs associated with documentation of a disability are the responsibility of the student.

Specific documentation requirements:

• ADD/ADHD
• Head Injury/Traumatic Brain Injury
• Hearing Impairment
• Learning Disability
• Physical Disability
• Psychiatric Disability
• Visual Impairment

Receiving Accommodations

Academic Accommodations

At the beginning of each subterm, students must contact the Liberty University Online ODAS staff to notify them of the course(s) in which they are enrolled and the faculty member who is facilitating the course(s). This request should be submitted an Accommodation Request. The Liberty University Online ODAS office will contact the student's instructor(s) on behalf of the student to notify them of the appropriate accommodations.

Alternative Format Book Requests

Students who receive textbooks or materials in a special format must notify the Liberty University Online ODAS staff two months in advance of the course(s) which they plan to enroll in so that these materials can be obtained by the student’s course start date. This request should be submitted by completing an Alternative Textbook Form. Once completed, this form should be emailed as an attachment to luoodas@liberty.edu. The Liberty University Online ODAS office will contact the student's instructor(s) on behalf of the student to notify them of the appropriate accommodations.

Accommodations for Intensives

Students who receive academic accommodations through the LUO ODAS office who plan to take an on-campus intensive must contact the ODAS staff two months in advance of the intensive start date so that accommodations can be made with the student’s instructor. This request should be submitted by completing an Intensives Accommodations Request Form. Once completed, this form should be emailed as an attachment to luoodas@liberty.edu. The LU Online ODAS office will contact the student's instructor(s) on behalf of the student to notify them of the appropriate accommodations.

Your Privacy

It is the policy of the Liberty University Online ODAS staff to keep confidential all information pertaining to a student's disability. This information will be disclosed only to the extent necessary to recommend accommodations to the affected faculty and staff members. Documentation will be kept on file for the entire period of enrollment at Liberty University.