Overview of LUOA Disability Support Processes
Requesting Accommodations
- The parent or legal guardian must apply to and have the student accepted by Liberty University Online Academy. The accommodation application process to the Office of Student Support generally cannot begin until a student’s application is accepted by the Academy.
- The parent or legal guardian must complete a Notification of Need Form and email it directly to the LUOA Student Support office at luoastudentsupport@liberty.edu in order to officially notify the Academy of the student’s disability and need for accommodations. The parent or legal guardian must fill out the form in its entirety; incomplete forms will not be accepted. Once the completed Notification of Need Form has been received, the LUOA Student Support staff will email the parent or legal guardian to acknowledge receipt of the form and to begin the interactive process for verifying the disability and determining appropriate accommodation(s).
- The parent or legal guardian must submit appropriate and comprehensive medical documentation to LUOA Student Support. As different conditions call for different specifications in medical documentation, we have provided you with a list of documentation requirements for many of the major categories of impairments/disabilities/chronic illnesses. Please refer to these requirements for your specific category of need when sending in medical documentation and be sure that all criteria are met before having your doctor submit the medical documentation. Should your child have multiple disabilities that cover a range of categories, be sure to include the appropriate information for each of these categories. Should your specific category of need not be covered in any of the documentation requirements, please contact LUOA Student Support for the medical documentation requirements. The LUOA Student Support staff will need to be informed of your child’s condition so that they can offer an appropriate response regarding your specific medical documentation requirements. Finally, if you have any questions or concerns regarding the acceptability of your medical documentation, what some of the requirements mean, or what category your impairment, disability or chronic illness may fall under, please feel free to contact the LUOA Student Support office by email: luoastudentsupport@liberty.edu. LUOA Student Support strives for a 24-48 hour response time for all inquiries concerning students, with the exception of weekends and holidays. Please wait until after 2 business days have passed before contacting LUOA Student Support staff again regarding the same issue.
- Once medical documentation is received, the LUOA Student Support staff will review, verify, and assess the documentation. If further information is needed or if the documentation submitted is insufficient, the parent or legal guardian will be notified. After the review process is complete, the LUOA Student Support staff will determine what accommodations, if any, a student is eligible to receive. These proposed accommodations are not exclusive, and LUOA Student Support will always consider requests for other accommodations to meet a student’s individual needs.
- If a student is eligible to receive accommodations in his or her classes, the LUOA Student Support staff will create a 504 plan and email the plan to the Liberty University Office of Disability and Academic Support (LU ODAS) for approval. Once the 504 plan has been approved, LUOA Student Support will email the parent or legal guardian a copy of the student’s 504 plan. This form will inform the family of what accommodations the student is eligible to receive, as well as what his/her responsibilities are for receiving the accommodations each year. The parent or legal guardian must sign the 504 form and email it to the LUOA Student Support staff before accommodations can be made effective. By signing the form, the parent or legal guardian acknowledges that he or she is responsible to complete the expected requirements by their due dates in order to receive accommodations. Accommodations cannot be backdated for courses or assignments that have already been completed; they can only be implemented for courses and assignments following LUOA Student Support’s receipt of a completed and signed 504 plan.
Receiving Accommodations
- The parent or legal guardian must first complete the requirements listed above in the Requesting Accommodations section.
- Once the parent or legal guardian has completed these requirements, he or she must notify the LUOA Student Support staff with the required information for accommodations to be offered to the student (i.e, medical documentation, IEP documents, etc.)
- Once the required information is received by LUOA Student Support staff, the staff will notify the appropriate parties (i.e. administrators, faculty, etc.) to ensure that the student receives his/her accommodations. The LUOA Student Support staff is not responsible if a student does not receive accommodations due to the student’s failure to notify them of the necessary information (i.e., transcript requests, accommodation requests, etc.).
- If the student’s medical condition changes, it is the parent or legal guardian’s responsibility to notify the LUOA Student Support staff as soon as possible.
- In accordance with applicable disability laws and regulations, including Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, medical documentation will be reviewed on a regular basis. If the documentation is outdated or if further information is required, the parent or legal guardian will be notified. The parent or legal guardian will also be notified if, during the review process, any changes are made to the student’s accommodations. As explained above, the disability services process is interactive and LUOA Student Support will work closely with students with a disability and their parents or legal guardians to ensure that appropriate accommodations are provided pursuant to LUOA policies and processes.
Online Disability Support (LUO & LUOA ODAS)
Submit Documentation: