Online Office of Disability Accommodation Support- ODAS

ODAS – Our Purpose

The Office of Disability Accommodation Support (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.

If you are a residential student, please visit our residential disability support webpage. 

For concerns regarding your disability accommodations or a denied request, please see Liberty University’s Student Disability Grievance Policy and Procedures.

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:

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 ODAS processes webpage to become familiar with the processes, requirements, and expectations of the 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:

• Notification that you are a prospective or current student requesting information regarding accommodations
• A description of your disability
• 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 set up an account through LU Accommodate. This tool is offered by ODAS to streamline the review, approval, and delivery of accommodations.

Submitting Documentation

In order to receive initial academic accommodations, a student must submit medical documentation to the ODAS office through their LU Accommodate account. 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

Your Privacy

It is the policy of the LUO 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.