Online Office of Disability Accommodation Support- ODAS

Our Purpose

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:

1. Notification that you are a prospective or current 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 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 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 LUO 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 as an Accommodation Request. The LUO ODAS office will contact the student’s instructor(s) on behalf of the student to notify them of the appropriate accommodations.

Alternative Textbook Services

ODAS is committed to providing accommodations in a timely fashion. Students who need textbooks or materials in a special format should notify the LUO ODAS staff 2 months in advance of their enrolled course(s) so that these materials can be obtained by the course start date. Requests submitted less than 2 months prior to the class start date will still be honored by ODAS and processed as quickly as possible on a first-come-first-serve basis. Please know that when completing the Electronic Format Textbook Form you are agreeing to the following:

• You will purchase a copy of the textbook from the bookstore or another vendor, keeping your proof of purchase.
• You will use the alternate format materials for personal use only.

Please visit our Alternate Textbook Services page for a detailed walkthrough of the accommodations process and submit your Electronic Format Textbook Form.

Transcription Accommodation

Students who have been approved to receive the transcription accommodation must notify LUO ODAS by submitting the Transcription Request Form. Upon completing the electronic form, students will have the option to generate a signed form that will generate a PDF that must be emailed as an attachment to luoodas@liberty.edu. It is preferred that this form be submitted prior to the start of the course. Requests submitted after the start of the course will still be honored and be processed as quickly as possible. 

Accommodations for Intensives

Students who receive academic accommodations through the LUOODAS office and plan to take an on-campus intensive must contact the ODAS staff prior to the intensive start date so that accommodations can be considered. This request should be submitted by completing an Intensives Accommodations Request Form. Once completed, this form should be emailed as an attachment to the Accessibility Services Coordinator at accessibility@liberty.edu.

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.