Campus Access Guide

FAQs

Financial Assistance

Services

Opportunities

Request Information

Documentation Guidelines

Policies and Procedures

Academic Success Center

Disability Access Statements

When planning conferences, events, and activities, be sure you contact the Office of Disability Services regarding any accommodations that may be needed for participants. The following statement can be used on advertisements about your event:

To request accommodations needed due to a disability, please contact the Coordinator of Disability Services, Library Building Room 006, 941-2243.
 
It is strongly encouraged that you put a statement in your syllabi that informs students about where they can go to get assistance with accommodations. The following statement is an example:
 
If you have specific physical, psychiatric or learning disabilities and require accommodations, please let me know early in the semester so that your learning needs may be appropriately met. You will need to provide documentation of your disability to the Office of Disability Services in Library Building Room 006, 941-2243.
 
Publications such as bulletins, program brochures, class schedules, newsletters, and instructional publications must be provided in alternative formats (Braille, large print, tape, electronic format) upon request; document conversion is provided through the Office of Disability Services. In these publications, one of the following statements could be used:
 
This publication/material is available in alternative formats upon request. Please contact (name, department, address, phone number).

Accessible Parking Permits

Those students, faculty, and staff needing to park in a disabled parking space are required to get an Indiana University Southeast disabled parking permit which is approved by the Coordinator of Disability Services and acquired from the Police Department. The policy, which became effective March 17, 1997, requires that all students, faculty and staff present a state issued placard (hung from the rearview mirror) or disabled license plate to the Office of Disability Services in order to receive a disabled parking permit on campus. A statement or letter from a doctor by itself will not be considered proper documentation unless it is only a temporary (one year or less) disability.

A state-issued placard or license plate can be acquired at the local Bureau of Motor Vehicles. A form will need to be completed that requires a signature by your doctor. A student, faculty, or staff member will need to be re-approved by the Coordinator of Disability Services after their license plate or placard has been expired. New documentation showing proof of renewal of the license plate or placard will be required at that time. Documentation would include a copy of the placard or a copy of the registration of the vehicle which shows that the vehicle has a disabled license plate.

What are my responsibilities as a Faculty Member or Instructor?

If a student identifies himself or herself as having a disability and requests accommodations, generally it is the instructor's responsibility to ensure that the learning environment is accessible. Due to the very personal and private nature of some disabilities, it is important that instructors create an atmosphere where students feel comfortable about coming forward to discuss any special needs they may have. It is strongly recommended that instructors make arrangements to meet with students who choose to identify themselves in order to discuss in detail the particular accommodations that will be necessary. At a minimum, an instructor should (1) make sure the student is aware of services available from the Office of Disability Services, (2) inquire into the extent of the disability as it relates to fulfilling course requirements (requesting verification of the disability from the student may be appropriate where the disability and/or its effect on class performance is not obvious; documentation should be on file with the Office of Disability Services), (3) discuss the possible accommodations that may be made, and (4) contact the Office of Disability Services if there are any further questions. An instructor should also look to his or her academic department for assistance in providing accommodations.

What are the responsibilities of the Student with a Disability?

Although it is an instructor's responsibility to create an accessible learning environment, an instructor cannot accomplish this without the input, initiative, and cooperation of the student. Generally, a student is responsible for:

• Registering with the Office of Disability Services.
• Identifying himself or herself as disabled if the disability is not obvious.
• Arranging for orientation and mobility training through the Office of Disability Services.
• Ordering special materials for class such as taped or Braille textbooks or large print material through the Office of Disability Services.
• Arranging for in-class note takers and interpreters or tape recording lectures through Office of Disability Services.
• Initiating contact with readers and through the Office of Disability Services.
• Finding, training, and employing attendants if necessary.
• Requesting special testing procedures in advance, and arranging with the instructor to have an exam taken at the Student Development Center. Double the regular testing time is the allotted time for special testing arrangements.

Ideally, it is hoped that the instructor and the student will, through open communication, create an educational partnership in which both the instructor and the student take part in assuring successful access to education.

Services Provided

The following are general services and/or accommodations provided by the Office of Disability Services. Other accommodations may be provided if documentation would support them.

• Pre-admission visits
• Letters to faculty, when requested, discussing classroom and testing accommodations
• Coordinating with faculty members to make accommodations while maintaining academic standards
• Working with the Student Development Center to arrange test accommodations such as extended time, readers, or scribes
• Note takers
• Provide CCTV and Kurzweil library technology for visually impaired readers and learning disabled students
• Assisting in getting recorded textbooks
• Tutoring
• Registration and academic advising assistance
• Interpreters
• Information regarding locations of Telecommunication Devices for the Deaf (TDD) on campus
• Counseling to assist students in developing effective learning strategies and self-advocacy skills
• Accessibility information
• Advocating improvements and modifications to IUS facilities
• Advisor to ACCESS, support and advocacy student organization for students with disabilities on campus
• Disabled parking permits
• Liaison with Vocational Rehabilitation and other agencies
• Referral to other campus and community resources

Procedure to receive accommodations

• The Office of Services for Students with Disabilities will collect documentation and other information in order to determine reasonable accommodations.
  
• Faculty will be notified of the accommodations to be given to the student either through the student or, at the students request, a letter from the Office of Disability Services which states the accommodations. The nature of the disability will not be disclosed to the faculty member unless specifically requested by the student.
  
• Students with disabilities and faculty should contact our office if accommodations are not implemented or there is a question about the reasonableness of the accommodation. The Office of Disability Services will work with the student and University personnel to resolve disagreements regarding recommended accommodations.