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Outline

Office of Disability Services New Staff Orientation

Mission Statement “The mission of the Office of Disability Services is to work with all aspects of the university and with the community to ensure that students with disabilities receive an equal opportunity to fully participate in and enjoy the benefits of higher education at Indiana University Southeast.  We are committed to supporting the University's mission of welcoming cultural diversity.  The Office of Disability Services will maintain the strictest confidentiality and privacy of all persons with disabilities.”

What Is a Qualified Student With a Disability? “Qualified” means that the student meets all the technical and academic standards of the University A person has a disability if they: Have a physical or mental impairment that substantially impairs one or more major life activities Is regarded as having such an impairment Has a record of such an impairment

Why Is This Office Needed? The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in provision of our programs and services.  The ADA requires that someone be responsible on each campus for providing reasonable accommodations.

Examples of Accommodations Letters to faculty verifying disability and listing needed accommodations Interpreters Readers Note takers Accessible parking permits Other duties performed by this office are disability awareness training, advisor to student organization ACCESS, and working with all constituencies of the campus to improve accessibility.

Services provided by the Office of Disability Services Students are referred to this office from a number of sources including:  admissions office, ASC, faculty, vocational rehabilitation counselors, guidance counselors, other universities when students are transferring, parents (orientation), self-referral. Family and Friends Program at Orientation - Talk with the parents about what their students’ can expect from support services and accommodations on campus.

Services provided by the Office of Disability Services Pre-admission visit Go over the student’s strengths and weaknesses, accommodations they have used in the past, and guidelines for documentation they must provide Provide documentation - letter from doctor, psychological/diagnostic report, placard/registration for accessible parking

Services provided by the Office of Disability Services Accommodations given for placement tests if needed (Student Development Center) Accessible parking permits approved if necessary Accommodations set up for the semester Form letters prepared that they can present to professor Meet with freshmen or at risk students during mid term time to see if accommodations are working out

Possible Snags in the Process The faculty member refuses to provide the accommodation, An interpreter or note taker stops showing up for class, Documentation is not available at the beginning of the semester so we have to wait until it is ready before we can provide accommodations

Have More Questions?? Please call Todd Norris, Coordinator of Disability Services UC South Room 006 941-2243