Accessibility Services at ODU

A "reasonable and appropriate accommodation" is a modification, adjustment, and/or auxiliary aid that minimizes or eliminates the impact of a disability, allowing the student to gain equal access and opportunity to participate in the University's courses, programs, services, activities, and facilities.

A "reasonable and appropriate accommodation" is one that does not:

• require a substantial change or alteration in the curriculum to an essential element of a course or program
• fundamentally alter the nature of the service provided
• pose an undue financial hardship or administrative burden
• pose a direct threat to the health and safety of others

The Accessibility Services Coordinator determines the accommodation(s) using:

• Documentation of the disability from qualified professionals provided by the student
• Information gathered from a student intake interview
• Information from appropriate college personnel regarding essential standards for courses, programs, services, jobs, activities, and facilities
• The Accessibility Services Coordinator may also consult with the Faculty Advisory Committee to determine if an accommodation will alter the nature of a particular course, or may alter the overall curriculum

The determination of reasonable accommodation(s) considers the following:

• The barriers resulting from the interaction between the disability and the campus environment
• The array of accommodations that might remove the barriers
• Whether or not the student has access to the course, program, service, job, activity, or facility without accommodation(s)
• That essential elements of the course, program, service, job, activity, or facility are not compromised by the accommodation(s)

Won't providing accommodation(s) on examinations give an unfair advantage to a student with a disability?

• Accommodations don't make things easier, just possible; in the same way eyeglasses do not improve the strength of the eyes they just make it possible for the individual to see better. Accommodations are interventions that allow the learner to indicate what they know. Without the accommodations, the learner may not be able to overcome certain barriers.
• Accommodations are designed to lessen the effects of the disability and are required to provide fair and accurate testing to measure knowledge or expertise in the subject. Careful consideration must be given to requests for accommodations when the test is measuring a skill, particularly if that skill is an essential function or requirement of passing the course such as typing at a certain speed or turning a patient for an x-ray. In such cases please contact the Accessibility Services Coordinator for guidance.
• The purpose of such academic accommodations is to adjust for the effect of the student's disability, not to dilute academic requirements. The evaluation and assigning of grades should have the same standards for all students, including students with disabilities.
• For many students with disabilities, the most common accommodation is extra time on tests. In specific circumstances, students may also require the use of readers and/or scribes, a modification of test format, or the administration of examinations orally.

Adapted from Barry University, Miami Shores, Florida

Read about the differences between high school and college: Differences From High School to College

Here are some helpful links that further explain college students' rights and responsibilities:

• Students with Disabilities Preparing for Post-Secondary Education: Know your rights and responsibilities
• Auxiliary Aids and Services for Posts-Secondary Students with Disabilities: Higher Education's Obligations Under Section 504 and Title II of the ADA 

To this nation's over 43 million citizens with disabilities, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) represents an unprecedented opportunity to eliminate the barriers to independence and productivity. 

The ADA is modeled after the Civil Rights Act and Title V of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (e.g., the definition of a "qualified person with a disability" is the same and similar accommodations/modifications are mandated). The Bill was originally drafted by the National Council on Disability and is supported by every major disability organization. The ADA was signed into law in July 1990, and amended in 2008.

What is the purpose of ADA? 
The purpose of ADA is to extend to people with disabilities civil rights similar to those now available to individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, and religion through the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

What does ADA do? 
It prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in private sector employment, services rendered by state and local governments, places of public accommodation, transportation, telecommunications and relay services.

Who is protected under ADA? 
Under the ADA a person has a disability if he/she has a substantial physical or mental impairment, has a record of such impairment or is regarded as having such an impairment even if they are not continuously impaired by their disability, (e.g. random epileptic attacks), or have a personal relationship with someone with a known disability. Personal relationships are not limited to family members.

A substantial impairment is one that significantly limits or restricts a major life activity. It includes conditions controlled by medication such as epilepsy or depression or those mitigated by a prosthetic device. Major life activities include (but are not limited to) performing manual tasks, Learning, walking, working, seeing, caring for oneself, hearing, breathing, eating, sleeping, speaking, reading, learning, concentrating, thinking, and communicating.

 

THE REHABILITATION ACT of 1973, SECTION 504

What is Section 504? 
"No otherwise qualified disabled individual in the United States...shall, solely by reason of... disability, be excluded from participating in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance."

A disabled person is "any person who has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more of such person's major life activities, has a record of such an impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment." This includes (but is not limited to) persons with mental retardation; specific learning disabilities; psychiatric problems; traumatic head or spinal cord injuries; orthopedic handicaps; neurological impairments; chronic illness; drug or alcohol addiction (i.e., former users only); and visual, hearing, or speech impairments.

A qualified disabled person is defined as one who meets the requisite academic and technical standards required for admission or participation in the post-secondary institution's programs and activities. Section 504 protects the civil rights of individuals who are qualified to participate and who meet the definition of a disabled person as defined above.

For college students with disabilities, academic adjustments may include such things as adaptations in the way specific course material is presented, the use of auxiliary equipment and support staff, and modifications in academic requirements. A college or university has the flexibility to select the aid or service it provides, as long as it is effective. Such aids or services should be selected in consultation with the student who will use them.

Accommodations include such things as removing architectural barriers; providing readers, note takers, and/or interpreters for classes and related course activities; providing alterations, substitutions, or waivers of courses or degree requirements on a case-by-case basis; altering length or times for exams, and/or allowing use of readers, scribes, etc.; and permitting the use of adaptive equipment or other technology to assist with test-taking and study skills.

Ohio Dominican University is committed to providing equal access to educational opportunities for students with disabilities.  

For more information, contact the Accessibility Services Coordinator at AccessibilityServices@ohiodominican.edu or (614) 251-4234, or stop by Accessibility Services in 227 Spangler Learning Center from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday through Thursday.

• Autism Spectrum Disorders. Autism spectrum disorders affect 1 out of every 150 people. Find the facts about autism and Asperger’s syndrome at the Center for Disease Controls website. www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism
• Blindness. The American Federation for the Blind has all kinds of information about assistive technology, Braille and blindness. www.afb.org
• Center for Disease Control. The Center for Disease control has excellent information about a variety of disorders & diseases. www.cdc.gov
• Traumatic Brain Injury. The Center for Disease Control explains the effects of a TBI. www.cdc.gov/TraumaticBrainInjury/index.html

Disability & Social Justice

• From the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC, this interactive presentation is filled with information about the disability rights movement in America:

Disability & Higher Education

There is a marked difference between accommodations in secondary school, and accommodations in post-secondary school, please review these differences and plan your transition to college accordingly

• Students with Disabilities Preparing for Post-Secondary Education: Know your rights and responsibilities
• Auxiliary Aids and Services for Post-Secondary Students with Disabilities: Higher Education's Obligations Under Section 504 and Title II of the ADA
• College is also different from high school academically. Think about taking tips from the DO-IT Center by reading their "College Survival Skills."

Disability & Employment

• Employment information and opportunities
• Job Accommodation Network is an excellent resource for information about accommodations for work. 
• Rehabilitation Services Commission of Ohio is a federal agency that assists people with disabilities find employment, retain employment, and occasionally provides training and education for qualified individuals with disabilities.

At the Accessibility Services Office, our mission is to ensure equal access to services and programs for the Ohio Dominican community by promoting independence, self-determination and inclusion. We are guided by the Four Pillars of Dominican Life: Study, Reflection, Community, and Service.