Students

An individual with a disability is defined as any person who:

“has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities (including walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, working, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, etc.), has a record of such an impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment.”

When we use the term access when talking about people with disabilities, we're using it just as we do in any other context - the ability to retrieve, use, benefit from something. Specifically, the ability to access something independently or without needing to ask for a modification or alternative format. For example, making sure a blind person can navigate a website without the help of a sighted person.  Although this might not result in identical ease of use compared to that of persons without disabilities, it still must ensure equal opportunity.

In higher education, the term accommodation refers to making a modification for someone to gain access, not success.

• Accommodations are academic adjustments that allow a student with a disability to have an equal opportunity to meet an academic standard or requirement.
• Accommodations do not reduce the established course standards or learning objectives.
• Accommodations also do not lessen the expectations required of a college student to fulfill general academic responsibilities.

Individuals may be eligible for accommodations if they are experiencing barriers because of the interaction between their disability and an inaccessible aspect of their education. Reasonable accommodations are not determined based on disability or diagnosis alone. A student's disability plus any specific impacts shapes what accommodations may be reasonable.

• Accommodations may be needed to ensure students with disabilities have equitable access to their education.
• An accommodation should create access by removing or modifying a barrier present in the environment (physical space, policy, written/auditory/electronic information, etc.) that non-disabled peers do not experience.
• The goal is to adjust the method in which academic tasks are accomplished without substantially altering the task itself or the academic rigor required. For example, a student may need additional time to take an exam, rather than reducing the number of questions or difficulty of an exam.
• Accommodations are not meant to ensure academic success, provide comfort, or reduce discomfort, but ensure that students with disabilities are not disadvantaged in their education simply because of their disability.

In order to be eligible to receive disability based accommodations, all Fairmont State students must provide appropriate documentation prior to receiving accommodations based upon the particular disability. A diagnosis of a disorder/condition/syndrome in and of itself does not automatically qualify an individual for accommodations. In addition to the appropriate documentation of a disability, diagnostic data must be provided that substantiates a significant impairment to the functioning upon which accommodations will be based.

Fairmont State has specific criteria that documentation must meet before accommodations are authorized. Specific documentation criteria are available for Academic accommodations, Housing and/or Dining accommodations, and ESA accommodation.

Before disability related accommodations can be provided, a student must request accommodations and have approved documentation on file. For academic accommodations, it is preferred that the student be registered for classes. Instructors are not obliged to provide accommodations within a class without written authorization from the Office of Accessibility Services. A reasonable amount of time is needed to complete the interactive process. Thus, you are encouraged to contact the Office of Accessibility Services as soon as possible.

Documentation must describe the degree of impact the diagnosed disorder creates on the functioning of the student. A link must be established among any requested accommodation, the substantial functional limitations of the individual and the academic/living environment demands for which the accommodations are requested. If a condition, disorder, or diagnosis interferes with cognitive performance, evidence must be provided of this interference beyond poor grades.

The term “disability” as it relates to accommodations in higher education is a legal term rather than a medical or psychological term for a condition or particular diagnosis. The definition of what is a disability varies between agencies and organizations. A student may have a diagnosed disorder that is not considered disabling according to a particular agency definition. To qualify as a person with a disability within Fairmont State University, in addition to being appropriately diagnosed with a particular condition, you must provide appropriate documentation that clearly substantiates, through diagnostic test data, that the functional limitations affecting your ability to perform at a particular task are below average compared to other persons your age. Current legal precedence indicates that if the area(s) of functioning you consider weakness(es) are within the average range of functioning, you are not considered disabled and not eligible to receive disability related accommodations.

With consent, a parent can be involved. However, as a college student you are now considered an adult and need to be the one in the "driver's seat". The accommodation process is an interactive process and the student should be the one taking the lead. The Accessibility Services Office believes in the "nothing about us without us" philosophy. 

Please see Jane Jarrow's Open Letter to Parents and Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Dear Parent Letter.

The Office of Accessibility Services will review requests for students who have committed to attending Fairmont State University. If you are a new student beginning classes in the Fall Semester, we recommend applying for services in June, unless you are requesting housing accommodations, in which case you should begin the process as early as possible.