The mission of the Office of Accessibility Services is to ensure equal educational opportunities for students who qualify as a person with a disability under the applicable laws (Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504). Many students who were under an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or a 504 Plan during high school will qualify for services, as will many other students who did not receive any specialized services during their K-12 education. It is the student’s responsibility to register with the Office of Accessibility Services and provide appropriate documentation of their disability. Approved accommodations are determined on an individual basis.
It is the student’s responsibility to speak with faculty about their accommodations each semester. Professors are under no obligation to provide academic accommodations until they receive and discuss the accommodation letter with the student requesting accommodations. When a student has asked for disability related accommodations without an accommodation letter, a referral is appropriate and necessary. Faculty or students who encounter problems regarding accommodations are asked to notify the Office of Accessibility Services immediately.
We encourage students to communicate with faculty at the start of each semester, but there are no deadlines to register for accessibility services. Students may disclose a disability to our office any time during their education at the institution. Faculty may be approached by a student with an accommodation letter any time during the semester. Though a student may approach a faculty member late in the semester with an accommodation letter, accommodations are not retroactive-- that is, the accommodations do not apply to work completed before the student’s submission of documentation and the determination of necessary accommodations.