Wright State University offers accommodations for students who have registered as having disabilities. Accommodations offer many benefits, such as additional test-taking time, alternative formats for materials, note-taking and special seating. Many students are enrolled in accommodations at WSU.
What are accommodations?
Accommodations are, by definition, “modifications or adjustments to a course, program, service or activity that provide a student with a disability an equal opportunity to access and use the benefits of the program."
The goal of accommodations is to help students with disabilities participate and achieve their potential without changing the standards of the program or course. They can be anything from a format change on an assignment to having a sign language interpretter present each day.
These accommodations are provided by federal laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. These laws make it so schools and universities can provide accommodations, making equal access to education more accessible.
How do you get accommodations?
Students must go through a process to receive accommodations at WSU. This process must be started with the Office of Disability Services.
Evan Mason is the Assistant Director of Raiders on the Autism Spectrum Excelling, also called RASE. Mason shared the beginning steps for how to get accommodations.
"To begin the process, students complete an online application available on our website. This gathers basic information about the student’s disability and the types of accommodations they’re requesting. They’re also asked to submit documentation from a qualified professional that outlines how the disability impacts them in an academic setting. This can include a range of documentation: IEPs/504s, evaluations, provider letters and more. If students don’t have current documentation, we provide forms they can bring to their medical provider," Mason said.
After the submission, students will need to meet with a case manager, as Mason explains.
"Once submitted, an ODS case manager reviews the documentation. If the student meets eligibility guidelines, the case manager will schedule a College Accommodation Plan meeting, either in person or virtually. During this meeting, we discuss reasonable accommodations, how to use them, available assistive technology and next steps," Mason explained.
"If a student’s documentation is up to date, the process can often take as little as one to two weeks, though we strongly encourage students to connect with us before they begin classes as we are unable to provide accommodations retroactively."
Finally, students must request their accommodations each semester through the online AIM portal.
How many students use accommodations?
A significant number of students use accommodations, as explained by Tom Webb.
Webb, the Associate Vice President of Accessibility, provides leadership for the Office of Disability Services while promoting programs and services to better serve students at WSU.
"We work with approximately 1,000 students currently affiliated with our office. Our work isn’t limited to providing accommodations; it includes proactive collaboration with faculty, staff and administrators to identify and remove structural barriers before they impact students. We use a mix of universal design principles, advocacy and education to help shift the campus culture toward one where access is embedded, not appended," Webb said.
ODS works with Residence Life and Housing to establish accommodations related to housing and those who need housing-related accommodations.
"Yes, ODS coordinates housing-related accommodations in collaboration with Residence Life and Housing. These may include adjustments to room assignments, accessible facilities or specific living environments based on disability-related needs," Webb said.
For more information, students can visit the Housing Accommodations page.
ODS also manages the services of providing emotional support animals and service animals.
"ODS also manages the process for approving emotional support animals in university housing and provides guidance for students with service animals. These requests follow established policies based on federal law and require documentation and review," Webb said.
If students are looking for further details on ESAs and service animals, here is a link to more information. Additionally, here is the contract form if you need a service or emotional support animal.
Rikki Morris is the Assistant Director for Physical Support Services. Morris works in the College of Science and Mathematics as a case manager and manages the Personal Assistance program for students with physical disabilities who need assistance with activities of daily living.
"We currently have about 70 students registered with our office for mobility impairment. This includes students who use wheelchairs, scooters or other mobility devices. Accommodations are individualized to students’ needs, so there is no standard set of accommodations," Morris said
WSU provides a lot of equal access and support to those who need it. Accommodations provide a lot of ways for students to navigate college and college life. ODS puts in a lot of work for their students with disabilities, and it is important that students recognize this.
