Accessibility Services

Welcome to West Liberty University’s Office of Accessibility Services!

ADA accommodations are one of many services provided by the Learning & Student Development Center. We are dedicated to supporting students academically, professionally and personally throughout their academic careers. The Office Accessibility Services is committed to helping all students achieve their academic goals by facilitating self-advocacy and independence. We work with students to determine reasonable academic accommodations for documented disabilities and then provide the necessary resources for students to succeed. Working together, we can ensure that all students with documented disabilities receive equal opportunity and access to everything West Liberty University has to offer.

FAQ

“What Constitutes a Disability?”
A disability is defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as a mental or physical impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities. Learning is an example of a major life activity. If you have a mental or physical condition, a history of such a condition, or a condition which may be considered by others as substantially limiting, you may have a legally defined disability.

“What Does “Substantially Limiting”
According to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, substantially limiting is defined as being unable to perform a major life activity, or significantly restricted as to the condition, manner, or duration under which a major life activity can be performed, in comparison to the average person or to most people.

“What is a Major Life Activity?”
According to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a major life activity is defined as caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working. The ADA Amendment Acts of 2008 expanded this list to also include eating, sleeping, standing, lifting, reading, bending, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working. In addition the ADA also includes major bodily functions (e.g., “functions of the immune system, normal cell growth, digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, and reproductive functions”).

“What Documentation Will I Need to Provide to Receive Academic Accommodations? Click here for more information on Documentation Guidelines“
PLEASE NOTE: An IEP/504 is not adequate documentation at the post-secondary level.

“What Role Do My Parents Play?”
Students who are 18 years old or older are legally recognized as adults. So, college students are responsible for their own accommodation requests and disability-related decisions. However, students are encouraged to have an open dialogue with their parents. Parents can be a wonderful source of support. A parent(s) or family member(s) is welcome to attend the “Orientation Meeting for Accessibility Services” with the ADA Coordinator when the student is preparing to begin their academic career at West Liberty University.

“What if I Need to Request Housing Accommodations?”
Housing requests require coordination between the Learning & Student Development Center and Housing and Student Life (Marcella Snyder, Associate Dean of Student Services). You can begin by printing the form below and having a treating physician/clinician complete as indicated. The form can be submitted to LSDC who will contact Housing and Student Life to begin making necessary arrangements. Any student requesting housing accommodations should be on file with the Office of Accessibility Services.

“Whose Responsibility Is It to Seek Accommodation?”
It is the student’s responsibility to seek accessibility services. However, the ADA Coordinator, staff, faculty and many other resources are waiting to assist.

“Whose Responsibility Is It to Get Appropriate Documentation?”
It is the student’s responsibility to get appropriate documentation. However, the ADA Coordinator, staff, faculty and many other resources are available to assist.

“Whose Responsibility Is It to Manage Accommodations Once They Have Been Put In Place?”
It is the student’s responsibility to manage accommodations once they are in place. However, the ADA Coordinator, staff, faculty and many other resources are available to assist.

“What Kinds of Academic Accommodations Are Available?”
Appropriate academic accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis according to the documentation provided by the treating physician/clinician, the ADA Coordinator’s evaluation and an interview with the student. Some examples of academic accommodations are:

Extended time for tests/quizzes
Testing in a distraction free environment
Scribes/readers
Assistance with note-taking
Closed-captioning
Interpreter
Recording lectures and membership to Learning Ally

“Is Assistive Technology Available?”
Yes! Some examples of assistive technologies that the Office of Tutoring and Accessibility Services can provide or procure include:

Fire Alarm Strobes
Door Knocker Strobes & Receivers
Recording Devices
Audiobooks from Learning Ally
Enhanced Visibility Keyboard
OpenBook Software
ZoomText Software
Naturally Speaking

“Can I get a tutor or other personal services/devices as reasonable accommodations?”
No. The University is not required to provide personal services such as personal attendants, individually prescribed devices, wheelchairs, readers for personal use/study, tutoring or other devices or services of a personal nature. However, Peer Tutoring and Academic Coaching are provided to any West Liberty University student free of charge through the Learning & Student Development Center. Requests can be made by clicking online through our web-based service, TutorTrac. Information on how to access TutorTrac can be found HERE.

“Is there a grievance procedure for academic accommodations?”
Yes. Please visit the Academic Accommodations Grievance Procedure page for information.

While attending West Liberty University, you may have concerns related to disability-based services. If this should happen, there are some things to keep in mind.

It is important to deal with problems as they arise. Do not delay, as that only allows small problems to become bigger! If you’re not sure what to do, contact the Learning & Student Development Center to discuss further.
If you have a problem with a particular individual, discuss the problem with that person first. The Learning & Student Development Center can offer helpful suggestions since problems often can be solved informally through effective communication.
If you have a problem with the implementation of your accommodations, please talk with the person(s) facilitating those accommodations first. For example, if you are using a reader and she/he reads too slowly, explain this to the reader!
If your professor is questioning the appropriateness of a recommended accommodation, discuss it with him/her first. If you are still unable to resolve the issue, let the Learning & Student Development Center know. Clarification and/or suggestions on how to proceed can be provided. If necessary, the Learning & Student Development Center can work directly with the professor to resolve the particular question.