Services for Students with Disabilities

Current and incoming students who would like to request accommodations are still encouraged to do so by completing an Accommodation Request to get started. To complete this form, you must have your student ID and use your SRU email address.

Disability Services General Information

Welcome to the Office of Disability Services at Slippery Rock University! Our office is located in Room 220 in the Bailey Library with hours of operation from 8:00 am until 4:30 pm during the semester and until 4:00 pm during spring, summer, and winter breaks.

Services for students with disabilities are available to any enrolled Slippery Rock University student having a documented disability. Documentation is required, must follow the documentation guidelines, and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. SRU is committed to accommodating students with disabilities and helping them to achieve academic success. The Office of Disability Services provides students with reasonable accommodations and services to ensure equal access to education as intended by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008. Services include assistance with, but are not limited to, the following disabilities covered by the above laws:

Learning disabilities (such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, reading/math disability, specific learning disability, etc.)
Medical health (such as cardiac disease, diabetes, arthritis, cancer, seizure disorder, etc.)
ADD/ADHD
Physical/mobility impairments (ambulatory, wheelchair)
Deaf or hard of hearing
Visual impairments
Emotional/psychological diagnosis (such as bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, etc.)
Autism spectrum disorder
Traumatic brain injury
Temporary disabilities - disabilities existing only for a short period of time (6-months or less) as a result of injuries, surgery or short-term medical conditions

What services are available?

The type of disability determines the appropriate accommodations. Services may include:

Extended test time
Separate test location
Assistive Technology
Note-takers
Test reader
Test scribe and/or use of computer
Priority registration
Seating in the front of the room
Enlarged print
Notification to faculty
Other accommodations specific to disability must be requested and approved.

Our office also partners with and/or recommends that students connect with the following support services:

Tutoring at the Tutoring Center
Writing assistance at the Writing Center
Student Counseling Center
Student Success Coaches
Student Support and use of the Concern Center
Student Health Services
Connection to the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR)
Job postings from Bender Consulting Services, Inc.

How do I access services?

Students are solely responsible for contacting the Office of Disability Services to request any accommodations or services. To do this, please use the following steps to request accommodations:

1. Complete an Accommodation Request
  Students may begin the accommodation process by completing an online Accommodation Request. In order to complete this request, the student must have a valid student ID number and a valid SRU email address.
  
  Documentation
  Please note that there is an option to upload documentation at the time of your Accommodation Request. The uploaded documentation must follow the Documentation Guidelines set forth by the Office of Disability Services. If a digital copy of documentation is available, we recommend uploading it with an Accommodation Request. If a digital copy of documentation is not available, documentation can be hand delivered (before or the day of the Welcome Meeting), faxed or emailed to the Office of Disability Services at:
  - Location: 220 Bailey Library
  - Fax: 724.738.4399
  - Email: disabilityservices@sru.edu
2. Schedule a Welcome Meeting
  After the request is submitted by the student and reviewed by our professional staff, the student will receive an email to schedule a Welcome Meeting in our office. The Welcome Meeting is the first initial meeting with our office to discuss the accommodation request and review the documentation.
3. Attend the Welcome Meeting
  The student must meet with the Director/Assistant Director for a Welcome Meeting to determine if the accommodation request is supported by the documentation provided. Services are provided dependent upon sufficient documentation and self-report on a case-by-case basis.

Online Accommodations

Taking courses online may create a need for different accommodations. Accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis with documentation that has been provided and discussion with the student. An accommodation is based on a functional limitation of the disability.

It is important to contact the Office of Disability Services at 724.738.4877 as soon as possible if you will be requesting an online accommodation. Some accommodations require up to 4 weeks lead time.

Campus Accessibility

Slippery Rock University has on-going projects to upgrade campus access in areas such as curb cuts, improved sidewalks, ramps, lowered wall fountains, and accessible bathrooms.

Upon admission to SRU, students requesting housing accommodations should contact the Housing and Residence Life Office at 724.738.2082 and the Office of Disability Services at 724.738.4877. In addition, the student must also login to MyHousing and complete the housing accommodation form..

To obtain answers to general and technical questions about the ADA and to order technical assistance materials call: 800.514.0301 (voice) or 800.514.0383 (TDD).

Bailey Library offers a variety of services and adaptive equipment for students with visual, hearing and learning disabilities. For assistance and/or more information, ask a librarian or call Bailey Library at 724.738.2058.

Student Responsibilities

Email Communication:
It is the responsibility of each student to check his/her Slippery Rock University e-mail daily. E-mail is the University's primary means of communication between students, faculty, and staff. ODS communicates with students via their Slippery Rock University e-mail only. E-mails may be sent from one of the general ODS e-mail accounts (disabilityservices@sru.edu or ods@sru.edu) or directly from the Director of Assistant Director of ODS.

Semester Requests:
It is each student's responsibility to complete a Semester Request every semester they are enrolled at Slippery Rock University. If this task is not completed, students will run the risk of not having accommodations applied to the courses that the student is enrolled in for that particular semester. The Office of Disability Services will not be held responsible for the student's failure to complete a Semester Request in a timely manner so as to utilize accommodations to support the student's academic success. (Please see the Accommodate tab on our main webpage to follow instructions on how to complete a semester request, there are also several resources in your Accommodate portal).

Self-Advocacy/Student Communication:
It is the responsibility of the student to be a good self-advocate by initiating request for services, providing documentation, informing ODS of needs, and discussing questions pertaining to academics with faculty. The ODS is here to assist you as needed, but please be sure to communicate changes in accommodations or other needs as they may arise. It is the student's responsibility to contact the Office of Disability Services if there is an issue with the quality of accommodations or if there are questions regarding the accommodation process.

Grievance Process:
The Office of Disability Services is dedicated to ensuring that students with disabilities have equal educational access at Slippery Rock University.

If a student disagrees with the accommodation decision reached by the Office of Disability Services (ODS) or is dissatisfied with the manner in which an approved accommodation is being provided, he/she has to option to request a meeting with the Director of ODS to review the determination or provision of accommodations. Upon receipt of such a request, the Director of ODS will arrange a meeting with the necessary parties (the student, ODS staff, the instructor(s) and/or other administrators). The student will have the right to provide additional documentation, as well as, provide information to challenge ODS's accommodation determination.

If as a result of the meeting, the parties reach a resolution that is satisfactory to all, the terms of the agreement will be provided in writing to the student and will be included in the student's file.

If the parties are unable to agree to a resolution, the Director of ODS will provide to the student, in writing, the response to their reconsideration request. The response will include a detailed explanation of the reasons for the decision and the basis for the denial.

If the student considers the response unsatisfactory, he/she may reach out to the Director of ODS for guidance on procedures for further action.