Office of Accessibility Resources

Office of Accessibility Resources Mission Statement

The mission of the Office of Accessibility Resources is to ensure that all students receive equal access to academic programs, facilities, and campus activities.

D'Youville University is committed to providing equal access to all students, including those who qualify as persons with disabilities. All students who choose to disclose a disability are referred to Ashley Olsen, Assistant Director of Accessibility and Tutoring Services, who will meet with you to identify what types of accommodations you’ll receive. Students with a documented disability on file are eligible to receive accommodations on a case-by-case, course-by-course basis. Examples of qualifying disabilities include, but are not limited to:

Learning disabilities
Physical disabilities
Sensory disabilities
Medical diagnoses
Mental health diagnoses
Temporary disabilities
- Including injuries, concussions, and recovery after a surgery

Please review the differences between accommodations in High School and Higher Education

Accommodations

In order to receive accommodations, documentation of a disability that reflects your current condition is required. Examples of available accommodations are:

Testing Accommodations

Students must schedule exams 7 days in advance of the exam date to guarantee a testing spot in the OAR Testing Center. Testing spots are not guaranteed for exams that are scheduled fewer than 7 days in advance of the exam date.

All exams that are administered on campus may be scheduled to be taken in the OAR Testing Center. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Accessibility Resources at: disabilityservices@dyc.edu.

Extended time to complete tests
Exams taken in a quiet, reduced distraction environment
A reader to read test questions to you
A scribe who will write or type your dictated answers

Testing Accommodations Request Form

Class Accommodations

Extended deadlines to complete class assignments
Alternative methods to demonstrate mastery of course objectives
The opportunity to substitute alternative coursework for certain degree requirements
Provision of audiobooks or audio enabled ebooks
Provision of physical textbooks in the place of ebooks
Use of a calculator
Permission to record lectures
Provision of a copy of a notetaker's notes
Flexible attendance

Registration & Course Load Accommodations

A reduced course load
Priority in registration
Information to your advisor regarding your learning needs with respect to times, types of courses, number of courses, and course formats

Support Animal Policy

D'Youville University welcomes the presence of Service Animals and Assistance Animals assisting students with disabilities on its campus. The University is committed to allowing Service Animals and Assistance Animals when necessary to provide students with disabilities an equal opportunity to access the programs, services, and physical facilities of the University. Please contact Ashley Olsen, Assistant Director of Accessibility and Tutoring Services for more information.

VIEW OUR POLICY

Accommodations that cannot be made:

Tutoring
Medical or psychological assessment and diagnosis
Personal care assistants
Aids or equipment for personal study
Accommodations that change the fundamental alteration of the nature or purpose of programs, services, and activities
Reduction of academic standards
Waiver of program essentials
Services that would provide a direct threat to the health or safety to self or others.

Required Information on Documentation

Disability related documentation should provide information on the impact of the disability so that appropriate accommodations may be identified. Documentation may be in the form of a recent IEP or 504 plan from another education institution, or in the form of a letter from diagnosing and treating health care providers, psychiatrists or other qualified professionals. Suggested documentation elements include:

Typed on letterhead, dated and signed by qualifying professional
Provide information on how long the physician has been working with the patient
Diagnostic statement
Impact and/or symptoms of the disability
If appropriate, severity, expected progression and list of medication side effects
Current and/or past accommodations
Recommendations for accommodations

Documentation on a prescription memo will not be accepted. Please refer to the list of unacceptable sources of documentation

General Documentation Guidelines

Student self report – Students should schedule a meeting with the Assistant Director of Accessibility and Tutoring Services to describe their disability and accommodations they are requesting to receive. Students may consider including information about their experience related to their disability, barriers faced and/or previous accommodations used.

Observation and Interaction – Observations can help validate information in a student self-report which further validates the need for accommodations. The Assistant Director of Accessibility and Tutoring Services is experienced in working with students with disabilities and may be able to determine if the request is reasonable based on observations and interactions.

Procedures:

Documentation should be mailed or emailed to the confidential attention of Ashley Olsen, Assistant Director of Accessibility and Tutoring Services, 320 Porter Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14201, or olsena@dyc.edu. Documentation is kept confidential and shared only on a need-to-know basis in accordance with the requirements of all applicable laws.

Our Mission

The mission of the D’Youville Office of Accessibility Resources is to ensure that all students receive equal access to academic programs, facilities, and campus activities.

Office of Civil Rights

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in the U.S. Department of Education provides information explaining the rights and responsibilities of students with disabilities who are preparing to attend postsecondary schools. This information also explains the obligations of a postsecondary school to provide academic adjustments, including auxiliary aids and services, to ensure that the school does not discriminate on the basis of disability. Read more about the Office for Civil Rights.

Admissions Standards

D’Youville does not discriminate against students with disabilities. Students with disabilities do not need to disclose their disability on any admission documents to have access to academic programs and services. Students with disabilities must meet the same admission standards as students without disabilities. SAT scores taken under special conditions are not identified to the Admissions Office.

Laws that apply to disability services

According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), an individual with a disability is defined as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act states that, "No otherwise qualified person in the United... shall, solely by reason of...disability, be denied the benefits of be excluded from participation in, or be subjected to the discrimination under any program or activity that either receives federal financial assistance."

Frequently Asked Questions

IF I KNOW OR SUSPECT I HAVE A DISABILITY, HOW DO I RECEIVE SERVICES?

Schedule an appointment to meet with the Assistant Director of Accessibility and Tutoring Services who will guide you through the process.

IF I SUSPECT I HAVE A DISABILITY, WHAT DO I DO?

Schedule an appointment to meet with the Assistant Director of Accessibility and Tutoring Services. They'll provide you with referrals for appropriate evaluation. The evaluator to whom you are referred will determine if you have a disability.

WHAT TYPES OF SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES?

D'Youville provides accommodations to students on a case-by-case basis based on the recommendations provided in your documentation.

REGARDING MY DISABILITY, WHAT WILL I NEED TO DO DIFFERENTLY IN COLLEGE?

In high school, it was your parents' and your school officials’ responsibility to determine your needs and to make sure you received the proper services and accommodations. In college, it becomes YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to seek out services since no one will approach you about your disability. It is up to you to contact the Coordinator of Accessibility Resources and not simply inform your instructors of your disability. Steps to take:

Self-identify by informing the Assistant Director of Accessibility and Tutoring Services.
Provide appropriate documentation as determined by the Assistant Director of Accessibility and Tutoring Services.
Be proactive. Self-advocate. Inform the Assistant Director of Accessibility and Tutoring Services and your instructors if there is a problem with your accommodations.

HOW CONFIDENTIAL IS THE INFORMATION REGARDING MY DISABILITY?

Information regarding your disability is kept in a locked file in the Office of Accessibility Resources. No one sees this information except the Assistant Director of Accessibility and Tutoring Services. In order for anyone else to see this information, you must sign a “Release of Information” form.

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