Disability Services
The University of Charleston is committed to achieving equal educational opportunity and full participation for all its students.
The Academic Success Center works to ensure that enrolled students receive reasonable accommodations for documented disabilities.
Services are provided in compliance with provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendment of 2008. The Academic Success Center also provides special information for faculty.
Accommodations
Accommodations are adaptations and changes made to elements of a student’s post-secondary program that help to compensate for the student’s impairment(s) and provide equal access to students with disabilities. Here are the basics:
- Any student with a documented disability may be eligible to receive accommodations & services from the Academic Success Center.
- The purpose of accommodations and modifications is to reduce or eliminate any disadvantages that may exist because of an individual’s disability.
- Accommodations are not a guarantee for success, but rather seek to promote non-discrimination and equal access opportunities.
- Accommodations are not student preferences; they are determined through an established review process based on documentation received regarding the student’s disability.
- The law does not require institutions to waive specific courses or academic requirements considered essential to a program or degree. Rather, they are mandated to modify existing requirements on a case-by-case basis in order to ensure that individuals are not discriminated against on the basis of their disability.
Students requesting accommodations must submit documentation of their disabilities from an appropriate, licensed professional qualified in the appropriate specialty area. Some examples of such persons are physicians, psychiatrists, and psychologists.
In general, documentation should include a specific diagnosis and a rationale for each accommodation requested. In cases of LD or ADD/ADHD, raw test score data should be submitted.
To ensure that the accommodations supplied are appropriate for the student’s current level of functioning, the documentation submitted must be less than three years old. Exceptions can be made for conditions that are permanent and are not developmentally related. Hearing or vision loss would be examples of such conditions.
Students must disclose and document their disability to the Academic Success Center/Disability Coordinator in order to receive appropriate accommodations. A Disability Coordinator acts as a liaison between students and faculty or staff, identifying appropriate accommodations for students with documented disabilities.
The goal of all concerned is to help students achieve their full academic potential. In some cases, our office will request an appointment to further discuss your request. You will be notified in writing (either e-mail or letter) regarding the outcome of our review and how to proceed. Most of our communication is done through University email. If you have any questions or concerns at any point regarding this procedure, please do not hesitate to contact us at 304-357-4776.
Once you are approved for accommodations, you will be provided with a letter outlining your specific accommodations. The letter will only outline accommodations; no specific information about a diagnosis will be shared. This letter will provide information for the faculty about accommodations, functional limitations and should serve as a catalyst for discussion with the student about how accommodations will be made.
Note, the choice to disclose the need for an accommodation is at the student’s discretion. Students should discuss accommodations with faculty within the first week of class. Instructors will not be expected to accommodate students who do not disclose in a timely manner.
For more information please contact the Academic Success Center to receive additional information.
Below is a link to the required ADA Verification Form which needs to be completed and returned to the Office of Disability Services/Academic Success Center.
ADA Disability Verification Form
Disability Documentation Guidelines
Send Accommodation Requests to:
Fax: 304-357-4972
Mail:
Academic Success Center
C/O Disability Coordinator
University of Charleston
302 Schoenbaum Library, Clay Tower Bldg.
2300 MacCorkle Ave., S.E.
Charleston, WV 25304
Email: ASC@ucwv.edu