To be eligible for disability-related services students must have a visibly obvious or documented disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 2008, and Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Under the ADAAA and Section 504, a person has a disability if he/she has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities such as performing manual tasks, walking, standing, seeing, speaking, hearing, sleeping, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working.
In order to be considered an active student registered with the Office of Disability Services, you must complete all three of the following steps:
- Review our Eligibility Information and Documentation Guidelines and submit appropriate documentation of disability to the Office for Disability Services.
- Schedule an intake appointment with ODS by contacting Amy James, coordinator of Disability Services, at 814-898-7101 or by email. This meeting will take about an hour and should not be scheduled during class time. If needed, this meeting can be completed via phone.
- Sign an academic adjustment letter and form for requesting academic adjustments (reasonable accommodations), which will be provided to you during your intake appointment, and follow the process for receiving academic adjustments each semester.
Until you have completed all of these steps, you will not be registered with ODS, considered a student with a disability by the University, or entitled to accommodations or services.
For more information, contact the Office of Disability Services.