Susquehanna University is committed to working with students who have disabilities by providing reasonable and adequate accommodations. Our director of disability services works with students to develop self-advocacy skills and provides guidance to assisting students with disabilities.
Please read the Document Guidelines before starting the process. This will prevent delays.
Students must complete and submit a Request for Accommodations form and attach appropriate supporting documentation. Appropriate documentation must be attached to this form in order for your request to be processed. Please do not complete the form until you have your documents ready to attach. Documentation may be attached as a pdf, word document, or image (.jpeg, .png). PDF documents are preferred. If you have a hard copy of the documentation, you can scan it into a PDF. If you do not have a scanner, there are free scanner apps that you can download on your smartphone (i.e., Adobe Scan, Scanner App, Scanner Pro, and CamScanner).
Documentation must include the following:
Students will receive an email to schedule a meeting with a Disability Services staff member. During the meeting, the student and the Disability Services staff member will discuss eligibility for accommodations, rights and responsibilities.
PLEASE NOTE: Processing accommodations can take up to two weeks during a regular semester. During peak volumes, this time may be up to three weeks.
Students with approved accommodations will receive an Approval and Instruction email subsequent to their initial meeting. The email will reaffirm the accommodations and reiterate the logistics, which were discussed at the meeting.
Students who are approved for academic accommodations will receive a message through their SU email each semester marked “Action Required.” Attached is their semester Letter of Accommodation. It has instructions and a PDF that outlines their official accommodations. Students will forward this email to their instructors. Students should meet with each instructor at the start of the semester to discuss the logistics of their accommodations. Upon request, a representative from the Office of Disability Services will assist the student in these discussions.
Students are responsible for making arrangements for extended testing time, testing in a noise reduced area, etc.
Accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis depending upon the supporting evidence and recommendations given in the documentation. There must be a direct connection between the disability/condition and the accommodations being requested. If the documentation is incomplete or does not support your requests, further information may be needed. Accommodations will not be given if they alter the essential fundamental elements of a course.
The following are some frequently used accommodations:
Contact the Office of Disability Services to discuss specific needs for alternate texts as soon as schedules have been finalized. We will assist students in obtaining texts by:
Contact the director of disability services to receive approval before taking any books to the Print Shop so they can be informed that the student has been approved for an e-text. Remember:
Audio books can be obtained from the Recordings for the Blind & Dyslexic at http://www.bookshare.com.
The Office of Disability Services and the Office of Information Technology will work with students to identify arrangements for access to assistive technology software. Contact the Office of Disability Services to request technical help.
Students at Susquehanna are never exempt from taking a required course but substitutions may be considered.
Substitutions must be approved through the Disability Services Office.
No student is given a course substitution before acceptance or as a condition of their acceptance. Students wishing to obtain a course substitution must inform the Office of Disability Services as soon as possible upon being accepted.
Accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis depending upon the supporting evidence and recommendations given in the documentation. There must be a direct connection between the disability/condition and the accommodations being requested. If the documentation is incomplete or does not support the request(s), further information may be needed. Accommodations will not be approved if the documentation does not meet the required standards.
The following are some types of Housing accommodations:
Please note that requesting a specific person to reside with a student for a disability-related need indicates the request is for a personal aide. A personal aide is someone who assists the student with daily living needs such as showering, toileting, feeding, etc. The student is responsible for the cost of the aide. Documentation for this should encompass the Medical Provider form as well as current proof of certification/training for the aide, and their employment contract to provide care.
Students who disagree with an accommodation decision may appeal the decision by submitting a written statement of appeal to the director of disability services and the provost (for academic matters) or the director of disability services and the vice president for Student Life and dean of students (for non-academic matter). The vice president for Student Life and dean of students will make a final decision.
An appeal must be submitted within 10 working days of the initial accommodation decision. The appeal must contain the student’s originally submitted documents, response from Disability Services, and any additional information they wish to present. The student will be notified of the decision in writing, by either the provost or the vice president of Student Life and dean of students, typically within 15 working days. The initial accommodation decision will remain in effect until the appeal has been reviewed and a decision rendered.
Susquehanna University is committed to providing equal access to students with disabilities, as described in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Amendment Act. Section 504 states “No otherwise qualified handicapped individual in the United States shall, solely by reason of his handicap, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance or under any program or activity conducted by any Executive agency or by the United States Postal Service” 29 USC 794 (Supp. V 1981). Title III of ADAA extends civil rights protections for individuals with disabilities in places of public accommodations, which includes private universities.
Any student with a disability (including physical, mental and learning disabilities) is ensured access to all programs available. Reasonable accommodations to facilities, courses and programs will be made to ensure that “otherwise qualified” students with disabilities can participate.
The Office of Disability Services has the responsibility for making decisions on behalf of the university regarding the accommodations required for providing equal access. It is the responsibility of all staff, faculty and students to adhere to our commitment to equal access of educational opportunity.
Phone: 570-372-4412
Fax: 570-372-2778
disabilityservices@susqu.edu