ADA Accommodations

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ADA Services

Bluefield State University is committed to working with students with disabilities to evaluate their needs and to provide appropriate academic accommodations to pursue their educational goals.  The ADA Coordinator assists in providing the appropriate services based on the student’s verified documentation.  BSU academic programs are committed to maintaining an understanding of disabilities and providing support within the campus community.

FAQs

Carolyn Kirby, The Director of the Academic Success Center serves as the ADA Coordinator of students at BSU.  Her office is located in Basic Science 110. Her phone number is 304-327-4098, and her email is ckirby@bluefieldstate.edu

The American with Disabilities Act defines a person with a disability as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity. This includes people who have a record of such an impairment, even if they do not currently have a disability. It also includes individuals who do not have a disability but are regarded as having a disability. The ADA also makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person based on that person’s association with a person with a disability.

If you have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of major life activities, you may be eligible for services.  Disabling conditions could include (but are not limited to):

  • Mobility Impairment
  • Visual Impairment
  • Hearing Impairment
  • Learning Disability
  • Attention Deficit Disorder
  • Brain Injury
  • Psychological Disorders
  • Autism Spectrum Disorders
  • Systemic medical conditions

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act guarantee persons with disabilities protection from discrimination based on disability. These laws, as they apply to colleges, protect otherwise qualified students in the areas of admission, recruitment, academic requirements, housing, financial aid, and non-academic services

The term “accommodation” may be used to describe an alteration of environment, curriculum format, or equipment that allows an individual with a disability to gain access to content and/or complete assigned tasks. They allow students with disabilities to pursue a regular course of study. You can apply for accommodations by submitting the documentation of your qualifying disability to the ADA Coordinator, Carolyn Kirby.

At the beginning of every semester, you must meet with the ADA coordinator to verify your class schedule.  The ADA coordinator will send an email to your professors that lists your accommodations but does not disclose your disability.  You should verify with your professor at the beginning of the semester that they have received the email.

Eligibility

Students who have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities may be eligible for services. Such impairments include (but are not limited to) mobility impairment, visual impairment, hearing impairment, learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, autism spectrum disorders, acquired brain injury, psychological disorders, and medical disabilities.

Services are available to students who:

  • Self-identify to the ADA Coordinator, Carolyn Kirby in Basic Science 110.
  • Provide documentation of the disability that supports the accommodations requested.
  • Meet with the ADA Coordinator to discuss the accommodations needed each semester the student is enrolled at BSU.

Accommodations are determined on an individual basis and with reference to the official documentation provided and the interview with the students.

Procedures for Accommodating Students with Disabilities

Goal: To establish procedures for identifying students with disabling conditions and providing “reasonable” accommodations in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Procedure

  • Current students requesting services should contact the ADA Coordinator to register, provide documentation, and request accommodations. The ADA Coordinator’s offices is located in Basic Science 110.
  • Any member of the BSU faculty or staff should refer any student who discloses a disability and or requests accommodations to Carolyn Kirby, ADA Coordinator.
  • Once a student self-discloses, the student should make an appointment with the ADA Coordinator to file the appropriate documentation for the disability and start the process for determining and implementing accommodations.
  • Providing the appropriate documentation to the ADA Coordinator is the student’s responsibility.  Appropriate documentation from a physician, therapist, vocational rehabilitation center, or other professional qualified to make a diagnosis must be current and not older than three years.  It must be presented on letterhead stationery, state the specific diagnosis/disability, include recommendations for accommodations, and list any medications the student is taking for the disability.  A recent high school IEP or 504 plan may be used as documentation but it must included a diagnosis and recommendations for accommodations.
  • BSU is under no legal obligation to provide accommodations without the necessary documentation requested on file in the ADA Coordinator’s office.  Evaluation of a disability is the responsibility of the student and not the Institution’s.   The ADA Coordinator may assist the student in finding appropriate resources for possible assistance in the evaluation and diagnosis process.
  • All documents, forms, and other written information regarding the student’s disability are considered confidential and are stored securely in the ADA Coordinator’s office.
  • If a student believes that the services or accommodations are not meeting their needs, the student should consult the BSU Student Handbook for  ADA Grievance procedures.

Students are encouraged to request desired accommodations at the beginning of each semester.  In the event that the student chooses to delay a request, the University will not provide retroactive accommodations.

Faculty Responsibilities

  • Compliance with ADA Accommodations is a shared responsibility.
  • Sometimes students are uncomfortable discussing their disabilities. Be respectful and keep all information confidential. Don’t push for more information.
  • Students do not have to disclose the nature of their disability, and you should never ask for it.  Do not try to talk the student out of using their rightful accommodations.
  • Carefully read the letter of accommodation. Work with the student and the ADA Coordinator to determine how to best serve the student. Maintain confidentiality at all times.
  • If a student asks for accommodations and you do not have a letter from the ADA Coordinator on file, refer the student to her office. If the student requests accommodations not listed on their letter, call the ADA Coordinator.
  • Please add the following statement to your syllabus:

ADA Accommodations

Any student who feels she/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the Academic Success Center at 304-327-4098 in Basic Science Room 110 to coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities.

Service and Assistive Animals

With respect to a request for a service animal, Bluefield State University will determine on a case-by-case basis, and under applicable laws and regulations, whether such an animal is a reasonable accommodation on campus.  In doing so, the University must balance the needs of the individual with the impact of the animal on other campus community members.

Where it is not clear that the animal is a service animal as defined by the ADA, BSU may require sufficient information and documentation to determine whether the animal qualifies as a service or assistance animal under disability legislation.

Persons requesting permission for a service animal must submit the following:

  • A form completed by a treating physician or mental health provider showing that the service is required for the student to be successful in completing his/her degree requirements, including how the animal assists the student, listing the appropriate training of the service or assistive animal.

A form completed by a veterinarian verifying that the animal is current on vaccinations and all veterinary care, including flea and tick control.  This form must be kept up to date throughout the animal’s residency on campus.

Disability Law and Definitions

  • The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 states, “No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States . . . shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance…”   In other words, students cannot be denied an education based solely on a disabling condition.
  • Congress enacted the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to prohibit discrimination against those with disabilities. The statute, first enacted in 1990, applies in the areas of employment, public accommodations, transportation, services offered by governmental entities, and other areas. The act attempts to extend the types of rights provided under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to those with disabilities. Included among the right in the ADA are provisions requiring educational institutions to provide accommodations to those with disabilities.
  • The ADA Amendments Act
  • This law, created in 2008, clarifies expands and defines terms in the original ADA.
  • Definitions
  • A person with a disability is someone with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or major life activities.  A person is considered to be a person with a disability if he/she has the disability, has a record of the disability, or is regarded as having the disability.
  • The term substantially limits refers to significant restrictions as to the condition, manner or duration under which an individual can perform a particular major life activity compared to most people.  Whether a condition is substantially limiting to support an accommodation request is a decision made by qualified professional(s) based upon multiple sources of information.
  • An otherwise qualified person with a disability is a person who, with or without reasonable accommodation, meets the academic requisite to admission or participation in the educational program or activity.
  • Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
  • The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records.  The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. FERPA information, including FERPA release forms, can be found on the following link: https://bluefieldstate.edu/ferpa-release-form.
  • Records maintained at Bluefield State University for the purpose of coordinating services for students with disabilities, including medical or clinical records will be kept confidential.   When you leave Bluefield State University, there is no indication on your transcripts or diploma that you received accommodations for a disability.