Students: Register for Accommodations
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Consultations
ODS staff members work with admitted Wright State students to ensure equal access to university programs and services. Whether they are making the transition from high school, community college, or another university, students should be aware of the accommodation request process as well as the accommodations that might be available to them on the basis of a disability or temporary health condition.
Students who are unsure whether their documentation is sufficient, or are not sure what services ODS can provide to them, are encouraged to connect with ODS during walk-in hours. This can be in person or over the phone. ODS can also schedule a consultation meeting with an ODS case manager.
Registration Process
To receive accommodations, students must complete a confidential registration process with Disability Services (separate from the application for admission to the university). The steps below outline the process for requesting disability accommodations at Wright State. ODS does not participate in the university admission process. Once accommodations are established, they are applied proactively (rather than retroactively); students are advised to contact ODS prior to starting classes.
If you are not yet admitted to Wright State apply for admission.
Timeline
Newly admitted Wright State students should start this process once they have received notice of admission.
Currently enrolled Wright State students should connect with ODS as soon as a need for accommodation arises.
Please Note: It could take a few weeks to initiate this process, based on a number of factors, such as the availability of appropriate documentation, scheduling availability, and the nature of a student’s request.
Complete the Online Student Application
To request disability accommodations, please submit your request for accommodations via our online application portal, AIM*. The online application is intended to let the students describe the impact of their disability/disabilities and request accommodations.
If you are unable to access the online registration form, contact ODS by phone at (937) 775-5680, via TTY at (937) 775-5844, or via email at disability_services@wright.edu to request a copy of the application in an alternate format.
Once you submit your online request for accommodations, you will receive an email confirming receipt of your application. Your confirmation email will also contain a link and instructions to upload documentation of your disability to our online application portal.
Submit Documentation of Disability
After completing the new student application, students should submit documentation to ODS that establishes the nature of a disability. Students are encouraged to have their healthcare providers complete the ODS disability documentation form(s). ODS has specific documentation guidelines that target the information necessary to establish that a student has a disability and/or temporary health condition.
Documentation of Disability Forms
- Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Documentation of ADD/ADHD Form (PDF)
- Learning Disabilities: Documentation of Learning Disabilities Form (PDF)
- Physical & Medical Disabilities: Documentation of Physical Disability Form (PDF)
- Psychological Disorders: Documentation of Psychological Disability Form (PDF)
- Housing Accommodations: Documentation for Housing Accommodations (PDF)
- Emotional Support Animals: Documentation of ESA (PDF)
ODS case managers can help to determine what documentation may be useful and can connect students with resources in the community. NOTE: If a disability is apparent and the need for a requested accommodation can easily be established, documentation may not be needed.
Schedule a College Accommodation Plan (CAP) Meeting
Once a student application has been reviewed (including complete documentation), an ODS case manager will follow up, for one of two reasons:
- to address any needed documentation, if any information in an application is incomplete
- to schedule a College Accommodation Planning (CAP) meeting, if the application is complete
CAP meetings can be conducted over the phone or Skype, when appropriate.
The student and the ODS case manager will engage in an interactive process to determine if the student is eligible for accommodations.
- If ODS staff determines that the documentation submitted is not adequate to support the existence of a disability or a need for the requested adjustment/accommodation, ODS staff will notify the student in writing within 5 business days why the determination was made, and what additional documentation the student should submit to ODS to support their request.
- If ODS staff determines that a student is eligible for an accommodation, ODS staff will work with the student to identify an appropriate accommodation. ODS may consult appropriate faculty and other program personnel, as necessary, to determine all necessary and appropriate academic adjustments/accommodations based on the student’s individual disability-related needs and the nature of the program(s) in which the student is enrolled.
- If ODS approves a student’s requested accommodation(s), ODS will notify the student in writing, within 5 business days of the College Accommodation Plan meeting, of the student’s approved accommodation(s) and instruct the student to complete an online request for Faculty Notification Letters to notify instructors of the student’s necessary accommodation(s). ODS will email Faculty Notification Letters to the student’s instructors within 2 business days after ODS approves the student for accommodation(s). ODS will also provide a copy of the Faculty Notification Letter to the student. No individual has the authority to unilaterally limit or deny a student an adjustment/accommodation that has been approved by ODS staff.
- If ODS denies a student’s requested accommodation(s), ODS will notify the student in writing within 5 business days of the College Accommodation Plan meeting, noting the reasons for the denial, along with instructions outlining how the student may appeal the denial.
*AIM, which stands for Accessible Information Management, is the online system that allows students to quickly and easily request ODS services and notify their faculty of their approved accommodations. Completing the new student application creates an AIM account for the students, which will be used to manage their ODS services.
Submitting Documentation
Documentation can be submitted at any time during the registration process, and can be accepted in the following formats:
- digital file upload to the online application portal
- fax
- in person
- U.S. Mail
All documents submitted to ODS are placed in a confidential student file and will not be returned to the applicant, nor forwarded to any agency or other college or university. ODS does not share disability information with any other campus units without prior consent from the student. ODS suggests that students submit copies, keeping the original documents for personal records.
Accommodation Appeal Process
If ODS denies a student’s requested accommodation(s), ODS will notify the student in writing, within 5 business days of the College Accommodation Plan meeting, of the reasons for the denial along with instructions outlining how the student may appeal the denial.
Students have the option of appealing to the ODS Director/University’s Section 504/ADA Coordinator, Tom Webb, 180 University Hall, 937-775-5680, tom.webb@wright.edu, or, students have the option of appealing to the Director of Equity and Inclusion under the Alternative Complaint Filing Options section of the Disability Discrimination Complaint Procedure set forth in the student handbook.
ODS may refuse a requested adjustment/accommodation that imposes a fundamental alteration of a University program or activity, but ODS may do so only after ODS staff has engaged in a deliberative process for determining if academic requirements are “essential” or whether a requested modification would fundamentally alter a course, academic program, or University-sponsored performance-based experience.
With the support of the Director of the Office of Disability Services, a panel of academic and disability professionals will collaborate and determine the essential requirements of a course/program. The panel will convene within 3 business days of a student’s request for an accommodation that requires more in-depth consideration in terms of an essential requirement. Commonly requested accommodations/adjustments (e.g. extended test time, reduced distraction environment, note taker, etc.) will not require this level of review. Generally, the panel will consist of members of the following people:
- The program/department chair and the faculty instructors who teach the course and bring knowledge of the subject’s content, methods, and essential requirements;
- Disability Services case managers, who understand what accommodations are possible;
- The student who has requested an adjustment/accommodation and who understands his/her own limitations and how his/her disability impacts his/her ability to learn in a classroom.
When determining if a requested adjustment/accommodation fundamentally alters the essential requirements for a course or program, the panel will endeavor to:
- Identify the essential academic standards of the course (requirements that go to the very nature of the subject matter or that are of the utmost importance in achieving the course/program objective).
- Articulate specific requirements that individual instructors believe are fundamental to teaching the course/program, taking academic freedom into consideration.
- Identify the unique qualities of the course/program in relation to its overall objectives and any program in which the course is required.
- Engage in "reasoned deliberation" as to whether modification of the course/program would change the fundamental academic standards.
- Determine whether there are any options to fulfill the fundamental requirements of the course/program.
- Determine if the requested accommodation will lower the academic standards of the course/program.
- If the panel determines that the requested accommodation will lower academic standards, the panel will determine why the standard that the instructor believes will be lowered is important to the course/program.
- Determine if the standard is the better way (or the only way) to achieve the desired academic objective.
- Determine if this requested accommodation has ever been granted before for another student with or without a disability?
- Determine if a different method or requirement that will not be altered by the accommodation will achieve the required academic or pedagogical result.
- If the panel determines that a different method or requirement that will not be altered by the accommodation will not achieve the required academic or pedagogical result, they will determine why not.
- This process ensures that such determinations are made by a group of people, including ODS and pertinent faculty or other relevant personnel, after a careful, thoughtful deliberation that includes a review of program/course requirements and available options and alternatives. The decisions made during the deliberations and the reasons supporting them will be fully documented by ODS.
If, after ODS has approved a student’s accommodation request(s), the student believes the agreed-upon accommodation is not effective, or the student requires any additional accommodation(s), the student must notify ODS staff, who will work with the student to resolve the issue. An ODS case manager will review requests for changes in accommodations within 3 business days of notification by the student.
ODS will document in the student’s case file any interactive process between the University and the student. The documentation will include the dates of any academic adjustment/accommodation requests, the nature of each request, any supporting documentation, and any reason(s) for the denial of a request.
