Disabilities Services at Aurora University

Policy for Students with Disabilities

Policy Statement:
Aurora University will provide reasonable accommodations for students with a diagnosed and verified learning disability, physical disability, or psychological disability. In order to be entitled to such accommodations, the student must present a diagnostic report that is acceptable to the University. A diagnostic report indicating a learning disability must be prepared by a qualified psycho-educational practitioner and be based on standardized, reliable, and valid testing instruments. The report must include testing of intellectual ability and achievement, a specific diagnosis, and recommended accommodations based on the diagnosis. Students with physical or psychological disabilities will need documentation from an appropriate medical, psychological, or psychiatric practitioner, indicating diagnosis, impact of the disability and/or treatment plan on major life activities, expected duration of the condition and/or treatment, and recommendations for accommodations. Documentation for students with learning disabilities must be recent, having been prepared within the past three years. Documentation for students with psychological disabilities must have been prepared within the past six months.

Statement for Students with Special Needs:
Individuals who have any situation / condition, either permanent or temporary, which might affect their ability to perform in class or access course materials are encouraged to inform the instructor at the beginning of the term. Adaptations of teaching methods, class materials, or testing may be made as needed to provide equitable participation.

Definition of a Learning Disability:
A learning disability may exist in the presence of average-to-superior intelligence and adequate sensory and motor systems. The marked discrepancy between intellectual capacity and achievement is what characterizes a learning disability. Many learning disabled students have high intellectual ability and creative talent, the development of which benefits society as much as the well being of these individuals. Although the majority of learning disabled students can be characterized as having difficulty with reading, writing skills, and math skills, the degree and scope of these difficulties vary, as do the defects in the underlying psychological processes. For these reasons, academic adjustments must be made on an individual basis.

A learning disability is any of a diverse group of conditions that cause significant difficulties in perception, either auditory, visual, and/or spatial. Of presumed neurological origin, it covers disorders that impair such functions as reading (dyslexia), writing (dysgraphia), and mathematical calculation (dyscalculia), aural receptive dysphasia, sequential memory, and minimal brain dysfunction. Learning disabilities, even of the same type, will vary widely between and among students. Learning disabilities are defined as a "handicapping condition" under Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and as a permanent life condition under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The act required post-secondary educational institutions to make "reasonable adjustments" for such students with disabilities in order for them to fulfill academic requirements.

Identification Procedures:
Students with disabilities who are seeking accommodations must identify themselves to the university by contacting the Center for Teaching & Learning. If a request for accommodations comes to the Admission Office, staff will correspond with the student or parent indicating the need to provide a diagnostic report to the Center for Teaching & Learning. A student's disability will in no way impact the decision of the University to admit or decline an applicant. When a student approaches the Center for Teaching & Learning, staff will outline the policy and the need for a verifiable diagnosis. If a student does not have appropriate documentation of a learning disability, the Center for Teaching & Learning staff will offer assistance to the student in locating qualified individuals in the Chicagoland area who can provide a psycho-educational evaluation.

Institutional Review and Reasonable Accommodations
Upon receipt of the diagnostic report, the Center for Teaching & Learning staff will confirm that the report is competent and reliable and that it identifies a bona fide disability. If a diagnosis of a disability is not confirmed, the Center for Teaching & Learning will inform the student and refer the student to other appropriate sources of help. If the diagnostic report is confirmed, then the Center for Teaching & Learning will provide the student with documentation which indicates that the student has been recognized as having a disability. This documentation also indicates what reasonable accommodations might be appropriate for the student to receive. The Center for Teaching & Learning staff will not share specific information on a student's disability with faculty members unless requested to do so by the student.

A "reasonable accommodation" is any accommodation offered by a faculty member, department, or the university which enables a student to participate equitably in a class and access course materials without fundamentally altering the service being provided. Reasonable accommodations may include testing accommodations (e.g., additional time, quiet environment, readers, and scribes), classroom accommodations (e.g., changes to the physical environment of a classroom, adjustments in how material is presented in class), providing course materials in an accessible form (e.g., readings on cassette or disk, notetakers), or access to assistive technology (e.g., use of on-campus computers with adaptive software). The Center for Teaching & Learning staff initially determines what would be reasonable accommodations, taking note of the preferences of the student requesting accommodations. The student then may request those accommodations from a faculty member by presenting to the faculty member the documentation provided by the Center for Teaching & Learning. In considering requested accommodations, the faculty member may instead choose to suggest other appropriate accommodations. The faculty member and student are encouraged to consult the Center for Teaching & Learning in this event. It is ultimately the decision of the faculty member whether to implement the determination of the Center for Teaching & Learning; however, the faculty member shall adhere to the above-stated policy and to all applicable laws in making that decision.

Confidentiality:
Any documentation concerning a disability provided by a student to the Center for Teaching & Learning is confidential. The faculty and staff of the university will not have access to these materials unless a student specifically requests that an individual be allowed to view these documents or share in this information. In the event that a student were to challenge a determination made by the Center for Teaching & Learning, it would be necessary for the appropriate university officials to access these materials in order to review the Center for Teaching & Learning's determination.

Student Responsibility:
It is understood that it may be necessary for a disabled student to put in extra work, use a tutor, and/or seek special help outside of class. The student has a responsibility to fulfill his/her part by continuing extra help as recommended for his/her particular condition. If a student requires specialized services beyond what is normally provided by the university, these services must be paid by the student.

Grievance Procedure:
Any student who desires to challenge the accommodations made in his or her case should follow the procedures outlined:

• Informal Review:
  The dean of the school in which the student is majoring will review the student's complaint and take appropriate action if necessary.
• Formal Review:
  If the informal review does not resolve the issue, the student may request a formal review. The Provost of the university will ask the Faculty Senate to appoint a three-person committee to investigate and make a recommendation for his or her decision on the matter.