Disability Services
Students with disabilities may request needed accommodations through the Office of Academic Accessibility (located in Murray Library 115). Students requesting accommodation should contact the Office of Academic Accessibility as soon as they have been accepted for attendance at Messiah University.
Eligibility is determined by submitting acceptable, current documentation to the Office of Academic Accessibility. Documentation must include 1) verification of a disability (“a substantial impairment in one or more significant life activities,” according to the ADA) conducted and signed by a qualified examiner, 2) the specific tests, results, and procedures used in making the determination, and 3) specific statements of need that clearly support and relate to the requested accommodations. Eligibility documentation older than three years may be considered but may not be sufficient for University purposes. Examples of acceptable documentation include in-depth psychological evaluations, medical reports and letters from physicians, and multi-disciplinary team reports from schools. Copies of Individual Education Plans or Section 504 Accommodation Plans will be considered but alone are not sufficient to determine eligibility. IEPs and 504 Plans do not automatically apply at higher education levels.
Caution: In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, students must meet essential course and program standards, with or without accommodations. Essential program and course standards are not waived nor lowered for students who lack skills or the ability to comprehend or perform certain aspects of the program or course of study. The University is not obligated under the ADA to modify or replace program or course standards with other standards more amenable to a given student when those modifications fundamentally change the nature of the program or course.
Modification of peripheral elements of a course may be authorized at the instructor’s or department’s discretion. A reasonable accommodation might be to allow use of a calculator so a student with a disability in mathematics can perform required calculations on tests and exams. Omitting test questions covering essential elements of a course for that student violates the equal access elements of the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and is not considered a reasonable accommodation.
Other potential areas of difficulty can be activity-intensive courses where attendance and daily, active participation are essential but a chronic health condition leads to frequent or extended periods of absence, and courses with high standards for spelling (for example, elementary education, and medically-related programs of study) for students whose writing or spelling skills do not meet accepted professional standards.
Students are encouraged to discuss any disability-related skill deficits with their advisors and/or Academic Accessibility personnel to determine whether skill limitations can be accommodated in a particular course or major. No student will be excluded from attempting any major or program for which they are otherwise qualified. However, in some cases, the student may be advised to select another major that relies on their strengths rather than weaknesses.
The University is responsible for making reasonable accommodations for those who meet the qualifications under the ADA. In some cases, the accommodations provided may be different but as effective as those specifically requested. In particular, those students coming from public school settings where special education has been provided need to be aware that the emphasis changes under the ADA from “entitlements” (required special education supports) to “accessibility,” or accommodations to assure qualified students that they have equal access to the full range of programs and services offered by the University. There are no additional charges for accommodations which may include such things as:
- extended time on tests
- proctored exams in alternate locations
- assistance with getting class notes
- copies of lecture notes
- advocacy/referral services
- coaching
- textbooks in alternate formats (e-text, Braille, etc.)
- special housing arrangements
- priority registration
- assistance with computer hookups or systems
- assistance with using assistive technology
- interpreter/transcription service
- special parking arrangements
- arranging accommodations for international study
Students requesting accommodation should contact the Office of Academic Accessibility as soon as they have been accepted for attendance at Messiah University. An interview is required to determine eligibility and to determine approved accommodations. This also gives the student an opportunity to describe his or her unique circumstances and to problem-solve with Academic Accessibility staff in determining appropriate supports that may be available or need to be developed. For more information, students are encouraged to peruse the Office of Academic Accessibility website: www.messiah.edu/offices/disability.