Current Students: Disability Services

Disability Services (DS) is a branch of the Academic Success Center (ASC). Our staff are committed to providing you with the support and services needed to allow you the opportunity to participate in the rich and varied life of the university.

Mission and Purpose

The Disability Services program serves all students with disabilities; and the use of services is voluntary and confidential. The program is a resource for students and faculty.

The goal of this office is to ensure educational opportunity for all students with special needs by providing access to full participation in all aspects of campus life and increase awareness of disability issues on campus.

The DS office works to:

Assist students with disabilities in overcoming environmental and attitudinal barriers and to provide them with academic support services and accommodations which help them to succeed at Roosevelt University.
Facilitate the provision of services that will provide students with personal and academic support.
Promote university community awareness of the needs and capabilities of students with disabilities.
Serve as a resource for members of the University community, prospective students, parents, and members of the public who interact with the University community.

Students

Students with disabilities have access to equal opportunities for education and participation in University activities. Students must meet the essential requirement of the University with or without accommodations. Students should:

Initiate the request for any accommodations and/or services in a timely manner
Communicate with faculty and/or staff regarding accommodations
Work with the Disability Services staff as needed.

The staff works with each student individually and accommodations are provided on a case-by-case basis.

Qualified Persons with disability

To benefit from the protections of the ADA and Section 504, the person must be qualified and have a disability. A person with a disability is one who either:

Has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity;
Has a record or history of such an impairment; or
Is regarded as having such impairment.

To be qualified, the person with a disability must meet the academic and technical standards for admission to or participation in the University’s education program or activity.

Requesting Accommodations

Students with disabilities are responsible for disclosing the functional impact of their disability and requesting reasonable accommodations for their classes. To receive accommodations, documentation needs to be provided to the Disability Services staff.

Accommodations and Assistive Technology

To facilitate the implementation of accommodations, each student will be responsible for bringing their professors letters of verification from the DS staff stating the accommodations and/or auxiliary aids to which the student is entitled. The following is a list of the more common accommodations utilized. However, students are not limited to the following accommodations:

Extended time when taking tests
Tests in a separate room
Use of a tape recorder in class
Use of a calculator for tests / assignments
Use of a scribe for tests / assignments
Note-taker
Use of a word processor for tests / assignments

All requests should be made one week prior to the beginning of each semester.

Note-taker

Note takers can be recruited by students, (with approval of DS staff), instructors, or DS staff.
Notes can be photocopied in the Academic Success Center.
If student is not pleased with the quality of the notes, alternatives will be sought.
A student must be present in class to receive notes unless special arrangements are warranted.

Scribes/Readers:

The request should be made at least seven business days in advance of date the service is needed. The same applies to other services such as alternate mediums, interpreters, and real-time captions.

Kurzweil/eBooks

eBooks

It is the student’s responsibility to obtain the syllabus from the professor in order to identify the required textbooks and reading assignments for the course. If the syllabus is not available three weeks prior to the first day of instruction, the student should ask the professor to identify textbooks and reading assignments for the first three weeks of the semester.

Accesstext Network

Students looking to obtain books on tape must make a request as early as possible. After providing the disabilities coordinator with the ISBN number, she or he will check accesstext.org for an available version and submit a request. Once approved, the student will be provided with a PDF version of the text, free of charge.

If the text is unavailable through the Accesstext Network, students must purchase the text and provide the disabilities coordinator with a copy of the receipt. The coordinator can then contact the publisher and request an alternative format of the text. This may take up to 3 weeks.

Kurzweil Text-to-Speech Assistive Technology

If requested, the office of disabilities can provide students with an access code to the Kurzweil text-to-speech software for their computer, along with a log in to access the firefly by Kurzweil program at any time. With this program, students or staff members in the ASC can upload PDF versions of textbooks or any other document and have it read aloud. There is also capability to take notes on the readings through the program. Students may use their personal log in information for the duration of the time they are at Roosevelt.

Exams

A request for extended time on tests/quizzes and testing in a separate room must be made at least one week prior to the exam. The request shall be in writing (email) and made through the DS program. The student must also contact the professor and inform them that the test will be completed in the Academic Success Center.

If a student requires the use of a computer, scribe, reader or other such alternatives to take an exam, he or she must request such services in writing at least seven (7) business days prior to the date the service is needed.

Academic Modifications and Accommodations

Request for Modification of Academic Requirement: A student with a documented disability may request a modification of certain generally applicable academic requirements, i.e., the number of units to be taken in an academic semester, substitution for otherwise required courses,if necessary to accommodate the disability. The request must be made to the DS in writing as early as possible, that is, at least 10 business days before the beginning of the academic semester or as soon as the need arises. A modification or accommodation cannot fundamentally alter the nature of the course or program. Academic requirements that are essential to the instruction being pursued by such student or to any directly related licensing requirement are not considered discriminatory and will not be modified.

Service Animal policy

Evacuation

If you require any assistance to safely exit a Roosevelt University building in the event of an emergency evacuation, please complete the form below and state specifically what assistance will be needed. You may contact Campus Safety at 312-341-4167 or 4173 for this form if you are unable to complete it online. This information will be kept confidential and used only by Campus Safety and police and fire officials responding to a building emergency.

In the event of an emergency evacuation, we ask that you go to the nearest area of rescue assistance, if possible, and press the emergency alarm button. This will inform emergency officials of your location.

If you no longer require assistance or your assistance needs change, please submit an updated form at your earliest convenience. Students should submit an updated class schedule each semester that assistance is needed

Confidentiality

As required by law, personal information pertaining to student's disability will only be shared on a “need to know” basis. A listing of individuals with permission to view documentation will be posted with the documentation in a secure space. Documentation will be kept for seven years after graduation or departure from the University.

Nondiscrimination Statement

Roosevelt University has been committed in its programs and activities from its inception to a policy on nondiscrimination. No person shall be discriminated against because of age, ancestry,citizenship, color, creed, disability, gender, gender identity, marital status, military status, national origin, parental status, race, religion, sexual orientation, source of income, unfavorable discharge from military service, veteran status, or as a result of being the victim of domestic or sexual violence in its programs and activities.

The Learning and Support Services Program (LSSP)

The LSSP assists students with documented learning disabilities in their pursuit of a college education. LSSP services are provided to students on an individual basis. Meetings will occur once or twice a week with Academic Success Center staff. Emphasis is placed on the development of compensatory skill strategies and self advocacy skills. An additional fee is charged.

Connect with the other resources the Academic Success Center offers.

For more information contact the Academic Success Center

312-341-3811/3810

academicsuccess@roosevelt.edu