Drexel University Office of Disability Services

Registration for Students with Disabilities

Registering with ODS
Drexel University is committed to providing students who have disabilities with an equal opportunity to fully participate in its courses, Co-Op employment, programs, and activities. Students of Drexel University who have a disability and need accommodations in order to attain equal access must register with the Office of Disability Services (“ODS”). Registration includes six main components, which are all explained in more detail below:

Requesting Accommodations
Students who are seeking accommodations in education, employment (including Co-Op placements), programs, and activities at Drexel University due to a disability, must make a formal request for accommodations with ODS.
Link to Request for Accommodations Form
Upon submission of the Request for Accommodations form, the student will be contacted to set up an appointment to discuss the accommodations requests with an ODS staff member.

Engaging in the Interactive Process
The student must schedule an appointment to discuss their request with ODS. The interactive process is designed to be an collaborative experience, allowing students to work directly with the ODS staff to discuss the specific impact of their condition, identifying barriers that exist for them in the given environment and determining possible reasonable accommodations that could provide them with equal access.

Submitting Documentation
The student must submit appropriate medical or psycho-educational supporting documentation. The documentation must present an impairment or condition that substantially limits one or more major life activities. The documentation must also be up-to-date, addressing current levels of functioning and the current impact of the impairment or condition in the academic environment.
Documentation Requirements

Determining Reasonable and Appropriate Accommodations
ODS considers all requests on a case-by-case basis. ODS will make a determination of reasonable and appropriate accommodations based on the request for accommodations, the supporting documentation, the interactive discussion between the student and ODS staff, and the essential learning outcomes of the relevant programs, courses, and activities at Drexel University. ODS strives to make this determination in a timely manner, however the student must follow all prior steps in order for ODS to have the ability to move the process forward.

The request may be denied if the student does not make a request for accommodations through ODS or engage in the interactive process with an ODS staff member. If the documentation submitted does not sufficiently support the requested accommodation, the request may also be denied.

Approved accommodations are intended to minimize the impact of the disability in the given environment while maintaining the academic integrity of the course, program or activity. Should the student be granted reasonable accommodations by ODS, an Accommodation Verification Letter (“AVL”) will be issued to the student, specifying the accommodations to which they are entitled for the given academic term.

Receiving and Sharing the Accommodation Verification Letter (“AVL”)
All approved accommodations are written into the Accommodation Verification Letter (“AVL”) by ODS staff. AVLs are only valid for one academic term (the term is indicated on the AVL above the listing of accommodations). It is the responsibility of the student to submit the AVL to those from whom they wish to receive the accommodations (i.e. faculty, advisor; not ODS). ODS strongly recommends that students share AVLs as soon as reasonably possible to ensure the fullest extent of the benefit of the AVL. When a student has been granted testing accommodations by ODS, the AVL must be given to the faculty member at least 5 days in advance of an upcoming exam or quiz, in order for the student to be guaranteed the accommodation(s). Retroactive accommodations will not be permitted in the event the student has failed to share the AVL in a timely manner.

Updating AVL Each Term
Accommodation Verification Letters ("AVLs") must be updated each academic term. If the student wishes to continue using accommodations in a future term, a new Request for Accommodations Form must be submitted to ODS. The student should subsequently schedule a follow-up appointment with an ODS staff member to discuss the request made. In order to avoid any interruption of services, the Request for Accommodations should be submitted to ODS within a reasonable period of time before the student plans to use the accommodation.

For additional information, please contact:

Jenny Dugger, Director
Office of Disability Services
215-895-1401
jkd27@drexel.edu




Office of Disability Services | 3201 Arch Street | Suite 210 | Philadelphia, PA 19104 | 215.895.1401
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