SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Francis Marion University is committed to making programs and activities available to qualified students with disabilities. Francis Marion University makes efforts to ensure that the university grounds, major buildings, and classes are accessible to individuals with disabilities.

Services for students with disabilities include but may not be limited to:

• Permits for reserved parking;
• Reserved parking spaces in all major parking lots;
• Coordination of academic accommodations for students with documented physical, educational, psychological, or other disabilities.

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The Director of Counseling and Testing coordinates services for students with disabilities, assists students with disabilities in determining reasonable accommodations on the basis of disability, and acts as a liaison between students and faculty/administration on concerns relating to appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities. The Director of Counseling and Testing is also available to meet with prospective students to discuss services available at Francis Marion University.

Reasonable accommodations are available for students with physical and learning disabilities. Appropriate documentation of each disability is required in the form of psychological evaluations and/or medical histories and should be provided to the Office of Counseling and Testing at least two weeks prior to initial registration of classes. The following services are provided to the groups of students with disabilities listed below:

SERVICES AVAILABLE:

Learning Disability/ADD/ADHD – The University attempts to make reasonable accommodations for students with learning disabilities, ADD, or ADHD to help equalize their chance for success. The following are examples of accommodations that may be granted to students with such disabilities:

· extended time for examinations

· use of tape recorder in classroom

· extended time for in-class writing assignments

· notetakers

· readers

· alternate testing location

· priority registration

It is the student's responsibility to inform the Director of Counseling and Testing of any need for services in adequate time to allow for their arrangement.

The types of accommodations a student is eligible to receive, on the basis of a learning disability, are determined on a case-by-case basis by the student and the Director of Counseling and Testing. Accommodations are based on the information contained in appropriate documentation (preferably, up-to-date psycho-educational evaluation not more than three years old), which the student is responsible for providing. A Consent for the Release of Confidential Information must be signed by students to inform professors of the accommodation(s) the students may require. It is also necessary that the student discuss with each professor how the student will receive the accommodation(s) for which they may qualify.

Although the University is committed to providing academic accommodations to students with learning disabilities, there is no specific program for students with learning disabilities at the University. Students with learning disabilities may find, however, that the support services available to the general student population are also useful to them. Tutorial services, the Writing Center, Mathematics Lab, Peer Tutoring Laboratories, Career Development, the Office of Provisional Programs, and the Office of Counseling and Testing are some of the support services students with learning disabilities students may find to be particularly helpful.

Visual Impairment – Services available for students with visual impairments include:

· arrangements for taped books

· notetakers

· provision of readers for examinations

· priority registration

It is the student's responsibility to inform the Director of Counseling and Testing of any need for services in adequate time to allow for their arrangement. Visually impaired students may wish to contact the Director of Counseling and Testing to arrange for a tour of the campus, including building locations, classroom locations, and pathways.

Hearing Impairment – Services available for students with hearing impairments include:

· interpreters

· notetakers

· priority registration

It is the student's responsibility to inform the Director of Counseling and Testing of any need for services in adequate time to allow for their arrangement.

Physical Disabilities – Services available to students with physical disabilities include:

· notetakers

· campus tours to determine the most accessible routes

· priority registration

· assistance in obtaining a reserved parking permit

· specially designed desks and chairs

The majority of the campus is accessible to the physically disabled. Accessible routes are identified on the map in the Handbook for Students with Disabilities.

Due Process – When a student with a disability strongly feels that reasonable accommodations have not been made, that student should seek resolution within the administrative channels for the area in which accommodation is in question. The student should first contact the Director of Counseling and Testing if he or she is unhappy with his or her accommodations. If a satisfactory outcome is not attained, the student may request a meeting with the Vice President of Administration, who is also the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator, for recommendations towards a solution of the matter.

It is the policy of Francis Marion University to provide equal educational and employment opportunity to all present and future employees and students regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability. Francis Marion University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.

For Additional Information – Students needing more information should contact the Director of Counseling and Testing at the address below. If there is a need for special assistance, it is the student's responsibility to inform the Director of Counseling and Testing in sufficient time (at least two weeks in advance of the start of classes) to allow for the arrangement of services. Prospective students should feel free to contact the Director of Counseling and Testing to discuss services available at the University. Additional information is available in the Handbook for Students with Disabilities available from the Director of Counseling and Testing, 121 Evander Street, Florence, SC 29506, 843-673-9707.

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