Accessibility Resources Brochure

Office of Academic Services

Office of Accessibility Resources and Services formerly known as Office of Disability Support Services

Our Mission: *to enable students to receive equal access to education and all aspects of university life, through…

• Interactive student meetings • Providing reasonable accommodations • Coordinating with staff and faculty.

Smith Library, 4th Floor FAX: 336.841.9652 highpoint.edu/OARS

Disability Support High Point University supports the efforts and welfare of all its students. One such avenue of support lies in the provision of reasonable accommodations to eligible students who have one or more diagnosed disabilities. High Point University is committed to complying with all legally mandated requirements. The mandate to provide reasonable accommodations comes from the federal ADA law and from HPU’s mission to provide equal educational opportunity to all its students.

Most Common Academic Accommodations • Extended test time • Distraction-reduced environment for tests • Note-taking assistance • Books in alternate format

• Computer for tests with extensive writing • Interpreters/Captionists • Enlarged font tests

Key Offerings • Temporary reasonable • Self-advocacy assistance accommodations for events • Reasonable • Collaboration opportunities accommodations with faculty • Assistive Technology

Assistive Technology The following assistive technology is available to students based on accommodation needs: • Kurzweil Reading Software • Echo Smartpen • Dragon NaturallySpeaking • Sonocent

Voluntary Disclosure Academic Accommodations Students are not required to disclose a diagnosis in order to access many resources/services at HPU, such as…

• Tutoring • Writing Center • Math Lab • Student Life assistance • Counseling Center • Learning Excellence However, a student must disclose a documented disability with the Office of Accessibility Resources and Services (OARS) in order to qualify for classroom and test accommodations. Go to our website for steps to request Academic Accommodations: highpoint.edu/OARS

To Request Academic Accommodations Complete ADA Intake Form – including current Impact Statement, to state requested accommodations and provide summary of previous accommodations. This form authorizes the OARS to release disability related information to campus officials as necessary.

• Provide appropriate documentation.

• The OARS Accommodations Committee reviews each request to determine approval for appropriate accommodations.

• Each semester students provide their professors with notification of approved accommodations.

• Accommodations are implemented in coordination with the OARS staff and classroom professors.

Documentation Diagnostic documentation must be relevant to the diagnosed disability and could include: • Psychological/Educational Evaluation that might include tests of aptitude, achievement, and information processing (WAIS and Woodcock Johnson) • Assessments from clinical or educational psychologists, school psychologists, neuropsychologists, learning disabilities specialists, and medical doctors.

Testing Procedures Extended time and testing in an environment with fewer distractions are the most common accommodations.

Students are responsible for making exam arrangements with each professor and each exam. Agreements that include testing in the OARS testing center, require advance notice. Readers, screen reader software, and scribes are also coordinated through the OARS. Only students granted testing accommodations can make test room reservations.

To schedule tests with the OARS, complete a Test Room Request form online at least 3 days prior to the exam.

Special Considerations Dietary Needs Contact the Hospitality Team at hospitality@highpoint.edu Animals on Campus: Service Animals must be under the handler’s control at all times. There may be locations on campus which would not be appropriate for a Service Animal (science labs). The OARS can assist students upon voluntary registry.

Requests for therapeutic/companion animals should be made through the Housing Accommodation process, and owner’s must abide by the ESA Owner’s Rules & Responsibilities through the OARS.

Housing Accommodations Americans with Disabilites Act (ADA) housing requests for students with documented disabilities are made through the Office of Accessibility Resources and Services (OARS). The ARS Team will review each request by committee on a case-by-case basis, and may consult with the student when necessary, to determine whether a reasonable accommodation is needed. All approved requests will be forwarded to the Office of Student Life for an appropriate housing assignment. Housing assignments are made by Student Life based upon date of request, availability, and other guidelines established by that office.

To Request Housing Accommodations • Complete and return the OARS HPU Housing Request form • Submit a Medical Documentation form completed and signed by a licensed medical provider • The ADA Housing Committee reviews requests based on disability and documentation • Approved requests for ADA housing accommodations are sent to the Office of Campus Life for specific room assignments.

Confidentiality All student records, including diagnostic documentation and accommodations, are kept in strict confidence.

Information will not be released in a manner other than noted on the ADA Intake Form. Information regarding diagnosis or treatment will not be released without written permission from the student. All arrangements are made based on the need for accommodations rather than the diagnosis or the nature of the disability. A student’s disability should not be disclosed in a classroom or campus program. Attention should not be drawn to a student’s disability or to an accommodation being implemented.

Office of Academic Services Karen Naylon Associate Dean for Academic Services 336.888.6388 | knaylon@highpoint.edu Smith Library, Room 401 Dr. Craig C. Curty Academic Services (Tutoring) 336.841.9014 | ccurty@highpoint.edu Laura Valle Learning Excellence Program 336.841.9328 | lvalle@highpoint.edu Sarah Bryce Academic Planner & Advisor 336.336.841.9510 | sbryce@highpoint.edu

Contact Information Dana Bright, M. Ed. Director of Accessibility Resources and Services 336.841.9361 | dbright@highpoint.edu Kim Pope Accessibility Resources and Services Support Specialist 336.841.9593 | kpope@highpoint.edu Anna M. Ventrone Accessibility Resources and Services Testing Coordinator and Technology Associate 336.841.9441 | aventron@highpoint.edu

One University Parkway High Point, North Carolina 27268