Accommodations
At Providence Downcity and Harborside Campuses, accommodations for students with disabilities (who provide appropriate documentation) include, but are not limited to:
- Audio recorders in class
- Classroom relocation
- Use of assistive technology (i.e. Read & Write, Dragon Naturally Speaking)
- Enlarged print
- Note taking assistance
- Oral and/or extended time for tests
- Preferential scheduling
- Reduced course load
- For more information regarding allergens please refer to the Policy and Procedures Regarding Allergens.
If you are a JWU applicant or current student with an intellectual/physical disability, call Nicole Hebert, Director, Accessibility Services, at 401-598-4689 to begin discussing how Accessibility Services will work with you.
Some programs of study at the university have technical standards and requirements. Copies of the technical standards applicable to various programs are available online.
During the Accommodation Process
You will be expected to:
- Participate in the determination and implementation of reasonable accommodations and support services
- Inform your Accessibility Services Advisor when accommodations are not working or need to be changed
- Meet with your Accessibility Services Advisor at the beginning of every term to complete an Accommodations Agreement in order to have accommodations in place for the term
- Keep follow-up appointments or call to cancel and reschedule in a timely manner
Your Accessibility Services Advisor will be expected to:
- Maintain medical/psychological/educational documentation in a confidential manner
- Determine if the condition(s) is a disability in accordance with the law
- Identify reasonable accommodations and support services and assist with their implementation
- Request updated documentation (as needed) to determine if accommodations need to be modified
- Provide support, as needed, to students as they build relationships with other JWU departments and programs including Faculty, Academic Success Center, Student Academic Services, and Residential Life
- Refer students, as needed, to campus/community services (i.e., Health Services, Counseling Services, etc.)
Documentation
If you are requesting services, you may be asked to provide the following documentation to verify the disability and to aid in educational planning:
- Diagnostic report by a psychiatrist, neurologist or other physician,
- Psycho-educational evaluation by a licensed clinician
- School records, such as an IEP or 504 plan
Testing Accommodation Policy
Students with disabilities may receive testing accommodations. Accommodations are determined on an individual basis. Students are responsible for informing instructors and submitting a completed Test Request Form to Accessibility Services each time they plan on utilizing their accommodations (as verified by their Accessibility Services Advisor).
Note-taking Assistance Procedure
Students whose documentation warrants note-taking assistance must develop their Accommodation Agreement with their Accessibility Services Advisor and sign their agreement at the beginning of each term. Students are responsible for meeting with the instructor to determine how notes will be obtained. Options for note-taking assistance include:
- The instructor may identify a suitable peer note-taker, and it is the student’s responsibility to make arrangements with the instructor to obtain notes.
- The instructor may provide the student with a copy of his/her notes, which are for the student’s private study only and must be returned to the instructor at the end of the term/class.
- The instructor is responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of student accommodations.
Service Animal Procedure
Accessibility Services will determine the appropriateness of a service animal based on whether a student has a disability and the role of the service animal. To request the presence of a service animal, the student must meet with an Accessibility Services Advisor.
Alternate Format Procedure
Students who require alternate access to printed material may receive textbooks in alternate format (as determined by an Accessibility Services Advisor). Students are responsible for:
- Purchasing all books.
- Requesting electronic text (e-text) by contacting resources such as Learning Ally (formally RFB&D), AccessText, and Bookshare to determine its availability.
- If the book is not available from the publisher, students are responsible for forwarding relevant textbook information to their Accessibility Services Advisor, including the following information: Title, Author(s), Publisher, Edition and ISBN.
Accessibility Services Advisor is then responsible for contacting the publisher for the book’s availability and/or to obtain permission to scan it.
Classroom Relocation Policy
Students with limited mobility and/or physical challenges are assisted by having their classrooms moved to an accessible location. Students needing such an accommodation should participate in the priority scheduling process so that accessible classrooms can be arranged. It is the Student’s Responsibility to:
- Provide documentation to verify their disability and validate their request for relocation of classrooms with Accessibility Services.
- Participate in priority scheduling.
- Review class schedule with their Accessibility Services Advisor to determine which classes need to be relocated.
- Immediately inform Accessibility Services of any changes in class schedule or problems with classroom accessibility.
Accessibility Services Advisor will present student's need for relocation of classroom to Student Academic Services, and the respective department will relocate the class to an accessible location.
Documentation and Guidelines
Students requesting services must provide Accessibility Services with the required disability documentation. Contact Accessibility Services by phone at 401-598-4660 or email at accessibility.pvd@jwu.edu.
Grievance Procedure
Any student with a complaint or grievance about an accommodation decision should submit a written request for review of the decision to the Title IX Coordinator (who also serves as the university’s nondiscrimination coordinator and Section 504 coordinator), Matthias Rubekeil, 8 Abbott Park Place, Providence, RI, 02903, 401-598-2703.