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Student Disability Services
Putting You On A Path to Success
Our Student Disability Services (SDS) will work with students on a case-by-case basis to determine accommodations that meet their specific needs in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) for both educational and co-curricular opportunities.
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Martin University will make accommodations for students with disabilities within the University’s resources. All educational campus classrooms and restroom facilities are accessible by wheelchair. Students with disabilities should discuss their concerns with the Student Success Center Director so that appropriate resources and accommodations can be identified.
Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)
The Americans with Disabilities Act, enacted in 1990, provides civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. ADA's purpose is to ensure that people with disabilities are granted equal access to employment, public services, public accommodation, transportation, and telecommunications.
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Under the ADA, an individual with a disability must have a physical or psychological impairment that substantially limits one or more life activities, must have a record of such impairments, or must be regarded as having an impairment. The term "disability" includes conditions that are visible (such as mobility, vision, hearing, or speech impairments), as well as hidden (such as learning disabilities, chronic health conditions, or mental illness).
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Martin strives to ensure that people with disabilities have equal access is by providing accommodations for qualified people with disabilities.
Accomodation Process
The student is responsible for initiating the accommodations process.
The process starts when a student contacts the Student Disabilities Service Office, a faculty or staff member to request disability-related accommodation. If a student asks a faculty or staff member for accommodation and has not had his or her disability verified by SDS, that faculty or staff member should refer the student to SDS.
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A student must meet the following criteria to be eligible for accommodation.
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First, the student must meet the essential eligibility requirements of the program, service, or activity in which he or she wishes to participate with or without accommodation. This means that the student must meet the eligibility requirements in spite of his or her disability.
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Second, the student must have a documented disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act or the Rehabilitation Act.
Selecting Accomodations
After a student's disability has been verified, an SDS staff person will meet with the student to discuss what types of accommodations may be needed.
The needs assessment considers:
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the setting in which the accommodation will be provided
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the characteristics of the student's disability
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the student's goals and needs and the University's legal rights and responsibilities.
Based on the results of the assessment and relevant medical or psychological tests, SDS will approve the use of specific accommodations. Only accommodations that specifically address identified functional limitations caused by the student's disability will be approved by SDS.
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Oftentimes, there is more than one way to accommodate a student's needs. The law requires that a student be provided with effective accommodations, not the best or most expensive accommodation. Consideration will be given to the student's preferred choice of accommodations. However, the University reserves the right to reject a student's choice in lieu of another accommodation provided it is an effective alternative. In addition, the University is not required to provide accommodations that are unduly burdensome or that would fundamentally alter an educational program.