Q: What is considered a disability?

A: A disability is any physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more of such a person's major life activities. Examples of disabilities include, but are not limited to:

• Mental health conditions - Anxiety, Depression, Bipolar Disorder
• Cognitive/Learning challenges - Attention Deficit Disorders, Learning Disabilities, being on the Autism Spectrum
• Chronic Medical - Fibromyalgia, Migraines, Diabetes
• Sensory - Hearing or Vision Loss
• Neurological/Neuromuscular/Mobility - Brain Injury, Seizure Disorder, Multiple Sclerosis

 

Q: How can the Accessibility Services Office help with my disability?

A: We are inspired by the ability of people to overcome challenges! We help students with disabilities obtain reasonable accommodations to provide equal access and opportunities in their academic courses, degree programs, and related support services. Reasonable accommodations are those which do not:

• Lower or substantially modify essential requirements of a course or academic program
• Fundamentally alter the nature of a service, program, or activity
• Pose a direct threat to the health or safety of others
• Pose an undue financial or administrative burden

 

Q: Will accommodations be shown on my transcript?

A: No. Any information on your accommodations is stored securely within the Accessibility Services Office and is not displayed on your transcript.

 

Q: Do I need to provide documentation of my disability to receive accommodations?

A: Yes. However if you don't have documentation of your disability available right now, we'll be glad to provide accommodations for one semester while you obtain it. So you'll need to provide documentation before we approve a second semester of accommodations. For example, if the first time you requested accommodations from us was for the Fall 2020 semester, we can provide accommodations for that semester without documentation but we would need it before approving accommodations for the Spring 2021 semester.

If you're having trouble obtaining documentation, please contact the Accessibility Services Office.

 

Q: What information does documentation of my disability need to cover?

A: Your disability documentation must be from someone who is qualified to diagnose or help you manage your disability and should not be from someone who has a personal relationship with you. Your disability documentation should contain all of the following things:

Proper documentation should contain all of the following things:

1. Your first and last name
2. Your date of birth or your OSU-OKC Student ID Number
3. The date the documentation was prepared or written
   • Please note that for Learning Disabilities the best practice is to provide documentation that is no older than five (5) years.
4. The first and last name of the person who prepared the documentation
5. The specific name of your disability, for example: ADD/ADHD, Learning Disability – Written Expression, Seizure Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, etc.
6. A description of how this disability affects your daily life, for example:
   • Problems concentrating or maintaining focus
   • Takes longer time to process information
   • Periods of depression or mania
   • Extreme fatigue, difficulty performing daily life activities
   • Pain in hands when writing
7. The projected progression or stability of your disability (if not evident by the name of your disability or diagnosis)

You can also use our Disability Documentation Form to give to your health care provider or diagnosing professional.

 

? Need an assessment for Learning Disabilities or Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), but having trouble with assessment cost? We may be able to help through a partnership with the OSU-Stillwater Psychological Services Center. Call or email TerJuana "TeeJai" Brooks, OSU-OKC Interim Director of Accessibility Services at 405-945-8624 or terjuana.brooks@okstate.edu to learn more.

 

Q: What are some commonly provided reasonable accommodations?

A: Commonly provided reasonable accommodations include, but are not limited to:

• Extra time on timed exams and quizzes
• Permission to audio record class lectures for note-taking purposes only
• Reasonable flexibility in attendance policies and/or coursework due dates in case of a medical episode or to attend health care appointments related to their disability

Other accommodations may also be provided based on the functional impact of the student's disability and the essential learning requirements of the course or degree program they are enrolled in. Our team will collaborate with you to identify reasonable accommodations that balance your needs with an OSU quality education.

 

Q: How does extra time on timed exams and quizzes work ?

A: For exams or quizzes that are taken online, instructors can adjust the time limit accordingly in the online learning system. For hardcopy/paper-and-pencil exams or quizzes, it is recommended that you collaborate with your instructor to take the exam/quiz with extra time in the OSU-OKC Testing Center, located on the first floor of the Student Center building. Instructors can drop off their exams at the Testing and Assessment Center prior to the student's arrival.

 

Q: What should I audio record in a class?

A: Focus on recording the instructor's speaking and lecture parts. Please be aware that instructors may ask for audio recording to temporarily stop if students are sharing sensitive or personal information about themselves, or if students are giving class presentations or speeches and there is a heightened level of anxiety in the class.

 

Q: What is the accommodation for reasonable flexibility in attendance policies and/or coursework due dates in case of a medical episode (or to attend health care appointments related to my disability)? How does that accommodation work?

A: Some disabilities can have unexpected flare-ups and take time to treat/manage. With this accommodation, your instructors can consider and provide a reasonable amount of unpenalized flexibility in attendance and/or coursework due dates if you have a flare-up or need to receive treatment to manage your disability. The amount of unpenalized flexibility with attendance and/or coursework due dates a student may receive will be determined by the course instructor on a case-by-case basis for each individual class and each specific course component or assignment. Instructors typically consider the following things when deciding if flexibility in attendance and/or coursework due dates is possible:

• To what extent does providing reasonable flexibility in attendance and/or coursework due dates affect the essential learning requirements of the course?
• How is the learning experience for the student affected by providing reasonable flexibility in attendance and/or coursework due dates?
• How is the learning experience for the class affected by providing the student with reasonable flexibility in attendance and/or coursework due dates?   

Please be aware that if a due date extension is approved, instructors are only required to offer one (1) single due date extension per coursework assignment without penalty but are welcome to offer additional due date extensions or other make-up work opportunities for each assignment at their discretion. If the student does not meet the due date for the first extension on an assignment and the instructor approves a second due date extension, instructors may deduct points for late work at that time consistent with any point deductions for late work listed in the course syllabus.

Success Tip:

• Schedule a time to review the syllabus with your instructors and ask them which course timelines, components, exams/quizzes, and assignments can be considered for attendance flexibility or due date extension, and let your instructors know how you think your disability might affect you in the course.

 

Q: It's the middle of the semester and I didn't realize I needed accommodations until now. Is it too late to get accommodations in place?

A: Our team is here to help you throughout the year, and can typically collaborate with you to get accommodations approved within two business days. Please be aware that accommodations are not retroactive and are only in effect from the date shown on the Accessibility Accommodation Letter through the end of the identified semester, so we'll need to keep the focus on future opportunities instead of that which has already passed. Your instructor may also need enough time to prepare and provide you with the accommodations once they've been approved by our team, and we encourage students to contact their instructors and communicate on how to plan for their accommodations.

 

Q: I want to move forward and explore accommodations. What should I do next?

A: Submit your accommodation request online or if you want to talk with our team first, book an appointment. If you have any questions, please email okc.accessibility@okstate.edu or 405-945-3385. We look forward to collaborating with you!

On-Campus Resources

Counseling and Support 

Student Success and Opportunity Center (SSOC) - Tutoring

Project SOAR

Assistive Technology

 

Online Resources

Managing Test Anxiety

Exams can be stressful. This video on how to manage anxiety during exams can help!

 

Note-Taking Skills

Want to strengthen your note-taking skills? This short, free online course is great for developing your own note-taking skills, and is also helpful if you are recruited as a volunteer student note-taker for a student with a disability in your course. Self-paced for flexibility.

 

Safety and Emergency Preparedness

• Emergency Evacuation Procedures for Individuals with Physical Disabilities/Mobility Impairments

 

Community Resources

• Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities
• Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services (DRS)
• Financial Aid and Scholarship Guide for Students with Disabilities

 

Student Accessibility Accommodation Guidance

• General Frequently Asked Faculty/Staff Questions (FAQs) Regarding Student Accommodations
• Extended Time on Timed Tests, Exams, and Quizzes in a Reduced-Distraction Setting
• Reasonable Flexibility in Attendance Policies and/or Coursework Due Dates in Case of a Medical Episode
• Live Human Readers and Scribes
• C-Pen Reading and Scanning Device on Hardcopy Exams/Quizzes taken in the OSU-OKC Testing Center

 

Accommodations for Students who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing

• Computer-Aided Real-Time Transcription (CART) as an Accommodation​
• Assistive Listening Devices as an Accommodation

 

Crisis Support Resources for Students

• Counseling and Support
• Campus Behavior Assessment Team

Media Captioning

• Requesting Captioning for Media – Students
• Requesting and Fulfilling Captioning for Media - Faculty, Staff, and Administration 
• Fulfilling Captioning Requests for Media - Accessibility Services Office 
• Fulfilling Captioning Requests for Media - Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence

2021

• Fall 2021 Student Disability Services Data Report
• Summer 2021 Student Disability Services Data Report
• Spring 2021 Student Disability Services Data Report

2020

• Fall 2020 Student Disability Services Data Report
• Summer 2020 Student Disability Services Data Report
• Spring 2020 Student Disability Services Data Report

Assistive Technology refers to products, devices, or equipment that can assist individuals with disabilities with their educational activities and independence. Below is a list of the assistive technology products that are currently available for students with disabilities at OSU-OKC.

 

• Assistive Listening Devices​
  • Roger Pen
  • FM Loop Device
• Braille Devices
  • BrailleSense Polaris Notetaker (braille computer tablet)
  • Focus 40 Braille Display (braille computer keyboard interface)
• Central Access Reader
  • Text-to-speech application designed for students with print disabilities
  • Reads text and math and logic equations
  • Free download
• C-Pen Scanning and Reading Pen
  • Scans and reads hardcopy/printed text aloud
  • Great for studying and reading textbooks
  • Can also be used on most hardcopy/printed exams or quizzes
• DaVinci Magnifier and Reader
  • The DaVinci is an independent piece of assistive technology hardware that scans printed material, such as books, magazines, etc. and reads it aloud to the user while providing options for magnification and color contrast.
  • Location(s):
    • Disability Services and Diversity Office computer lab, Student Center (SC) Room 136
    • OSU-OKC Library, 4th Floor Learning and Resource Center (LRC) in a private study room--please ask one of the Library staff for access to the DaVinci Magnifier
  • ​​DaVinci User Manual
  • DaVinci Video Tutorial
• Digital Voice Recorders
• Handheld Video Magnifiers
• JAWS Screen Reader
  • Location(s):
    • Disability Services and Diversity Office computer lab, Student Center (SC) Room 136
    • Testing Center 
    • OSU-OKC Library, 4th Floor Learning and Resource Center (LRC) building, row of three computer workstations against the wall to the right of the checkout desk
    • Can be also be installed in classrooms upon request
  • ​​JAWS Training Resources
• Livescribe Smartpens
• Natural Reader - a free online text-to-speech tool that reads text aloud! Copy/paste or upload your documents to be read aloud. No download required!
• Read and Write Gold
  • Reading and writing cognitive support software that reads webpages and electronic text aloud
  • ​Location(s):
    • Disability Services and Diversity Office computer lab, Student Center (SC) Room 136
  • Free download for OSU-OKC students on their personal computers with an active O-Key Account
  • Read and Write Gold Download/Installation Guide
  • Read and Write Gold Quick Reference Guide for Windows
  • What's New with Read and Write for Windows
  • Read and Write Gold Quick Reference Guide for Mac 
  • Read and Write for Google Chrome
  • Read and Write for Microsoft Edge
• ZoomText Fusion Screen Magnifier and Reader
  • Location(s):
    • Disability Services and Diversity Office computer lab, Student Center (SC) Room 136
    • Testing Center 
    • Can be also be installed in classrooms upon request
  • ​​ZoomText Training Resources