As a resource for students with disabilities, the Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) works with faculty and staff to provide accommodations for the unique needs of students both in and out of the classroom. Reasonable accommodations are determined on an individual basis after considering the specific disability and documentation of functional limitations in accordance with the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA), the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. In order to access these rights, an individual must present documentation indicating that the disability substantially limits one major life activity. A reasonable accommodation is a modification or adjustment to a course, program, service, job, activity, or facility that enables a qualified individual with a disability to have an equal opportunity to attain the same level of performance or to enjoy equal benefits and privileges as are available to an individual without a disability. Some common academic accommodations include extended time on tests, use of peer note takers, reduced distraction testing environment, and use of adaptive technologies.
By providing support services at no cost to students with disabilities, the OAS offers an opportunity for students to achieve their academic and personal goals. Students who are interested in receiving accommodations through the OAS can access the application at dsst.fsu.edu/oas/students/applying-for-services/. The types of disabilities the OAS regularly works with include, but are not limited to:
- Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD)
- Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
- Blind and Visually Impaired
- Deaf and Hard of Hearing
- Intellectual Disabilities
- Learning Disabilities (LD)
- Medical and Chronic Disabilities
- Mobility Disabilities
- Psychological Disabilities (e.g. depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, etc.)
- Temporary Disabilities
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)
