Disability and Accessibility Services

Arkansas State University-Mountain Home Office of Disability Services offers access to all suitable services to students with documented disabilities. Each student using services through the Office of Disability Services receives individual attention from the director. This individualized service provides an avenue to customize accommodations that relate to each student’s strengths and weaknesses and creates access to ideal learning in the higher education arena. These services include accommodations associated with the classroom, testing, assistive technology, and advocacy and study skills guidance.

The Director works one on one with students before classes begin to explain how higher education experience will be different from his/her high school experience. This allows both the student and the coordinator to pinpoint areas of weakness and also areas of strengths and develop a plan of how accommodations will assist the student. The Director coordinates with instructors to provide education on the student’s specific disability, strengths and weakness, and to review all accommodations that student will use. The Director works with students to connect them with campus resources such as the Learning Center and Student Support Services and also external resources such as Arkansas Rehabilitative Services. The goal is to provide ongoing support throughout the semester to students, staff, and faculty at ASUMH.

Because accommodations are individualized, a complete list is not possible. Some examples of services include:

• Additional time to complete tests or assignments

• Modified instructional materials

• Priority seating

• Isolated testing environment

• Physical assistance

• Verbal assistance

• Lecture/classroom recording

• Acquisition or modification of equipment

• Readers or braille materials

• Interpreters, note takers, transcript devices

• Adapted instruction

• Tutoring (available for all students)

• Books in alternative formats

• Assistive electronic devices (spellers, calculators, etc)

• Resource referral

Eligibility for services is determined on an individual basis after making contact with the Office of Disability Services. Students are responsible for initiating contact to request accommodations each semester and must provide adequate disability documentation prior to receiving accommodations. Adequacy of disability documentation is determined based on "reasonable" accommodation standards. Quality documentation should include properly credentialed professionals, diagnostic statements, diagnostic and limitation descriptions, current and past accommodations, and/or recommendations for accommodations.

Students with disabilities should contact the Director of Student Support Services before attending class. Students with disabilities may reach the Director of Student Support Services. The director is responsible for making arrangements to accommodate students according to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.