Marywood University Office of Disability Services

Accommodations & Services

The Office of Student Support Services provides individualized support to all students with disabilities. This support includes academic advising, advocacy, awareness, and accommodations. The Office of Student Support Services assists students in developing strategies for time management, organization, study skills, test preparation, and transition to and beyond life at the university. We also assist with solving problems and provide information about other community resources. There is no one list of reasonable academic accommodations that service the needs of all students who have disabilities. Following are some basic ways that faculty and Advisors working with Students with Disabilities may be able to help:

Offer extended time on examination, papers, and projects.
Allow a reader or a taped version of an objective exam.
Provide exam in alternate format (if appropriate to subject matter), e.g. objective instead of essay; oral, tapes, or taped instead of written; computer, etc.
Allow students to take exams in a separate room that is a distraction-free environment.
Accept alternative methods of demonstrating mastery of course objectives, e.g., a project, demonstration, oral presentation, research project, or paper.
Provide alternatives to computer-scored answer sheets.
Allow students to tape when necessary.
Provide a suggested time line when making long-range assignments.
Provide study partners, note takers and tutors, as needed.
Change classes to accessible locations.
Provide sign language interpreters.
Provide readers for the vision impaired.
Provide the necessary accommodations and appropriate texts if a student has a documented print-disability. (This includes not only blindness and vision impairments, but also learning disabilities and other physical impairments that affect reading.)

The key to success at Marywood University for students with disabilities is the relationship built with the student, the professors, and the Disability Services Coordinator. The Coordinator can be very useful in planning learning strategies, and aiding the student to cope with the frustrations of college life. Ultimately it is the student's own responsibility and perseverance that will make the largest contribution to success in college classes.

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