Disability Services

Don Kirson , Ph.D., Director

Chris Burden, Ph.D., LD Specialist

Emily Huebsch, ExecutiveAssistant
Serra Hall, Room 300
(619) 260-4655, Fax (619) 260-4699 (619) 260-4673 (TTY)

http://www.sandiego.edu/disability

Any student with a documented disability may be eligible to receive support services from Disability Services. The purpose of this support, in the form of academic accommodations, is to reduce or to eliminate disadvantages that may exist because of an individual's disability.

Students who desire to access services must self-identify and provide appropriate verification of their disability. Eligibility for reasonable and appropriate accommodations will be determined on a case-by-case basis in a meeting between the student and Disability Services. Ideally, documentation should be submitted to Disability Services prior to the scheduled meeting. The type of documentation that must be submitted depends on the nature of the disability; however, all documentation must be up to date and must clearly articulate an impairment that currently and substantially limits one or more major life activities. This is essential in order to be considered eligible to receive accommodations as a person with a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). Documentation guidelines are available on our web site at www.sandiego.edu/disability.  Disability Services maintains documentation that has been reviewed and approved. This information is treated as confidential. 

At the beginning of each new term, ideally within the first three weeks, new and returning students will need to request their letters of verification for individual instructors from Disability Services.  Students then submit their disability verification letters directly to their instructors. This typically allows sufficient time to notify faculty and to facilitate acceptable accommodations before first tests are administered.   Students who fail to follow this procedure in a timely way are not guaranteed that they will receive appropriate accommodations when they are needed.  Please note that the law does not require institutions to waive specific courses or modify academic requirements considered essential to a particular course, program or degree.

Faculty members are encouraged to send students to Disability Services when they ask about disability accommodations. Providing informal accommodations to address a disability without approved documentation exposes the University to liability and is strongly discouraged.  Faculty should consider including a statement, such as the one that follows, on their course syllabi:

Students with disabilities who believe that they may require accommodations for this class are encouraged to contact Disability Services in Serra 300 (260-4655) within the first three weeks of the semester.

Finally, students with temporary disabilities (e.g., suffering from physical injuries) requiring assistance should contact Disability Services for consultation.