 "Photo: SHOLTEN SINGER")
Marshall University’s Office of Disability Services provides services to all students with disabilities.
The services offered are tailored to fit the needs of the individual, said Sandra Clements, coordinator of the program.
Students requesting accommodations must provide documentation of their disabilities, Clements said. This should include a diagnosis and a list of recommendations specifically for them. The university then follows those recommendations to provide the assistance they need.
The office has assisted approximately 50 students so far this semester, but Clements said she expects to receive more requests. Students may ask for accommodations until finals week.
Accommodations provided include note-taking services, adaptive testing procedures, reader services and special equipment.
Although Marshall has a small number of students who have visible disabilities, the majority of disabled students on campus have invisible disabilities, Clements said. These students are learning disabled. They have disabilities such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia and bipolar disorder.
Clements said the university is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“I think that being compliant means that programs and activities are accessible to students, and I think we’re ADA compliant,” Clements said. “I kind of rely on students to tell us if there is something they need that they want the university to supply.”
Clements said the Marshall community is accepting of and helpful to students with special needs.
“I think most of the time faculty members are sensitive to students having disabilities,” Clements said. “I think, as a whole, the university’s faculty, staff and students are very caring people, and they will freely offer assistance.”
Marshall also has technological help available for students with special needs.
The 24-hour study center, located on the first floor of the Drinko Library, has a room with special equipment for visually impaired students.
The equipment in the room was provided by a grant from the Teubert Foundation. For more than nine years, the equipment has been available for visually impaired students and community members, Clements said.
The room includes a Braille embosser, a scanner that converts text to speech and a See More magnifier that helps students with low vision read text.
“The room is not used a great deal right now,” said Jody Perry, director of Information Resources Customer Services. “There are not large numbers of blind and visually impaired students on campus this semester.”
The Office of Disability Services also tries to educate students, staff and faculty.
Clements is planning a workshop on epilepsy for the spring.
Alyssa Salyers can be contacted at salyersa@marshall.edu.
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