Students MUST register with the Access Office for access to accommodations and assistive technologies. The Access Office cannot reach out to students who may need such accommodations. It is the responsibility of the student to register.

 

How are students with disabilities identified?

It is the responsibility of the student to inform the Access Office of any disability in order to receive accommodations. It is also the student's responsibility to provide appropriate, current documentation that specifically justifies any accommodation requested. Students may choose not to identify themselves as having a disability to the institution or individual faculty members. However, accommodations are not provided retroactively in the event that a student discloses the need for accommodations at a later date.

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What are the students' responsibilities?

Students are required to identify and document the disability and request accommodations in a timely manner.  Students must meet all academic and nonacademic criteria for admission to VSU or to the South Georgia College Entry Program. If students are requesting a Foreign Language College Preparatory Curriculum Substitution, they must submit documentation for approval by the Regents' Center for Learning Disorders six-months prior to application for admission.

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What are the responsibilities of faculty? 

The Access Office staff assists faculty members in making academic modifications that are reasonable and justified by the student's documentation.

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What are the institution's responsibilities? 

The institution is required to inform students of the availability of services. Institutions are not required to lower standards or waive requirements that can be shown to be essential to the program of study. Institutions are not responsible for providing personal care.

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Can faculty members request information about students with disabilities?

If a student asks an instructor for a modification due to a disability, the faculty member can request an Accommodation Letter from the student. The Access Office staff can only provide information and services with the permission of the individual student. General information about disabilities or services is available by calling The Access Office at 229-245-2498 or 229-375-5871 (VP).

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What type of documentation is required?

The University System Board of Regents' policy specifies criteria for the documentation of Learning Disabilities and Attention Deficit Disorder. Other types of disabilities are generally documented by an appropriate medical professional. If the documentation is inadequate as determined by the Access Office, the student will not qualify for accommodations.  For disabilities of a changing nature, students may be required to provide updated documentation at a later date.

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How do students with disabilities request accommodations?

Accommodations are requested by the student through the Access Office. A request for accommodations is evaluated based on the student's documentation. Accommodation Letters are provided for the student to hand deliver to his or her instructors. These letters indicate the accommodations that the student is eligible for and includes information on test proctoring.  

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What needs to be done to get captions on a video or other audiovisual material?

The Access Office will assist in obtaining captioned copies of videos in order to ensure the accessibility of any audiovisual materials that may used for instruction.  If this material is not available in a captioned/accessible format, the Access Office Staff may provide a transcript of the video. To request captioning of a video please fill out the Captioning Request form.

What is Vocational Rehabilitation, and how may I apply for services?

Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) is a federal/state agency under the Department of Labor. The main objective of VR is to help otherwise qualified persons with disabilities join or rejoin the workforce. Services include:

  • Guidance counseling
  • Vocational evaluation
  • Job replacement

Persons with disabilities (physical, mental, or emotional) may apply for services by visiting the VR Office and completing an application. Eligibility presently requires a permanent, severely disabling condition. If eligible, VR may provide financial sponsorship for training; however, clients are required to apply for the Pell Grant or Hope Grant first.

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