Office of Disability Accommodation
Welcome to the UNT Office of Disability Accommodation. Thank you for visiting this site. Hopefully, the information you find here will help you select a university and provide information that will enable you to have full access to all programs, facilities, classrooms, and curriculum.
We wish to inform you that the professional staff of our office is comprised of a caring group of people who want to help students reach a higher level of independence and in turn, achieve more success at UNT and beyond.
We do this by emphasizing the means which empower you – the student to be an active participant in the process of disability accommodation. You will learn to be the primary liaison to faculty and staff concerning your accommodation needs. With our help, you will enhance your strategies to meet your educational goals. You will learn more about your disability, develop techniques to accommodate your learning style (both in and out of the classroom) and fine-tune your compensatory strategies. Why is it important for you to master these areas? Because eventually you will join the workforce and you'll find that it is solely up to you to advocate for your accommodations. The wise student learns these skills in college.
When students approach us with a problem, our first response is usually, "Have you tried to work this out with your professor?" We realize that is not always an option, so once you have made a "good faith effort" to solve the problem on your own, we are more than willing to work with you and your instructor to find solutions. Please never hesitate to contact us if you feel your accommodation needs are not being met. We cannot help if you choose not to inform us.
Let me stress that we care and we want to help. Please do not hesitate to contact me or any of the ODA staff if you have further questions.
Ron Venable, MA
ODA Director
Mission Statement
The Office of Disability Accommodation (ODA) is the central referral agency and resource clearinghouse for students who qualify for disability accommodations as defined by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and, since 1990, the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). The mission of the ODA is to provide reasonable accommodations to students and to apply appropriate adjustments to the classroom and associated learning environments. In order to facilitate this process, the ODA maintains all student disability-related medical and psychological documentation and the corresponding accommodation request records. Once students are accepted into the University, they are encouraged to contact the ODA so that we may assess ways in which we can facilitate access to educational opportunities for the consummate college experience.
Grievance Procedure
Faculty, staff, students, or members of the public who believe they have been discriminated against under the terms of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 are encouraged to call the matter to the attention of the immediate supervisor of the area in which the problem exists, i.e. the department head or ADA liaison. Failing satisfactory resolution, the issue should be taken to the Division of Equity and Diversity. Once a written complaint has been filed with the Division of Equity and Diversity, an official investigation will be conducted.
Grievance Procedure [pdf]