UNT Dallas Disability Services Office
Initial Request for Services
Overview: The Disability Services Office only recommends accommodations for currently admitted UNT Dallas students. A student MUST complete the application process be officially admitted to the university before they can start the process below. We cannot inform you whether you qualify for accommodations, or what those accommodations may be prior to admission.
Students requesting accommodations for a disability are encouraged to meet with the Disability Services Office staff member to determine if the services provided through this office are right for you. Before you can be determined eligible for official services, it is essential to complete the Request for Services Form as well as provide your medical and/or psychological records that document your disability diagnosis and how you are negatively impacted academically by your disability.
Request Services through the Correct Office
Since UNT, UNT Dallas, and UNT Health Science Center are separate campuses and have their own disability support staff, you must apply for services at each campus where you are unrolled. The UNT Dallas Disability Services Office does not make recommendations for classes held at UNT or UNT Health Science Center. If you need to services for classes held at UNT or UNT Health Science Center, you must go to their website: https://disability.unt.edu or https://www.unthsc.edu/students/office-of-disability-accomodations.
How to File Your First Request for Services
For documentation required by disability, including learning, emotional, and physical disabilities, see those pages on this website. Please keep in mind that the process below must be completed before the Disability Services Office can provide any services or make any formal recommendations to faculty on your behalf. On average, the process takes at least two weeks to complete, but if your documentation does not meet all requirements listed on the documentation page, there may be further delays.
1. Optional - Contact the DSO at (972) 338-1777 or send email to Cynthia.Suarez@untdallas.edu to schedule an "Information Meeting". In this meeting, we will listen to your concerns and help you decide on pursuing formal services with our office or not. The DSO staff will explain what sort of documentation will be required for your disability and refer you to resources where you can obtain such documentation. However, official services do not begin until the remaining steps of this process are complete. As noted, step one is optional. If you already have documentation, you may start with the next step.
2. Required - If you decide to pursue formal, reasonable accommodations, submit your documentation to the DSO in person, or by email (Cynthia.Suarez@untdallas.edu).
3. Required - You must attend the appointment to complete the intake procedures and receive your letters of accommodation to take to your professors if you are approved for services. If you are more than 15 minutes late, you may be asked to reschedule. If more information is required, you will be informed how to go about acquiring the additional information. You must resubmit your documentation with this updated information in order to proceed.
4. If your documentation was determined to be sufficient for the DSO to determine eligibility, you will receive a letter of reasonable accommodation after attending the DSO intake appointment. You must then take this letter to your instructors and discuss it before accommodations can be implemented. It is your responsibility to distribute the letters to your professors. Your services begin once you have discussed them with your instructors. They are not retroactive and cannot be applied to any previous tests, quizzes, assignments, absences or coursework.
You only need to complete the steps above once. However, you will need to ask our office for new letters to give to your professors each semester. To do so, submit a new request as soon as you register or during the first week of classes for each new semester.
Guidelines:
Students requesting a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) must provide the following information to Disability Services Office (DSO) from his or her physician, educational diagnostician, licensed psychologist, psychiatrist, or other qualified professional. Documentation received will be considered in determining whether a student is disabled as defined by the ADA, and therefore entitled to reasonable accommodation.
To simplify the process the following forms may be used for some types of disabilities or a formal letter may be created as long as it contains all of the elements listed below:
Note: Documentation of a learning disability (dyslexia, writing disorders, math disorders etc.) may not be completed using a form or letter. Psychological testing will be required, and students needing services for learning disabilities should make an appointment with DSO staff prior to seeking documentation.
The information provided should include:
* Statement as to if whether each physical or mental impairment is permanent or temporary; if temporary, the expected duration of the impairment.
* Information as to how each physical or mental impairment directly and currently affects the individual with regard to physical, emotional, cognitive or other limitations, to what level
of severity the physical or mental impairment impacts the individual's major life activities (for an example, walking, hearing, seeing, learning, communicating, breathing, and so forth).
* What impact does the physical or mental impairment have in the context of the classroom/learning environment?
* How are the impairments mitigated, corrected, or managed by assistive devices (such as hearing aid, walker) medications, treatments or other coping mechanisms?
* Specific recommendations as to what reasonable accommodations (such as note taker, extended testing time, sign language interpreter, etc.) are necessary for equal access in the academic environment.
* If student is taking medication for treatment of conditions, note any possible or existing side effects and how these can affect the client in daily functioning and within the classroom environment.Specific, detailed diagnosis for each physical or mental impairment, substantiated by DSM-IV (for psychological) or ICD-10 (for medical) designation.
Only upon receipt of documentation will the student be considered for reasonable accommodation. Documentation will be viewed in both a historical and current context, but providing documentation does not automatically qualify students for services through DSO. For example, some educational diagnostic reports (such as Admission Review Dismissal, or A.R.D., reports and 504 Plans) and medical reports (physician's release to return to work) are not considered independently sufficient in determining reasonable accommodation, but will be considered with other supporting documents.
Documentation should be submitted on office letterhead with the signature and credentials of qualified professional. Once DSO receives the documentation, it becomes part of the student's educational record and is protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Any questions from the physician/diagnostician may be directed to DSO staff at 972-338-1777.
Request a Reasonable Accommodation (For Returning DSO Students Only)
You are not required to submit a Request for Services Form if you are a returning student. However, you must complete the Request for Accommodations form for each semester that you are requesting services and/or accommodations. You may submit these forms to request services and/or your reasonable accommodation letters for professors ONLY if you meet ALL of these requirements:
1. You must have been admitted to UNTD.
2. Your file status is considered "active" by the Disability Services Office. (If you did not enroll last semester, your file is most likely inactive.) Call 972.338.1777 to determine if your file is inactive or not and request reactivation if necessary.
3. You have completed the DSO application process by meeting with DSO staff and completed the appropriate forms.
· Reasonable Accommodation Request Form
· Interpreter/CART Request Form
· Alternative Format Form
You may drop off completed form to FH 244 or to Student Affairs FH 200. If there are any changes from prior semester’s request for accommodations, you must meet with DSO staff to discuss these changes.
Very Important Things To Remember About Your Reasonable Accommodations at UNTD
1. You must request your official letters from the DSO as soon as you register or the first week of every semester and then hand deliver them to your instructors before your adjustments become active. It is preferred that you give them to your professors during their office hours, NOT in the class room. Your letters are usually ready within 3 business days, but during peak times it may take longer.
2. TIME...Request your letters early, schedule your tests at least 5 business days in advance and 3 weeks for finals and midterms. Submit requests for alternative formats as soon as you register for classes.
3. It is your responsibility to let us know if something is not working. We can't help if we don't know.
4. Use the resources we have referred you to on campus. They work!
5. If you have any questions, or if you feel that your reasonable accommodations are not effective, let us know; call, email, make an appointment. Again, we can't help if we don't know!
6. Please help us keep our campus as accessible as possible. If you any access barriers, please contact us at (973) 338-1777.
UNT Disability Assistance Request for Orientation
To request assistance (e.g. Sign Language Interpreter, FM loop personal audio amplifier, screen magnification software) for Parent Orientation, New Student Orientation, Transfer Orientation or Graduate Student Orientation, you must notify the Disability Services Office by phone at (972) 338-1777 or by email Cynthia.Suarez@untdallas.edu at least two weeks in advance. UNTD does not provide personal care items such as wheelchairs/scooters, orientation and mobility services, or personal attendant care.
Services Provided by Disability Services Office:
· The DSO obtains and maintains student disability documentation that has been provided by students as part of the request for academic accommodations.
· Provides student’s information (student name, id#, class name, location, instructor, date and time of class) to contracted providers (CART, interpreters, note taker, etc.) to assist in provision of academic accommodations;
· Assists students with class access concerns;
· Provides reader/scribe and special equipment access for academic test situations;
· Provides liaison between students and agencies or department interpreters, tutors and other auxiliary aids;
· Coordinates equipment access for in-class use;
· Acts as consultant in on-campus situations which constitute an accommodation challenge;
· Works with individual students and professors or academic advisors regarding accommodation needs.
Student Responsibilities
· Completion of a Student Request for Accommodation includes the following student responsibilities:
· Insofar as possible, to act as independent, self-directing, responsible adults with regard to meeting applicable UNTD standards of behavior and academic performance;
· Initiate open communication with the Disability Services Office staff regarding academic accommodation needs or problems which may arise;
· Update documentation periodically, as the nature of severity of the disability changes, so that it accurately addresses current accommodation requirements.
Questions, Please call 972-338-1777 or email Cynthia.Suarez@untdallas.edu. Thank you!
