Supporting Students with Disabilities
91³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø strives to create a community of access and inclusion on campus. More students with disabilities and/or health conditions are connecting with the Office of Accessible Education. However, many students first disclose their disability to a faculty/staff member before establishing services with OAE. Below are some ways to help connect students with disabilities and/or health conditions to our office.
Making a Referral to the Office of Accessible Education (OAE)
OAE works with students who have disabilities and/or health conditions that effect a wide range of major life activities. In addition to serving students with physical and sensory disabilities, OAE works with students who have:
- Psychological diagnoses such as Anxiety, Depression, Bipolar, or PTSD
- Learning disabilities such as ADHD or Dyslexia
- Chronic health conditions such as HIV, cancer, traumatic brain injuries, food allergies or diabetes
While this is not an exhaustive list, it does represent common reasons that students work with OAE. It is not uncommon for students to be unaware of OAE as many students did not engage with resources in K-12. Faculty or staff are often the first people who students share health conditions and/or struggles related to disabilities in interactions. Below are some resources on how to refer a student to OAE to see if we can be of assistance and support for them.
If you have questions about whether OAE is and appropriate resource please contact an OAE staff person.
When a Referral to OAE Needs to Happen
- If a student directly discloses a disability or health condition to you
- Example: a student shares with you that they are depressed and on medication
- Students discloses receiving past accommodations or services, either as a transfer student or in K-12
- Example: a student shares they previously had extra time on an exam in another course or school and want to use them here
When a Referral to OAE Could Happen
If you see a student who is struggling, you engage with them directly and share campus resources available to them
Ways to Document a Referral to OAE
- Email template idea to share with a student who directly self discloses a disability or health condition to you is below. You are welcome to copy and paste, with necessary edits related to your situation. If a student shares information with you about a disability, making this direct referral is not a violation of confidentiality; rather, you’re giving them the resource who can best help them explore options:
- Hello Student, Thank you for our conversation yesterday it was great to learn more about you and discuss aspects of the class. I wanted to follow up with information about an office on campus who you can connect with to discuss resources that could be helpful in your academic pursuits.
- The Office of Accessible Education (OAE) works with a wide range of disabilities and health conditions either on a temporary or permanent basis. Their focus is to ensure access for students. You can learn more about them by visiting the Office of Accessible Education website or scheduling a meeting via COMPASS if you want to talk in detail about questions you have. Thank you.
- Hello Student, Thank you for our conversation yesterday it was great to learn more about you and discuss aspects of the class. I wanted to follow up with information about an office on campus who you can connect with to discuss resources that could be helpful in your academic pursuits.
- Email if a student is referred to campus resources. You are welcome to copy and paste, with necessary edits related to your situation.
- Hello Student, Thank you for our conversation yesterday it was great to learn more about you and discuss aspects of the class. I wanted to follow up with information about a few offices on campus that you may want to connect in support of your academic pursu