Disability Related Accommodations
At Ball State University, no qualified individual with a disability will be excluded from participation in, or be denied the benefits of the university's services, programs, or activities. Ball State's Disabled Student Development (DSD) office is a university resource promoting barrier-free environments (physical, program, information, attitude), and assisting the university in meeting its obligations under federal statutes and school tradition in regard to the rights of students with disabilities.

DSD works to attempt to ensure that the university operates each service, program, or activity, so that when viewed in its entirety, is readily accessible to and useable by individuals with disabilities. This is accomplished by documenting disabilities and by providing or arranging appropriate auxiliary aids and services, reasonable accommodations, academic adjustments, and consultation. In some instances the DSD office acts as a liaison with other appropriate state and federal agencies.

The DSD office is responsible for coordinating responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 for students.

For those students who may wish to request appropriate auxiliary aids and services, other reasonable accommodations, or academic adjustments, in order to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the DSD office requires clear, accurate and timely diagnostic information from an appropriate licensed professional.

This is done so that appropriate auxiliary aids or services, other reasonable accommodations, and academic adjustments are provided in an equitable and legal fashion. This information must be in our files before we can consider a request. This information will be treated as confidential except that (1) supervisors and managers may be informed regarding necessary restrictions on the work or duties of a student employee and necessary accommodations; (2) professors may be informed regarding the provision of appropriate auxiliary aids and services, other reasonable accommodations or academic adjustments; (3) first aid personnel may be informed when appropriate, if the disability might require emergency treatment; and (4) other governmental agencies may be notified when appropriate.

Since disability is not always easy to define, good information is imperative. There are medical conditions that are not always ADA disabilities. Documentation must be supplied by all students requesting accommodations. Disabilities may be non-visible or visible, including congenital conditions. Documentation is required in all cases. Documentation must be comprehensive and age-appropriate.

Process for Receiving Accommodations at Ball State University
1. Disclose your disability to the office of Disabled Student Development (DSD).  This can be done either by visiting the DSD office (Student Center 307) or by returning a Self-Disclosure form.  Every student who is admitted to BSU by the Office of Admisstions will receive a Self-Disclosure for Disability form with his or her admittance packet.  Any student who would like to disclose a disability simply needs to fill this form out and return it to DSD.

2. After the student has disclosed a disability, DSD will give or mail that student a Verification of Disability form that is to be completed by the appropriate licensed professional and returned to DSD. 

3. DSD will review the documentation and determine the following:

a. Does the student's condition rise to the level of a disability as defined in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act?
b. What are the functional limitations of the disability in an educational setting?
c. What, if any, accommodations would be reasonable and appropriate for the student? DSD will notify the student as to whether the documentation submitted is sufficient or if more information is needed.

4. DSD will meet with the student if the student would like to receive accommodations.

5. IF the student would like to receive accommodations, DSD will produce letters for the student to give to his or her professors.  These letters will verify the disability and list reasonable accommodations.

6. It is then the student's responsibility to deliver these letters to his or her professors and discuss the listed accommodations with the professors.

7. If a student has problems relative to the provision of accommodations, the student should contact DSD.

8. In subsequent semesters, the student needs to contact DSD if s/he would like to have letters for his or her professors.  DSD will not assume that the student will need these letters.