Resources and Policies

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) stipulates that postsecondary institutions are responsible for providing necessary accommodations when a student discloses a disability.

Here at Ball State, the Office of Disability Services (DS) is tasked with determining the necessary accommodations to facilitate a student's access to instruction and participation in the college academic experience.

Faculty members, graduate students who teach and undergraduate teaching assistants are important DS partners, as they can help ensure that students have access to the accommodations for which they are approved.

More information about the process for student academic accommodations can be found here: Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Policy

Please contact the Office of Disability Services if you have any questions regarding the policy or accommodating students with disabilities at BSU.

REGULATORY REFERENCE (Americans with Disabilities Act)

28 CFR 35.160-35.164:

"II-7.1000 Equally effective communication. A public entity must ensure that its communications with individuals with disabilities are as effective as communications with others. This obligation, however, does not require a public entity to take any action that it can demonstrate would result in a fundamental alteration in the nature of its services, programs, or activities, or in undue financial and administrative burdens.

In order to provide equal access, a public accommodation is required to make available appropriate auxiliary aids and services where necessary to ensure effective communication."

CAPTIONING FOR MEDIA AT BALL STATE UNIVERSITY

One manner of accommodating persons who are deaf or hard of hearing is to provide captioning for media. This media includes videos, DVDs, and all subsequent technologies. Because of the continuing increases in media that are used for instructional purposes and because of continuing increases in media produced by the University, not all media may be captioned. However, the University will attempt to caption media in the following order of priority:

1. Media used for instructional purposes for a student who is deaf or hard of hearing and who is enrolled at the University;

1A. Media used at a University event in which a person who is deaf or hard of hearing is in known to be in attendance;

1B. Media used to promote the University (e.g. Admissions, Orientation, Advancement);
Whenever possible, the University will caption

2. Other media created by the University;

3. Corporate clients of BSU.

Because time constraints limit the number of clients that can be served with the current captioning resources, some clients may be referred to outside agencies for captioning.

OPEN VS. CLOSED CAPTIONING

If it is technologically possible, the University will produce open captioning on all media listed under #1 (including 1A and 1B). However, productions designed specifically for television will be produced with closed captioning unless a specific request for open captioning is made. If open captioning is not technologically possible and the Captioning Committee deems access necessary, a transcript or closed captioning will be provided.

• Open captioning is a process by which text is added to video or other media that is a written translation of the media's dialogue. Unlike closed captioning, open captions require no special decoding equipment for viewing on televisions or monitors and are always displayed and cannot be turned off.
• Closed captioning is a process where specifically encoded text is placed onto video or other media for the benefit of the hearing impaired. Normally invisible, closed captioning requires an internal decoder to be activated for viewing on the monitor/television.

CAPTIONING COMMITTEE

Ordinarily, decisions about captioning for instructional purposes will be made through consultations with the Disability Services office. Other productions which serve to orient, publicize, promote, or explain the University and its services will be captioned as per policy.

The Captioning Committee will consist of representatives of each of the vice presidential units, and will include both the caption writer and a representative of the Disability Services office. The role of the Captioning Committee will be to develop and update policies and procedures and to help determine if it is appropriate to provide captioning in situations falling under numbers two and three in the order of priority above and/or to approve exceptions to the above policies and priorities.

It is the sole responsibility of the media producer to contact the Caption Writer, or another representative of the Captioning Committee, to discuss and make arrangements for all potential accommodations.

The following emergency evacuation description is written primarily to inform faculty, staff, and students of the procedures for assisting students with disabilities in the event of an emergency. However, if you have a disability, you must take personal responsibility for your own safety. Be sure to talk with your faculty and any other campus staff if you have concerns about emergency situations.

In addition to the procedures described in detail below, we encourage faculty, staff, and students to identify primary and secondary routes to exits, stairwells, or other safe areas in buildings where classes and programs take place.

Ground Floor

On a ground-level floor, people with physical disabilities should evacuate via accessible exits along with the other occupants of the building.

Above or Below Ground Floor

University police should be notified immediately if there is a person with a mobility disability on an above- or below-ground floor.

It is best to call 765-285-1111 (instead of 911) because it connects directly to the University Police Department.

All of our programs, activities, and events on campus need to provide access to people with disabilities. Though Ball State's campus is highly accessible, you should always consider a few matters when planning events so they are accessible to everyone.

The Office Disability Services has created a checklist to help you determine if your program is accessible. We encourage people planning events off campus to use this checklist to ensure their program is accessible. 

Complete the linked checklist below, and contact our office with questions or concerns.

• Accessible Events Checklist

If a student believes that Disability Services (DS) has not identified or provided appropriate academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids, the student has the right to appeal. Students are encouraged to first meet with the DS Director to informally resolve the issue. If the issue cannot be resolved, the following procedure applies:

Within five (5) business days after the receipt of the decision of Disability Services, the student shall submit a written appeal to the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs or designee. The appeal should minimally address the following points:

• The nature of the disability and its current impacts and functional limitations in the academic setting.
  
  
• Details of the academic adjustment and/or auxiliary aid being requested and why.
  
  
• A description of all academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids presently or in the past provided and/or offered by the DS office and explanation as to why these adjustments and/or aids are insufficient or ineffective.

The appellate review will be based on the information and materials in the case file, the findings and recommendations from the Director of Disability Services, and the student's written request for an appellate review. 

The Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs or designee will issue a written response to the appeal. The written response shall be issued within five (5) business days of receipt of the written appeal. The decision of the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs or designee is the final decision of the institution.

If the student believes they have been unlawfully discriminated against on the basis of their disability, they may file a Complaint of Unlawful Discrimination in the Employee Relations Office. Students may also contact the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in the U.S. Department of Education. OCR is responsible for enforcing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Ball State University is committed to providing equitable access to individuals with disabilities, including in off campus academic ventures such as an internship, practicum, clinical rotation, or student teaching site. View our Off Campus Accommodation Policy below:

• Off Campus Accommodation Policy

All instructors are expected to have a syllabus for the courses they teach. A syllabus is where students learn about the course, the instructor, and the instructor's expectations. This page contains accessibility information to make the syllabus an effective learning tool that complies with University policies.

The following statement is required for all BSU syllabi.

Disability Services Statement

If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, please contact the instructor of record as soon as possible. Ball State's Disability Services office coordinates services for students with disabilities; documentation of a disability needs to be on file in that office before any accommodations can be provided. Disability Services can be contacted at 765-285-5293 or dsd@bsu.edu.