Students with Disabilities

Faculty and staff should be aware that federal and state legislation requires that Purdue University provide students with disabilities equal access to all programs, services, and activities. Currently more than 1,000 students are eligible to receive reasonable accommodations. Purdue has students with a variety of disabilities including blindness, visual impairments, deafness, hard of hearing, mobility impairments, psychological disabilities, neurological conditions, chronic medical conditions, TBI, or multiple disabilities. Purdue also provides services to students with temporary conditions. There also are students with disabilities who choose not to identify themselves or request academic adjustments while enrolled at Purdue.

Once academic adjustments and/or reasonable accommodations are in place, students with disabilities are expected to meet the same academic and conduct standards as their peers without disabilities. Services may include, but are not limited to, testing accommodations (extended time, distraction-limited environment, scribe, alternate format), document conversion (e-text, audio-taped text, enlarged print, Braille, tactile diagrams), use of readers, note taking, tape recording of lectures, sign interpreters, real-time captioning, assistive listening devices, priority seating, and accessible schedules.

In order to request disability services, a student must register with Adaptive Programs and provide documentation of his or her condition. The documentation must be prepared by a licensed healthcare professional and must include specific guidelines. Once documentation is received, an Adaptive Programs specialist is responsible for evaluating the information and making an eligibility determination. If eligible, accommodations are determined on an individual basis. Adaptive Programs will provide each instructor with an “instructional accommodations letter” that describes how the student’s disability affects his or her access to certain course activities, materials, and/or evaluations.

Other services provided through Adaptive Programs for students with disabilities include academic counseling, accessible parking and housing accommodations, and relocation of classes to accessible facilities. The University is not obligated to provide accommodations if the student does not request them, nor is the University required to provide assistance of a personal nature, such as tutors or personal care attendants.

To assist faculty who teach students with disabilities, the Office of the Dean of Students publishes and distributes a resource booklet, Removing Barriers. This booklet provides information regarding the University's obligations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. It also answers commonly asked questions from faculty about appropriate academic adjustments for students with disabilities.

A faculty group, the Advisory Council on Disability Issues, has been established to become familiar with applicable laws and to communicate with and advise faculty and staff in their respective schools and colleges on matters related to students with disabilities. The group consists of a faculty representative from each college, the Graduate School, PACADA, and three students (two of whom have disabilities). The staff of Adaptive Programs is available to respond to individual questions or concerns and to provide training for faculty and TAs on issues related to disabilities. Contact Adaptive Programs staff at 49-41247 (v/tty).

Students with disabilities may find additional help in meeting classroom obligations through the Learning Center, Writing Lab, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), and the Adaptive Learning Programs (ALPs) lab. The ALPs lab has assistive technology designed specifically to meet the needs of students with disabilities. Any faculty who becomes aware of a University student with a disability who is experiencing difficulty is encouraged to talk with the student. If additional assistance is needed to address the problem, advise the student to contact Adaptive Programs of the Office of the Dean of Students.