Here at Notre Dame of Maryland University is committed to providing equal access to its programs and services for people with disabilities in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
The Office of Accessibility delivers services designed to provide access for students to have the opportunity to successfully participate in college life, while promoting their well-being--academically, socially, emotionally, spiritually, and physically.
Procedures to Register for Accommodations
1. Student Intake Form
Complete the Student Intake Form to provide our office with more information regarding your history with managing your condition in the academic and residential environment. Here is the link to access this form: https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?NotreDameMaryland&layout_id=12
Call directly at 410-532-5114
2. Documentation
Submit documentation of your disability from a certified professional or medical provider.
Services can be accessed when a student provides the Director of Accessibility & Student Inclusion with documentation from a certified professional (e.g. director of special education, audiologist, psychologist, licensed counselor, physician) that describes the specific disability. The student will be asked to provide the most current documentation of the student’s disability. Students requesting accommodations must have a disability as defined by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). If the student does not have sufficient documentation, the student may be requested to seek further evaluation/documentation from a certified professional. This information must be sent or provided directly to the Director of Accessibility and Health Promotion. All shared information is confidential.
Documentation is used to support and assist our office in gaining a greater understanding of:
• The student’s disability
• The impact of symptoms on their academic performance
• Identification of academic barriers
• The development of their accommodation plan
For All Disabilities: A typed /written and signed letter from an appropriate professional is needed. The letter should include:
• History of the disability
• Description of the current impact and functional limitations as it relates to meeting the various demands of higher education (academically, socially, emotionally, physically, etc.)
• Expected progression or stability
• Recommendations for accommodations or services
• Implications of existing co-morbid conditions
• Additional observations and/or recommendations
Additional Details on Documentation Guidelines
3. Meet
Meet to discuss accommodations; after the submission of paperwork, the student will be contacted by the Director of Accessibility & Student Inclusion to schedule a meeting to discuss accommodations through an interactive process. An appropriate accommodation plan will be developed to share with professors.
An accommodation must be considered reasonable. An accommodation is not considered reasonable if:
- It is a direct threat to the health or safety of others; or
- It is a substantial or fundamental change in an essential element of the curriculum, or there is a substantial alteration in the manner in which services are provided.
Examples of services offered may include, but are not limited to the following:
- Alternative testing arrangements as needed (e.g., extended time, use of a computer, distraction-free environment)
- Scribe for notes
- Access to recorded books
- Audio capture of lectures
- Interpreting services
- Referral to appropriate services
- Assistive technology
- Accessible housing
- Advocacy
- Counseling
- Meal plan accommodations
4. Receipt of Accommodation Letters
The student obtains a draft accommodation letter to review. If accepted, the student submits the Accommodation Notification Request Form. The Office of Accessibility & Student Inclusion emails the letters to listed professors. It is the student’s responsibility to meet with their instructors to implement the accommodations. The Director of Accessibility& Student Inclusion will consult with instructors on an as-needed basis to provide clarity regarding auxiliary supports/services and accommodations. The discussion of student auxiliary supports/services and accommodations with faculty focuses on the appropriate implementation of said accommodations in the classroom; the nature of a student's disability is not disclosed and remains confidential.
5. Responsibilities
It is the student's responsibility to submit the Accommodation Notification Request Form each semester to inform the office of what courses they are taking and the names of the instructors to receive the accommodations. Reasonable accommodations will not be provided without an updated letter each semester ,and accommodations are not retroactive.
Following the submission of accommodation letters to faculty, the following should be noted:
- For alternative test-taking procedures, it is the student’s responsibility to email the Accessibility Testing Center (atc@ndm.edu) at least 72 hours prior to an exam so that arrangements can be made in a timely fashion. Additionally, the student should notify the instructor immediately if there is a scheduling conflict so that the student and the professor can coordinate a mutually agreeable time to schedule the exam. Arrive on time for your exam; otherwise, if you are tardy, your accommodations for extended time can't be guaranteed or implemented appropriately.
- In order to receive alternative textbooks in a timely manner, it will be necessary to let OASI know several weeks in advance so that the publisher can be notified.
- If a student is having challenges with accommodations and would like steps to take for resolving issues, contact the Director of Accessibility and Student Inclusion and read about steps for grievances.