Disability Resource Center

Disability Resource Services

UPIKE is committed to providing equal educational opportunities and full participation for individuals with disabilities. The Disability Resource Center (DRC) supports UPIKE’s commitment by coordinating accommodations so that every student with disabilities has equal access to actively participate in all facets of the educational experience at UPIKE. DRC staff serve as liaisons for students with faculty, staff and/or administration; make referrals for off-campus services; and strive to empower students to be self-sufficient advocates for their accommodation needs.

Accommodations and Support Services

Each person has a different set of needs. As a student with a disability, your accommodations will be determined on an individual basis, utilizing your self-report in the initial interview and disability-related documentation received from your healthcare provider.

Accommodations and services available may include:

• Accessible housing/parking/building access
• Assistance obtaining alternate format textbooks and identifying assistive technology needs
• Classroom and lab accommodations
• Communication with faculty and advisors regarding student needs
• Distraction-reduced locations for testing
• Extended time for testing
• Information and referral for additional services
• Note-takers, readers and scribes

Eligibility

Initially, you’ll meet with a disability resource counselor to identify your disability-related barriers (past, present and/or anticipated) and to engage in dialogue about your expectations and/or concerns as you prepare to start your educational journey at UPIKE.

• DRC staff may request you provide documentation from a licensed professional to verify a disability and to clarify its potential impact in a higher education living and learning environment. This will aid in determining appropriate accommodations.
• You will meet with DRC staff to review your rights and responsibilities as related to DRC and to receive accommodation letters for your instructors.
• Accommodation letters are valid for one academic semester and must be renewed at the beginning of each semester in which you are enrolled at UPIKE if you desire to continue receiving disability accommodations.
• You may request a review of accommodations at any time during the semester. Revisions may require additional documentation.

Documentation

Preferably, documentation should be in letter form on professional letterhead and address the following:

• Diagnosis of the current disability
• Date of diagnosis
• Method of diagnosis (interview, personality assessments, mental health instruments, physical exam, etc.)
• Severity and functional limitations of the disability and a description of the current impact as it relates to meeting the various demands of higher education (academically, socially, emotionally, physically, medically)
• Expected progression or stability
• Notation of any required medical equipment
• Notation of medications, if any, and potential impact on learning and/or side effects
• Possible recommendations (based on functional limitations) that would assist with academic achievement and/or daily functioning in the post-secondary environment
• Professional’s signature, printed name, credentials, license number and contact information

Submitting Documentation

Submit all disability documentation directly to the Disability Resource Center. Received documentation is confidential. This information is released and/or discussed only on a need-to-know basis. It is also subject to FERPA guidelines. Outside these guidelines, no information is released and/or discussed without consent from the individual. Note: Disability-related information submitted to other offices on campus (e.g. Admissions, Housing, Financial Aid) may not be automatically forwarded to the Disability Resource Center. This could delay the processing of accommodations.

Direct all questions and documentation to:
(606) 218-5232
Fax: (606) 218-4472
DRC@upike.edu