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Inside.Waldenu.Edu>Disability Services>Disability Policies
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Office of Disability Services Services and Policies Registering With Disability Services Determining Reasonable Accommodations Requesting Reasonable Accommodations Confidentiality of Information Policy Effective Communication Policy Procedures for obtaining course materials in alternative format
Registering With Disability Services To register with Disability Services or ask for information about the accommodation process, contact the director of disability services.. Mail: Walden University
Click the links below to access the forms needed to register:
Current documentation of disability from a licensed professional must be submitted with the accommodation request form. Documentation must meet the following criteria:
If the initial documentation does not provide enough information to determine the extent of the disability and reasonable accommodations, the disability services director has the discretion to require additional documentation. Students are responsible for any costs related to obtaining documentation.
Determining Reasonable Accommodations Walden will make reasonable modifications or adjustments to courses, programs, services, activities, or facilities to ensure barrier free access and equal opportunity to students registered with Disability Services. Walden is obligated to make reasonable accommodations only for the known limitations of otherwise qualified disabled students, and only when they do not fundamentally alter the nature of programs.
Requesting Reasonable Accommodations Once registered in Disability Services, make requests at least 30 days before courses begin to ensure timely implementation of accommodations. Send requests for upcoming courses, each term, to disability@waldenu.edu.
In response to requests sent each term by the student, Disability Services will notify and instruct faculty regarding pre-determined accommodations.
Confidentiality of Information Policy Disability documentation is confidential information and does not become part of a student’s permanent academic record. Disability information is stored in the Disability Services Office, and is not shared with other university departments unless otherwise requested in writing by the student.
In accordance with the requirements of Title III of the Americans With Disabilities Act, Walden University will not discriminate against qualified individuals on the basis of disability in the university’s programs, services, and activities. The university shall ensure that individuals with disabilities have communication access that is as effective as that provided to individuals without disabilities.
The university will provide appropriate auxiliary aids and services, whenever necessary to ensure effective communication with individuals who have hearing, vision, or speech impairments, unless to do so would result in a fundamental alternation of its programs or an undue administrative or financial burden. A student who requires communication-related auxiliary aids or services to participate in a university program or activity should contact the sponsoring department or office as far in advance as reasonably possible before the scheduled program or activity. The university will not charge any additional fee to cover the reasonable cost of providing auxiliary aids or services, or any reasonable modifications to policy or procedures.
Auxiliary aids and services include a wide variety of equipment, materials, and personal services that may be used to provide effective communication for people with visual, hearing or speech disabilities:
Visual Disabilities
Hearing or Speech Disabilities
*A qualified reader or oral/sign language interpreter is an individual who is able to read or interpret effectively, accurately and impartially, both receptively and expressively, using any necessary specialized vocabulary. An oral/sign language interpreter must be able to sign to the individual who is deaf what is being said by the hearing person and to voice to the hearing person what is being signed by the individual who is deaf. Because a qualified interpreter must be able to interpret impartially, a family member or friend of the individual who is deaf may not be qualified to render the necessary interpretation because of factors such as professional or personal involvement. Additionally, although an interpreter may be certified, a certified interpreter is not necessarily "qualified." Similarly, certification is not required in order for an interpreter to be "qualified."
The university may, on its own, determine that an auxiliary aid or service is necessary for an individual enrolled at the university. In such a case, the university shall make an offer to the student to provide appropriate auxiliary aids or services at no charge. A student with a hearing, vision or speech impairment may also request an appropriate auxiliary aid or service. The university shall confer with the individual with the disability regarding his or her type of communication and particular requirements.
The university shall provide auxiliary aids and services to students with disabilities when needed for examinations and class assignments, which can include providing the student with a reasonable amount of extended time to take an examination or complete an assignment, taking into account the nature of the aid or service, and the type of examination or assignments, and the student's experience in receiving extended time in similar situations.
The university shall determine the type of auxiliary aids or services, and the date, time, and place where such services will be required. The university, at its own expense, shall secure the particular auxiliary aids or services necessary to ensure effective communication with the person with a disability. In addition, the university will maintain a list of contacts with agencies that refer qualified readers and oral/sign language interpreters that are available to provide services when necessary, and such list shall be updated annually. The university’s director of disability services will contact such agencies as appropriate to obtain such services.
The vice president for academic affairs (VPAA) serves as the grievance officer. Students with disabilities are responsible for contacting the VPAA if reasonable accommodations are not implemented in an effective or timely manner. The Office of Disability Services works with university personnel and disabled students to resolve disagreements regarding recommended accommodations.
Procedures for obtaining course materials in alternative format Students registered with Disability Services requesting course materials in alternative format must make those requests at least 30 days prior to the beginning of each term.
Disability Services will make every effort to obtain materials in the student’s preferred format (on tape or CD, e-file, enlarged). Some materials are available in a format, which meets the student’s need, but is not the preferred format. Both formats will be pursued, when the material in the less preferred format is more likely to be available by the course start date.
Students eligible to receive materials from Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic or from other agencies will be asked to pursue those options independently after their initial two terms with Walden, with guidance and referral from Disability Services’ staff.
Equipment and software needed to access course materials is the responsibility of the student. Disability Services will work with students to obtain four track tape players, screen reading software, and similar assistive devices in a timely manner. Note that equipment and software needed to access course materials are considered educational expenses and can be included, as such, in financial aid applications.
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