Who is Eligible for Disability Support Services?
According to Section 3 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), the term "disability" means, with respect to an individual,
- having a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual;
- having a record of such an impairment; or
- being regarded as having such an impairment.
Otherwise Qualified Applicant
A student who provides Disability Support Services with sufficient evidence of a disability to meet the standards established by the ADA or Section 504 is eligible for appropriate accommodations and services, provided the student is an otherwise qualified applicant. (In this case, the term "applicant" means both an applicant for admission to the university and an applicant for enrollment in a specific course of study.)
In order to be considered an otherwise qualified applicant, a student with a disability must be capable, either with or without accommodations, of fulfilling the essential requirements of a program of instruction (i.e., a class, major, or degree program).
Students with a documented disability have the responsibility to identify themselves and request reasonable and appropriate accommodations and/or modifications. All students are encouraged to contact Disability Support Services in the early stages of their academic planning. Please call (406) 657-2283 (Voice/TTY) or email the Director at tcarey@msubillings.edu for more information.
If you would like to request services:
- Complete this application and send it to Disability Support Services, then contact the DSS office to discuss your limitations and appropriate accommodations.
Student Application for Services
- Send documentation of your disability to the DSS office for review. Have your doctor complete one or both of the forms below:
Documentation Form (Physical, Deaf/Hard of Hearing, Blind/Low Vision, etc.)
- Make an appointment for an intake interview. Contact Trudy Carey, Director at (406) 657-2283, tcarey@msubillings.edu for the MSUB campus and Jennifer Woegens, Coordinator at (406) 247-3029, jwoegens@msubillings.edu for the City College campus.
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Montana State University Billings also ensures academic program accessibility as well as building accessibility for all persons with disabilities. No individual with a disability shall, by reason of such disability, be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of the campus services, programs, or activities, or be subject to discrimination by any such covered entity.
Visit our DSS Student Handbook for more information.
What are Reasonable Accommodations in an Online Class?
That depends upon your disability and your limitations, but the two most often requested accommodations for online classes are extra time for taking tests (generally one and a half times the normal testing time) and textbooks in an audio format. Your limitations, as described in your documentation and discussed with the Director and/or Coordinator, determine what accommodations are appropriate for you.
Accommodations must be requested EVERY semester.
Test requests must be sent to each instructor at the beginning of each semester. Some instructors like to be reminded again prior to each test. Complete this form and send a copy to your instructor, the Online Coordinator and the DSS Director.
Testing Accommodations Request for Online Classes
Alternative text requests must be sent to each instructor at the beginning of each semester. Some instructors like to be reminded again prior to each test. Complete this form and send a copy to your instructor, the Online Coordinator and the DSS Director.
DSS recommends that students who are requesting alternative text:
- Submit a request for textbooks in an alternative format to the DSS office.
- Submit a schedule for the semester for which the textbook is requested.
- Submit a course syllabus for the semester for which the textbook is requested.
- Submit other materials that need to be scanned, Brailed or enlarged
Creating alternative text is a time consuming process. Materials will be converted in the order in which students submit them. Please submit your requests as soon as possible so that your textbooks and handouts will be ready as you need them.
Students requesting books in alternative format must purchase either a print version or electronic version of the textbook to protect the author's copyright.
Students who make any changes in their schedules should notify DSS immediately so that proper adjustments in services can be made.
Students may check out completed alternative text from DSS staff.
Students receiving materials have the responsibility to notify DSS of any problems with alternative text.
Alternative Textbook Request Form
For additional information regarding Disability Support Services, checkout our website at www.msubillings.edu/dss.
If you use assistive software or need videos captioned, please contact Disability Support Services as soon as possible. tcarey@msubillings.edu (406) 657-2283 (voice) (406) 545-2518 (vp)
