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If you are thinking about coming to or are currently enrolled at Texas
A&M University, and you have a disability or think you may have a
disability, this is the place for you.
A disability is defined as "a mental or physical impairment that
substantially limits one or more of the major life activities"
(Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990). These may include:
physical disabilities, neurological impairments, chronic health
problems, or psychiatric disabilities.
Disability Services (DS) provides services to
students with disabilities to insure accessibility to university
programs. DS offers accommodations counseling, evaluation
referral, disability-related information, adaptive technology counseling
and equipment, and interpreter services for academically related
purposes. Although DS does not offer disability evaluation
and/or testing, tutoring, personal expenses, attendants or scholarships,
we will provide referral information.
There are no special admissions for students with disabilities at Texas
A&M University. Students with disabilities must satisfy the same
requirements and undergo the same process for admission as every other
student.
The question frequently comes up about whether a prospective student
should disclose a disability during the admissions process. As a general
rule of thumb, if your application is marginal, then disclosing your
disability and special circumstances in the essay portion of the
application can help you.
In order to receive disability-related accommodations and services, you
should abide by the following process:
- Apply and be accepted for admission to Texas A&M University through
the regular admissions process.
- Provide current and comprehensive documentation of a diagnosed
disability which requires accommodation.
- Register with DS at the beginning of each semester.
In order to register with the office, a student must present
documentation of a legally recognized disability. You can submit
your information to our office in Cain Hall, Suite B118 or by fax at (979)
458-1214. Refer to Documentation Section for
specifics regarding documentation.
Once documentation is submitted:
- The Documentation Review Committee (DRC) reviews all documentation
and determines whether the student is eligible to receive DS services
based on the documented disability.
- Also at the DRC meeting, each student is assigned to an
Accommodations Counselor who will meet with the student to determine
appropriate accommodations.
- Appropriate accommodations are determined by the counselor and
student based on the documented needs, previous accommodations, and
functional limitations of the student. Refer to Accommodations Section
to view more information on accommodations.
- During this initial meeting with an Accommodations Counselor, DS
policies and procedures are discussed with the student. The student is
responsible for delivering the accommodations letters generated in this
meeting to the instructors. Students are encouraged to meet with their
instructors to discuss their testing and other accommodations and to
answer any questions the instructors may have.
The documentation submitted to our office should be current (in most
cases no older than three to five years), comprehensive, and include the following:
- A specific diagnosis, including level of severity.
- The specific findings in support of this diagnosis including
relevant history, observations of the individual, tests administered,
test results, and your evaluator's interpretation of those test results.
For a diagnosis of Learning Disability, ADD or ADHD, a
neuropsychological examination or psychoeducational evaluation is
required to determine eligibility for services as a student with a
disability. Objective evidence of a substantial limitation must be
provided.
- A description of the student’s functional limitations as they are
directly related to the stated disabilities and necessitate any
accommodations.
- The evaluator’s name, address, telephone number (in the event our
office needs to contact the evaluator), and professional credential
relevant to the diagnosis. (i.e., M.D., Ph.D., LSSP).
- The documentation must be on letterhead, typed, dated, and
signed.
The professional making the diagnosis of a disability should be an
appropriately trained evaluator, such as a physician, psychologist,
psychiatrist, or educational diagnostician. For example, an
audiologist would diagnose a hearing impairment; a psychiatrist,
psychologist, or clinical social worker would diagnose a psychological
disability. Documentation from a family member or family friend is
not acceptable.
DS provides "Guidelines for Documentation"
(click for forms page). If you have and questions about documentation that is
requested, please feel free to contact an accommodations counselor at
(979) 845-1637.
DS reserves the right to request additional information or evaluation.
However, information regarding resources to use in obtaining an
evaluation is available from our office. We also maintain
a list of local evaluators.
DS serves as the repository for medical documentation of
disabilities. Documentation submitted to DS is confidential and
used solely for the purpose of assisting students in identifying and
securing accommodations and services to support their full participation
at Texas A&M.
- Accommodations are provided on an individual basis as needs arise.
- Examples of accommodations include extended testing time,
interpreters, note-taking, reader services, scribe services, audio books and other adaptive technology services.
- Although not accommodations, DS supports students with issues and
situations related to advocacy, accessibility, on-campus housing,
transportation services, and attendant care.
- DS is a resource for information including, but not limited to,
tutoring services, study skills and time management, community
resources, disability awareness, and various university services.
What is on-campus special housing?
On-campus special housing is residence hall
housing with accommodations for students with disabilities.
What are some special requests that can be made
in regards to housing?
Some special housing requests that can be made are:
-
Accessible room
-
Strobe light (for hearing impaired students)
-
Braille (for room numbers)
-
Bathtub or Roll-in shower
Are there handicapped accessible rooms on campus?
Yes, there are handicapped accessible rooms on campus.
What is the application process for students with on-campus special housing
needs?
The application process for students with on-campus special housing needs is:
-
Step 1 - A
student must be admitted to the Texas A&M University.
-
Step 2 - Fill
out a housing application. Housing applications are included with a letter of acceptance of admission to Texas A&M University.
They can also be filled out online at
http://reslife.tamu.edu. This requires a deposit/application fee.
Online applications require the use of a credit card or debit card.
-
Step 3 - Discuss needs with a Disability Services Accommodations Counselor. Documentation may be necessary.
How will I know if I am approved for on-campus
special housing?
The Department of Residence Life will notify you if you
are approved for on-campus special housing.
Is a room on-campus guaranteed for a student with on-campus special housing
needs?
Special requests that have been approved by Disability Services and submitted to the Department
of Residence Life Housing Assignments office guarantee a room on campus.
However, the request must be made to the Department of Residence Life before
the assignments process begins. Please go to
http://reslife.tamu.edu to check for
deadlines.
Can a student with on-campus special housing needs request a specific
roommate?
A student with on-campus special housing needs may
request a specific roommate. The student with on-campus special housing
needs should discuss requesting a specific roommate with his or her
Accommodations Counselor. Both students must apply for housing with the
Department of Residence Life before the request can be processed.
Can a student’s personal attendant
live in the residence hall?
A student’s personal attendant may live in the
residence hall provided that the personal attendant is a student at Texas
A&M University. Texas A&M University does not provide, but can assist the
student, in finding a personal attendant. A student needing a personal
attendant should discuss this with his or her Accommodations Counselor.
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