Welcome | Office of Disability Services (ODS)
MISSION STATEMENT
The Office of Disability Services at Fordham University helps to ensure equal educational access and opportunity for all members of our community. In the Jesuit tradition of cura personalis, members of the ODS staff work individually with each student to understand his or her strengths and limitations in order to develop their most effective and comprehensive accommodation plan.
In addition to working in a direct service capacity with our students, the Office of Disability Services also collaborates with administrators, faculty, and staff to ensure that the facilitation of reasonable and appropriate accommodations for students with documented disabilities is provided. As a University, Fordham will offer reasonable and appropriate auxiliary aids and services to assist otherwise qualified persons in achieving access to its programs, services, and facilities once documentation is submitted to ODS and an intake appointment is conducted to develop an accommodation plan directly with the student in accordance with Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
We believe that our policies and mission carry out the intent of Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act, which states:
"No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States, as defined in section 7(20), shall solely by reason of his or her disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."
Please contact us for documentation guidelines according to type of disability.
EVENTS | SPRING
We will be holding our first Disability Awareness Week to take place at Rose Hill April 10-13, 2012 and at Lincoln Center April 16-23rd. Advertisements will be posted around campus soon! See Below Schedule of Events!
rose hill - April 10-13, 2012
End the r-word Campaign: Tuesday, 4/10/12 - friday, 4/13/12:
9:00am- 5:00pm End the R-Word Campaign Tabling: McGinley: Join the Fordham Community all week in signing the pledge in McGinley to stop using the phrase "That's Retarded" and the word "Retard" or "Retarded" as insults. You can make a difference by changing your language and encouraging others you hear using these phrases to do the same!
Tuesday, 4/10/12: 9:00am – 5:00pm Who’s Who?: Celebrities with Disabilities and Accessibility Surveys: McGinley Tables in front of Cafeteria
Wednesday, 4/11/12: 7pm-9:30pm Soul Surfer Film Screening and Q&A Afterwards - Snacks Provided! Keating 3rd
Thursday, 4/12/12: 6pm-7:3pm Table Topics: Disability Dinner Dialogue - Campbell Multipurpose Room
Friday, 4/13/12: 7pm-8:30pm Wounded Warriors Bingo Benefit* Snacks Provided! - McGinley Faculty Lounge
*Proceeds will be donated to Wounded Warriors! Come out and join us!
Lincoln center - April 16-23, 2012
End the r-word Campaign: MONday, 4/16/12 - friday, 4/20/12:
11:00am- 4:00pm End the R-Word Campaign Tabling: Lowenstein Plaza: Join the Fordham Community all week in signing the pledge on the Plaza to stop using the phrase "That's Retarded" and the word "Retard" or "Retarded" as insults. You can make a difference by changing your language and encouraging others you hear using these phrases to do the same!
Monday, 4/16/12: 11:00am – 4:00pm Who’s Who?: Celebrities with Disabilities and Accessibility Surveys: Tables on Lowenstein Plaza
6:00pm - 7:30pm Table Topics: Disability Dinner Dialogue: Atrium
Friday, 4/20/12: 6:30pm - 9:00pm Soul Surfer Film Showing and Q&A Afterwards - Snacks Provided - South Lounge
Monday, 4/23/12: 6:30pm - 8:30pm Wounded Warriors Bingo Benefit* - Snacks Provided - South Lounge
* Proceeds to be donated to Wounded Warriors. Come out and join us!
IMPORTANT DEADLINES | SPRING
Intakes/Registration as a student with ODS: In order set up academic accommodations for use on final exams for the Spring 2012 semester, students must be registered with ODS by submitting current documentation and having their intake appointment completed no later than April 27, 2012. If you miss this deadline we can conduct your intake after May 16 to provide academic accommodations for next semester. Please contact us to arrange your intake and to ask any questions about necessary documentation.
Summer Accommodations with ODS: Our offices will be open during the summer. Please contact our LC and RH offices for the corresponding office hours. In order to request accommodations for summer courses please fill out an accommodation request form no later than May 1, 2012. Please call us to schedule an intake if you are a visiting summer student who needs to register for services, which needs to happen prior to you accessing any accommodations.
Accommodation Request Forms: All accommodation request forms for letters for the Fall 2012 semester must be submitted by May 1, 2012. New students who register after this date will be able to submit forms prior to the start of the Fall 2012 semester. In order to have ample time to write students' accommodation letters, hire note-takers, and prepare for alternative text requests ODS needs accommodation letter requests to be submitted when students are registering for classes. If you are a student using a wheel chair who is planning on taking a class at either the LC or RH campus and need ram van transportation for class, please contact us by June 1, 2012 so we can arrange this with Ram Van for next semester. As always if you make any changes to your class schedule, please notify our office to request a new letter when that change is made.
Test Proctoring Forms: In order to take a test with ODS, you must fill out a test proctoring form with your professor and submit it to ODS 7-10 days before a normal test or quiz and 2 weeks before midterms and finals. We routinely send reminders regarding this policy before midterms and finals. We will accommodate you on shorter notice as space allows. We've seen a significant increase in the number of tests being proctored at ODS, so in order to ensure we have space for you to test with our office we need you to submit your forms in a timely manner.
Thank you!
ONGOING PROGRAMS | Spring
Academic Coaching:
Any students at Fordham University who struggle with time-management and/or organization are invited to come to Disability Services for one-on-one academic coaching sessions with either Carolyn Mooney or Faith McBride-Byrne. These sessions are typically scheduled once a week and last for 45 minutes, but we are happy to assist you more frequently or on an as-needed basis as well. Please contact disabilityservices@fordham.edu for more information.
