Learning Accessibility Services
The University of Sioux Falls is committed to ensuring that all students with a qualifying and documented learning, physical or psychological disability are provided reasonable accommodations in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990.
Providing access to a diverse student population is embedded in the philosophy of USF. We recognize disability as an aspect of diversity that is integral to society and to the campus community. To this end, Learning Accessibility Services (LAS) collaborates with students, faculty, staff and community members to create usable, equitable, inclusive and sustainable learning environments.
Educational access is the provision of classroom accommodations, auxiliary aids and services that ensure equal educational opportunities for all students regardless of disability. LAS provide qualifying students with the tools, accommodations and support services to participate fully in the academic environment.
All accommodations for students with disabilities are made in consultation with LAS. If you believe you have a disability requiring accommodations in any academic course, please contact us. For additional information regarding your rights and responsibilities, visit the U.S. Department of Education.
Additional Resources for prospective students and families include the following:
- A resource for teens with disabilities: going-to-college.org
- Students with Disabilities: Preparing for Postsecondary Education
- Disability Comparison Chart
Types of Accomodations
Reasonable accommodations are provided to ensure that a student with a disability is given an equal opportunity to pursue his or her academic interests. Receiving an accommodation or service is contingent upon the documented nature of your disability. Even with documentation, Learning Accessibility Services (LAS) cannot provide accommodations that would fundamentally alter the essential components of a course or program.
LAS will work with a student to identify appropriate accommodations for each semester. To allow for adequate planning and service delivery, you should make requests for accommodations as early as possible. Available accommodations include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Extended exam time
- Distracted-reduced space
- Proctors and/or scribes
- Computer access for exams
- Enlarged print
- Text books in an alternate format
- Audio or video taping of text materials
- Priority seating
- Sign language interpreters
- Housing accommodations
How to Request Accommodations
Learning Accessibility Services (LAS) asks a student who requests accommodations to describe his or her disability, past use of accommodations or the disability’s likely impact on his or her educational experience. Please initiate the process by filling out the Student Self-Disclosure Form and meeting with an LAS advisor. Documentation can provide a valuable tool for helping us understand how courses, systems and facilities may present barriers, as well as for planning accommodations that facilitate access. For this reason, LAS often uses external documentation to augment conversations with a student and to support a request for accommodations. Because each person's situation is unique, the office simply asks that any interested student meet with us. Documentation requirements vary by situation. The LAS advisor will talk with the student about documentation during the initial conversation. No student should delay meeting with LAS out of concern for not having appropriate paperwork.
The types of helpful documentation that are supportive of such a request include medical records, psycho-educational testing and school records. These documents typically include an evaluation by a qualified professional that makes evident the current impact and functional limitations of the disability as it relates to the accommodation(s) you are requesting.
Documentation that is shared with LAS is kept confidential and separate from a student's academic record. If you do not have copies of this type of information, you are welcome to meet with the director of the Academic Success Center to discuss community services that exist to help you demonstrate a connection between your condition and any academic barriers you anticipate or are facing.