Disability Support Services (DSS) is the campus entity charged with balancing the needs of faculty/staff to protect the integrity of Southern's academic programs and the needs of students with disabilities protected by state and national laws. Part of the DSS mission is to partner with faculty and staff in seeking that balance.

DSS serves the Southern community in a variety of ways:

• Although faculty/staff need not be experts on disability laws, everyone should be aware of the laws' impact on educational activities. Please consider DSS to be your resource for information regarding disability issues in higher education.
• Students who identify themselves as having disabilities or needing accomodations should be referred to DSS.
• Students experiencing temporary situations that limit their access to academic activities (surgery, broken bone, etc.) should be directed to DSS.
• DSS is the starting point for assessment of students for whom learning seems to be more difficult and/or time-consuming than it is for their peers, so please feel free to refer them to DSS as well.

The presiding principle to consider is "When in doubt, refer to DSS." We can assess situations and either provide services or guide students to the appropriate support.

General Guidelines :

•  Include a statement in each course syllabus, giving information on where and how students with disabilities can access support services.
•  Information about students with disabilities is confidential and must be treated as such. It should never be available to anyone —including “readers” and other faculty—without the student's permission.
•  If a student self-identifies to you as having a disability,

	* Talk to them privately and refer them to DSS, using a Faculty Referral Form to document your action.
	* Do not provide accomodations for any student who has not provided you with an "Accomodation Data Sheet" from the DSS (sometimes called "blue sheets"). See FAQ question about Providing Accomodations for students who have not gone through DSS to learn about the risks.

•  Accommodating a disability means ensuring “equal access,” not “success.” The student must be “otherwise qualified” to perform “essential components” or meet “technical standards” of a program.
•  If a student has taken the proper steps to receive accommodations, you will receive a blue “Accommodations Data Sheet” (ADS) with approved accommodations. You and the student will negotiate the manner in which accommodations will be provided. Unless you have received an ADS, do not assume that any accommodations have been approved by DSS.
•  The mission of DSS is to be a resource for all faculty, staff, and students. Questions are always welcome.
•  If the Office of Civil Rights receives a complaint of any kind, it investigates thoroughly--not just the complainant's issue, but every aspect of all SAU programs.

Some of the policies listed below apply exclusively to course activities, but many are applicable to both classwork and extracurricular/employment situations.

Links to information and resources:

• To learn more about disability issues or about reducing the need for accomodations by teaching with Universal Design principles in mind; to access Mobility International for students visiting foreign countries; to access downloadable "freeware"; Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD): http://www.ahead.org/index.htm
• To access the McKee Library page for students w/disabilities: http://library.southern.edu/services/view.php?id=56
• For free downloadable brochure regarding confidentiality and other disability issues (includes financial aid information), Heath Research Center: http://www.heath.gwu.edu/
• To find the Vocational Rehabilitation offices for a specific state (VR sometimes supplies equipment, interpreters, orientation specialists, and/or financial support: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/rsa/index/html
• To learn about students' rights and responsibilities as they transition to higher education, Office of Civil Rights: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/transition.html
• To review legal guidelines regarding auxiliary aids and services, Office of Civil Rights: http://www.ed.gov/ocr/docs/auxaids.html
• To see if the textbooks you want to use have been converted to audio text, Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic: http://www.rfbd.org