Students requesting accommodations regarding housing must submit a completed request form and documentation to the RIT Disability Services Office AND submit a housing contract to RIT Housing Operations by the following dates:

• June 1 – requests for fall term
• December 1 – requests for spring term
• April 1 – requests for summer term

A service animal is defined as "a dog or miniature horse that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including, but not limited to, guiding individuals with impaired vision, alerting individuals who are hearing impaired to intruders or sounds, providing minimal protection or rescue work, pulling a wheelchair, or fetching dropped items."

Requests for utilizing a service or hearing animal on campus must be directed to the Disability Services Director, who will determine if the use of the animal is a reasonable and appropriate accommodation due to the disability. Documentation of disability, the specific need the animal will fulfill, and information regarding the animal’s individual training in providing for that need are required, in addition to proper licensing and current medical health records. Since RIT residences are equipped with strobed fire alarms and door bells, a hearing animal is not considered to be required for these functions. For more information on Service Animals visit: Expectations and requirements for service animals.

Some students with disabilities use “academic accommodations” in order to equally access the academic information presented and/or produce evidence of learning or competence in their academic programs. It is often said that the use of accommodations “levels the playing field” for students with disabilities.

A “Disability Services Agreement” (DSA) letter is a list of recommended academic accommodations developed by the Disability Services Director for each student who has been offered academic accommodations. Students must present this letter to their faculty as a means of verifying that they have worked with the Disability Services Office and are recognized by RIT as a student with a disability who requires accommodation.

If a student requests accommodations from a faculty but does not produce a “Disability Services Agreement”, faculty should encourage the student to contact the Disability Services Office. Faculty are requested to not exempt the student from going through the proper procedures by making individual arrangements with students.

Faculty are expected to work with the student to determine how to put the listed accommodations into practice. Faculty are requested to:

• Read the DSA; accommodations and procedures are listed and explained.
• Have a conversation with the student about how to put the listed accommodations into practice. Ideally, this is student initiated. Students may not be comfortable discussing their accommodations in front of others; offer to speak with them privately or during office hours.
• Respect students' desire to keep their disability information confidential.
• Know that faculty are only obligated to provide the accommodations that are listed.
• Contact Susan Ackerman, Disability Services Director, for more information. 475-6988

Some common academic accommodations and how to work with students who use them:

If a student needs extended time to complete tests and exams:
The student and faculty should discuss the logistics of where, when and how exams should take place. The student may require the use of the test center, a proctored setting located in the Student Alumni Union, room 1150, or the faculty may have another suitable arrangement. Please note that some students may require the use of the testing center if they need the services of a reader, scribe or use of a word processor. Some students may require the "distraction reduced" environment and will indicate this.

If a student needs the use a word processor for tests and exams:
The student will most likely need to take a test in the test center in order to use MS Word or notepad on our computers.

If a student needs the use of reading software or scribe for tests and exams:
The student will most likely need to take a test in the test center in order to access these services. We have computers with a “text to speech” software program that students use with headphones. If a scribe is required, a trained student proctor will write or type exactly what the test taker indicates as their answer. Our supervised, trained student employees will act as a scribe to record verbatim student responses to test questions.

If a student needs the use of a basic, 4 function calculator for tests or exams:
The student should have access to a basic, 4 function calculator if it is listed on their DSA; this overrides department "no calculator" policies. The calculator is to be provided by the student.

If a student needs the use of a “formula card" for tests and exams:
A “formula card” is a list of mathematical formulas to be used by the student during the test if the Instructor believes doing so will not fundamentally alter the objectives or essential requirements of the test or course. It is not a list of definitions and does not provide examples of use. The Instructor will approve the appropriateness of the content for each specific test prior to the test.
Rationale: Due to a disability, this student cannot consistently hold mathematical formulas in memory while completing calculations.

If a student needs extended time to complete assignments or projects:
At the initiation of the student, at the beginning of the quarter and when the assignment or project is announced, the student and faculty should arrive at a mutually acceptable plan for adjusted due dates when appropriate. These adjusted due dates should not interfere with the faculty's plan for review of material during class discussions or need for introduction of new material.