The Office of Disabilities and Accessibility Services
Woodbury University is committed to providing students with disabilities with equal access to all university programs, services, and activities as required by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. To make this possible, the Office of Disabilities and Accessibility Services (ODAS) grants reasonable accommodations to qualified students with disabilities. ODAS also works to ensure compliance with Section 504, including investigating and resolving any issues related to disability discrimination.
ODAS’s Mission
Through the provision of academic support services focused on promoting self-advocacy, resourcefulness, and independence, Woodbury’s Office of Disabilities and Accessibility Services strives to support, empower, and integrate students with disabilities into all aspects of campus life to help provide access to a comprehensive university experience.
Statement of Non-Discrimination and Equal Access for Students with Disabilities
Under Section 504 and the ADA, qualified individuals cannot be refused admission or participation in educational programs and activities because of their disability. ODAS’s procedures, governed by Woodbury University's policies, guarantee that students with disabilities will have full and fair access to academic and co-curricular activities and programs, regardless of their disability status. Additionally, these students have the right to be free from discrimination or harassment based on their disability.
Reasonable Accommodations and Services for Students with Disabilities
Accommodations are adjustments that allow students with disabilities equal access to educational opportunities without fundamentally altering the program standards or content. Both academic accommodations and housing accommodations are determined by ODAS based on an individualized interactive process. Students with disabilities also have the right to seek accommodations as necessary to participate in other activities of the University, including in the conduct process and in on campus activities. Students seeking accommodations should contact ODAS at Disabilities@woodbury.edu or complete the online accommodations request form on the Woodbury website at https://woodbury.edu/student-life/student-support-services/disabilities/
As a part of Academic Affairs, ODAS also works with University administration, faculty, and staff to foster campus-wide awareness and understanding disability, accessibility, and equity. Additionally, ODAS works collaboratively with the campus community to remove barriers and promote an engaging learning environment where students with disabilities can utilize their skills to pursue and attain their academic and personal goals. ODAS collaborates with other campus resources, including Academic Advisors, Tutoring Services, Career Services and Student Affairs. Through a wide range of programming and supports, ODAS endeavors to provide innovative, student-centered services in order to ensure student success and retention.
Assistance Animals
Generally, the term “assistance animal” may refer to a service dog or an emotional support animal. However, there are different rules and procedures applicable to each.
Service Dogs:
Under the ADA, a service animal is defined as “any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.” The task performed by the dog must be directly related to the person’s disability.
Service animals are permitted in Woodbury’s facilities consistent with the ADA, including anywhere students, members of the public, and other participants in services, programs, or activities are permitted.
Documentation, such as proof that the animal has been certified, trained, or licensed as a service animal, is not required. Federal law does not require an animal to be formally trained or to be certified that it has been trained. Service animals are those that are individually trained to effectively perform tasks for people with disabilities.
Any student who needs a service animal in their dorm (on campus housing) is required to notify ODAS so that an appropriate housing accommodation can be determined. This ensures that students are made fully aware of all applicable policies and procedures, that the University has the opportunity to ensure the safety and access needs of other students in the housing environment, and that ODAS can ensure that any other needed accommodations are discussed.
In the event that the student seeks to bring a service animal onto campus other than in campus housing, it is not required that the student go through the accommodation process for approval. However, the University recommends that any student using a service animal on campus contact ODAS. Informing ODAS of the need for a service animal will provide the opportunity for the ODAS Director to assist the student with any possible concerns related to access, explain any applicable procedures, and further support the student if needed. Service animals must be licensed pursuant to local animal services regulations and must be fully inoculated, with the burden of proof on the animal user. Fecal matter deposited by a service animal must be removed immediately and disposed of properly. If personally unable to perform the task, service animal users must arrange for removal of fecal matter.
The ADA requires individuals with service animals to be responsible for the care and supervision of their animals. This includes feeding, grooming, and toileting. A service animal must be housebroken (i.e., trained so that it controls its waste elimination, except for illness or accident) and must be kept under control by a leash, harness, or other tether. In cases where the handler is unable to hold a harness or tether because of a disability, or the use of such would interfere with the service animal’s safety and the effective performance of work or tasks, the service animal must be under the handler’s control by some other means, such as voice control.
Woodbury staff and faculty members may not ask about the nature or extent of a person’s disability to determine whether a person’s animal qualifies as a service animal and whether the service animal may be allowed on campus or in classrooms. However, when it is not readily apparent that a dog is a service animal, personnel may make two inquiries to determine whether the dog qualifies as a service animal.
These two inquiries are:
- Is the dog required because of a disability?
- What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?
Woodbury staff and faculty members may consult ODAS at any time regarding accommodating students with service animals.
Emotional Support Animals:
Emotional support animals (ESAs) provide comfort but are not trained to perform specific tasks to assist individuals with a disability. In general, ESAs are not allowed to accompany students or guests in public areas of Woodbury University or in classrooms.
However, ESA’s can be approved as a reasonable housing accommodation when necessary to address a disability-related barrier that impacts access to on-campus housing.
Before students can bring ESAs into on-campus housing, they must register for reasonable accommodations with the ODAS and provide applicable documentation. Specifically, the documentation must adhere to the guidelines outlined in ODAS's General Documentation Guidelines and must include specific information regarding the necessity of the ESA to afford the student an equal opportunity to use and enjoy campus housing. For example, the animal would provide emotional support or other assistance that would ameliorate one or more symptoms or effects of a student’s disability.
If student is approved for an ESA housing accommodation, student must follow applicable policies and guidelines from both ODAS and Housing. Failure to follow appropriate policies may result in a student conduct referral, fine for damages pursuant to housing policies, and/or determination to revoke approval of an ESA. In the event that a student is not longer permitted to have an ESA in the dorm, ODAS will ensure a reasonable alternative to address the student’s disability is determined to provide for continued access.
Overview of ODAS’s Interactive Process for the Determination of Accommodations
During the interactive process, the Director of ODAS seeks to gain an in-depth understanding of the functional impact of the disability and to determine the appropriate reasonable accommodations to support the student’s access. The Director makes a determination on a case-by-case basis as to the accommodations necessary and appropriate for the individual student. This interactive process applies to academic accommodations, housing accommodations, or any other accommodations based on a disability sought to gain access to activities or functions of the University.
Reasonable accommodations can only be determined and approved after the interactive process is complete, which involves submission by the student of necessary documentation and an intake meeting during with the Director of ODAS seeks to gain an in-depth understanding of the functional impact of the disability. The procedures for determining accommodations include the following steps:
Step 1: Start the Process
Incoming or current students may connect with ODAS directly, or at times may be referred by faculty or other departments. Initial contact is helpful for students to find out more about the process and about available support
Step 2: Paperwork and Documentation
It is the student's responsibility to disclose a disability and to provide additional information through documentation and the interactive process to seek accommodations. Students must complete an online form to provide more information and provide additional documentation as necessary. Medical or psychological documentation should be reasonably current, include a diagnosis, and describe the functional impact of the disability in an educational setting. Woodbury follows the national best practices for documentation guidelines as set forth by the organization AHEAD.
Step 3: Intake Meeting
The intake appointment is a 1:1 meeting between the student and the ODAS Director, and is a central part of the interactive process. The intake meeting involves discussion of the functional impact of the disability on the student’s experience and education, review of provided information, and discussion of potential barriers. Discussion of possible accommodations will also occur in this meeting.
Step 4: ODAS Decision
The ODAS Director makes the determination regarding whether the student is eligible for accommodations. This decision may be made during the meeting or after if additional time to review information is needed. Students are informed of the final determination, and have a right to appeal if applicable.
Step 5: Notice of Accommodations
A Notice of Academic Accommodation Letter or a Notice of Housing Accommodation Letter is produced to document the reasonable accommodations in place. The NAAL or NAHL is provided, with student consent, to the appropriate individuals involved in implementations, such as instructors or housing.
Appeal and Grievance Procedures
Students who disagree with determinations made by ODAS, including determinations about documentation and during the initial intake process, have the right to appeal such decisions in writing. All appeals are to be timely submitted in writing to ODAS at Disabilities@woodbury.edu, and the ODAS Director will promptly notify the student at that time of the process for the appeal. The appeal will be decided by an appropriate University official as designated in current and applicable institutional policies.
Further Information about ODAS
Students are encouraged to visit ODAS’s SharePoint site to explore additional information about disability-related accommodations, supports, and ODAS policies and procedures. ODAS is located in the Whitten Student Center, and students may make an appointment or come in for drop-in appointments. Students are welcome to reach out directly to ODAS at any time for assistance or support. To file a complaint related to possible disability discrimination, students should contact the Director of ODAS directly.
The ODAS SharePoint is located at: https://woodburyedu.sharepoint.com/sites/ODAS
ODAS may be contacted via email at disabilities@woodbury.edu or phone at 818.394.3345.