STUDENT ACCESS AND DISABILITY SERVICES

Disability Services Appeals Policy and Procedures

The Office of Student Access and Disability Services (OSA) at Truman State University strives to provide equal educational opportunities for students with disabilities as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act.  In order to do so, we make every effort to balance the need for reasonable accommodations needed for access as demonstrated by appropriate documentation with the required skills and abilities necessary to succeed in various areas of study.    Decisions about reasonable accommodations needed for access involve a careful review of documentation by the Director of OSA and approval from supervisor.  On some occasions, experts may be consulted to review documentation to ensure that requested accommodations are reasonable and consistent with the documented disabilities and needed for access.   Even with these checks and balances in our system of review, on occasion, students may feel that the accommodations approved by OSA are inadequate or inappropriate.  Students have a mechanism through which they may file an appeal.

Students who wish to appeal a decision regarding accommodations should do so in writing. The appeal needs to provide:

  • Name
  • Address
  • Contact information of the student
  • Basis of the appeal
  • Description of the desired accommodation that has not been provided
  • Specific and detailed documentation that was submitted supporting the requested accommodation

The appeal should be submitted to the Director of the Office of Student Access and Disability Services, who will verify the factual accuracy of the appeal.

The appeal will then be delivered by the Director of OSA to their supervisor.    The supervisor for the OSA Director will review the appeal in consultation with appropriate individuals in the University or external communities who may have expertise in the disability area.  A decision on the appeal will be rendered and returned to the student in writing within thirty days of the receipt of the appeal.  In the event that the student remains dissatisfied with the written decision in response to an appeal, a subsequent appeal may be filed with Truman State University Title IX office, https://titleix.truman.edu/ if still unsatisfied after filing an appeal with the Title IX office and receiving a response, a complaint may be filed with the Office of Civil Rights, whose standard processes for resolving such issues will be followed.

Truman State University

Office of Student Access and Disability Services

Pickler Memorial Library 109A

100 East Normal

Kirksville, MO  63501