Student handbook

The first part of this process is to self-identify as a student with a disability requesting accommodations. Self-identify means the student recognizes they have a disability and want to request accommodations. Student’s attending a post-secondary institution are responsible for identifying themselves to DR as a person with a disability.

The Self-Identification form is submitted electronically through DR’s secure server. To begin the self-identification process, please read the Self-Identification instructions. Once you have familiarized yourself with the instructions and are ready, you can complete the Self-Identification Form and submit it to begin the eligibility process.

Please, if possible, attach your disability information to the Self-Identification form when submitting. You may upload two files in the Disability Information section found at the bottom of the form.

Important: It may take up to four weeks to review your disability information. Freshman and new students are strongly encouraged to request accommodations from DR as early as possible prior to attending Northern Arizona University. Current students may request accommodations at any time but are encouraged to make their requests as soon as they become aware of a need.

In order to evaluate accommodation and service requests, DR needs information about how your disability will likely impact you here at Northern Arizona University. We want to understand the relevant impacts of your disability on tasks like communication, reading, writing, housing, technology, dining, the physical environment, coursework, lab activities, and online learning. Information on the impacts of physical (mobility, dexterity, endurance, etc.), perceptual, cognitive (attention, easily distracted, communication, etc.), and behavioral abilities may be helpful as well.

When providing information it may be useful to provide descriptions of treatments, medications, accommodations, auxiliary aids, assistive technology, and services currently in use, as well as their general effectiveness as tools for access. You can also identify additional accommodations or tools with a description of how you feel they will be helpful.

Any disability information students can readily share during or prior to the first meeting is helpful and can save the need for follow up meetings with DR. Disability Resources recognizes that barriers exist and can create hardship for students with regard to having and presenting third party disability documentation. Please don’t delay meeting with us out of concern for not having appropriate paperwork.

Students can be submit disability information at any time to Disability Resources in one of four ways:

1. Dropping of in person to our office in Room 2050 at the Health and Learning Center
2. E-mailing to: DR@nau.edu
3. Faxing to: 928-523-8747
4. Mailing to: P.O. Box 5633, Flagstaff AZ 86011-5633

Disability Resources may ask for additional documentation concerning your disability or the need for accommodations. If such documentation is necessary, it will be limited to the need for the accommodation requested. We will consider any information, including but not limited to, your description of your needs; records of past accommodations and services from high school, another college, state or high stakes testing organization; formal psychological or medical evaluations, and letters from past health, education or service providers.

These general guidelines are designed to assist you and those in your support network to prepare this information so we can evaluate your request and make recommendations.

The Intake Interview is a critical step toward determining eligibility. Once a student has completed and submitted their Self-Identification form, a DR Specialist will call or email them to complete this interview. The purpose of the interview is to learn first-hand from the student what functional limitations they are experiencing and the accommodations needed. This interactive process allows both the student and the DR Specialist to work together to determine the most appropriate accommodations. Together we will consider your answers to these questions to identify potential accommodations and services (such as extended time on tests, books in a digital format, or interpreters).

The interview is not dependent on the receipt of disability information. This interview can be completed any time after a Self-Identification Form has been submitted.

In order to be eligible for accommodations through Disability Resources, you must:

• Have a disability that substantially limits one or more major life activities that includes – but is not limited to – walking, talking, learning, hearing, or seeing.
• Have and provide current and appropriate information of such a disability, when necessary.

Within four weeks of receiving your information, and after the intake interview, a letter will be emailed to your NAU email address regarding your eligibility status. This letter will also have further instructions about your next steps in the process for registering with DR.

Considering the length of time it may take to complete an intake interview and review the disability information, students are strongly encouraged to begin the eligibility process as early as possible.

As a service to prospective Northern Arizona University students, DR will review disability related information regardless of a prospective student’s admission status.

All information submitted to Northern Arizona University’s Disability Resources becomes part of a student’s “educational record” as defined by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

The information gathered from the student’s interview and the disability information sent will be used to determine eligibility. Appropriate accommodations are based on a student’s disability and individual needs.

1. Go to the Disability Resource home page
2. Find the AXEss Log-In menu tab at the top of the screen, and then select “Student Log in to AXEss”
3. On this screen, find and select the icon that says, “Book a Test”
4. On this screen, select “Schedule a test, mid-term or quiz”
5. After reading the “Welcome to the Online Test Booking Wizard”, select “Next”
6. On this screen, select the course you want to schedule a test for by using the drop-down option.  You will only be able to schedule one test at a time
7. On this screen, enter the date, time and duration of the test and select, “Next”
8. On this screen, verify the Instructor Name and Email are correct. If the name/email are incorrect, you can enter the correct information.  Select “Next” to continue
9. On this screen, select which accommodations you wish to use on this test. You can select individual accommodations or select all. Select “Next” to continue
10. On this screen, read the Alternative Testing Agreement and check the radio button called “By checking this box I agree to these terms and understand my responsibilities.” Select “next” to continue
11. On this screen, select which time you wish to take your test; you can select any available time provided
12. On this screen, confirm you have entered the correct information and select the radio button stating, “I acknowledge that the information I am submitting is correct to the best of my knowledge” and select the “Finish” button to complete the test booking. If you made an error, make sure to select the “Previous” button to correct the information before selecting “Finish”
13. After you have selected the “Finish” button, this screen will provide an option to “schedule another test” or “return to the main menu.”
14. If you are finished booking your tests, make sure you log off the computer. This is an important step so no one can access your information when you leave the computer
15. Report to the Disability Resources front desk at the scheduled date/time and check in
16. You must bring photo identification
17. If you have any books, backpack, jacket, etc., a secure locker will be provided to you to store your belongings while you are testing

An accommodation of Alternate Format for print/video/audio materials is the translating of materials into an alternative format so that a student can access the information. A student who has an accommodation of print matter in alternate format cannot access print or other visual/audio materials in the customary way. Print can be translated to formats such as audio (MP3), electronic text (e-text) for use with text to speech software, or Braille. Multi-media, such as videos, may have closed captions or audio description added, and audio files may require a written transcript.

The process is explained in greater detail on the Print Matter in Alternate Format Accommodation site. At the time a student registers for accommodations with DR, they will sign an Alternate Format Agreement Form. This agreement form provides information about the process for translating materials as well as an explanation of the student’s responsibilities in this process. A copy of this agreement will be provided to the student at the end of the registration appointment.

The student will then need to complete an Alternate Format Request form for each text book or item for which they are requesting accessible formatting. Each form must be completed in its entirety. If the student has any questions regarding the content of the form, they are encouraged to contact DR for support. The Alternate Format Request form is completed and submitted online. Questions about this process or the form should be directed to afp@nau.edu.

Textbook or other item conversions may take 4 weeks to complete, so it is the student’s responsibility to turn in the request forms as soon as possible in order to receive their accommodation in a timely manner. Students may also opt to turn materials in prior to the beginning of the semester.

If the student has any other required reading material, such as a handouts or articles, the student needs to complete an Alternate Format Request form for each item.

Before the converted materials can be electronically delivered to the student, they must submit to DR either a receipt showing proof of purchase, a rental agreement for the materials, or have photo copies of the front and back of the textbook.

Once the converted materials are ready, an e-mail will be sent to your NAU email address with information on how to access your converted materials. If you have difficulty accessing the materials for any reason, you can contact the DR office within three days of receiving the email, and the Program Coordinator for Alternate Format Program can assist you.

DR provides short term loans of assistive technology on a first come first serve basis. This is done to maintain equitable access. These short term loans include: digital recorders, Smart Pens, FM systems, portable CCTV’s and CART microphones. More specific information on the devices available may be found on the Technology Loan page.

Students requesting equipment or software must complete an Assistive Technology Loan Agreement Form.  When the Assistive Technology Loan form is completed and the item is received by the student, a copy of this completed form will be given to the student.

Each device loaned has a dollar value assigned for replacement. The Assistive Technology Loan Agreement Form indicates this dollar amount, and provides a date that the technology should be returned to DR. About one week before the equipment is due to be returned to DR, the student will receive an e-mail reminding them they have equipment on loan and the date it is scheduled to be returned. If the equipment is not returned by the due date, a charge equal to the dollar value assigned to the device will be placed on the student’s account. Once the equipment is returned to DR, the charge will be removed.

Northern Arizona University is committed to compliance with state and federal laws regarding individuals with disabilities. Individuals with disabilities may be accompanied by their service animals on all Northern Arizona University campuses where members of the public or participants in services, programs or activities are allowed to go. By law, a service animal means 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. Other species of animals, whether wild or domestic, trained or untrained, are not service animals. In some cases, the university may permit miniature horses on campus on a case-by-case basis, consistent with applicable law.

Federal law does not require the individual to provide documentation that an animal has been trained as a service animal. Federal law does not require that the animal wear any type of vest or badge indicating that it is a service animal. Federal law does not prohibit any particular breed of dog from being a service animal.

Where it is not readily apparent that an animal is a service animal, the university may ask if the animal is required because of a disability, as well as what work or task the animal has been trained to perform. The work or tasks performed by a service animal must be directly related to the individual’s disability.

Examples of such tasks include, but are not limited to:

• assisting an individual with low vision with navigation
• alerting individuals who are hard of hearing to the presence of people or objects
• pulling a person’s wheelchair
• providing assistance with stability or balance to an individual with a mobility disability

Requests, concerns and questions regarding service animals should be directed to Disability Resources. The Disability Resources Director serves as the university ADA/504 compliance officer. The guidelines may be viewed on the Service Animal guidelines page.

An assistance animal is not a pet, it is a separate category of animal covered under the Fair Housing Act (FH Act). It is an animal that works, provides assistance or performs tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability, or provides emotional support that alleviates one or more identified symptoms or effects of a person’s disability. People use many different names for assistance animals, such as emotional support animals, comfort animals or therapy animals. Under the FH Act, these are all “assistance animals”.

An Assistance Animal is different from a Service Animal. For purposes of reasonable accommodation requests, neither the FH Act nor Section 504 requires an assistance animal to be individually trained or certified. While dogs are the most common type of assistance animal, other animals can also be considered.

Assistance Animals are approved for the Residence Hall room where the student lives. The Assistance Animal is not allowed to accompany the student throughout the residence hall or in any other building on campus.

The process for requesting an Assistance Animal/Emotional Support Animal is the same as it is for requesting any other housing accommodation. The student will complete and submit a Self-Identification form and documentation to the DR office. A DR Coordinator and the requesting student will complete an intake interview, and eligibility will be determined.

• The Assistance Animal Policy is available to view online.
• The Assistance Animal Procedure is also available to view online.

If you have further questions regarding having an Assistance Animal as an accommodation, please contact Disability Resources.

Step 1.

If informal discussions with university personnel have not resolved the issue, the individual shall submit a written or recorded complaint to the Director of Disability Resources or his/her designee, within ten (10) working days of the event(s) that triggered the complaint.

Step 2.

The Director of Disability Resources, or their designee, shall meet with the individual within seven (7) working days of the receipt of the complaint.

Step 3.

If Step 2 does not resolve the complaint, the director, or their designee, will forward the written complaint, within three (3) working days of the Step 2 meeting, to the Assistant Vice President for Equity Compliance.

Step 4.

Within five (5) working days of receiving the official complaint, the Assistant Vice President for Equity Compliance, or their designee, will appoint an ad hoc committee to investigate the complaint. This committee will be chaired by the Director or their designee. The investigation will proceed promptly and be completed within fifteen working (15) days. If the committee is not able to complete the investigation within fifteen (15) days, the committee chair will so notify the university’s Chief Diversity Officer and the parties to the complaint on or before the fifteenth (15) working day and include a timeframe for completion. The Assistant Vice President for Equity Compliance may also work with the parties to explore a mutually agreeable resolution of the complaint and may dismiss the panel if a resolution is reached. Informal resolution will be documented by a letter from the Assistant Vice President for Equity Compliance to the complainant and the DR Director.

Step 5.

Within five (5) working days following the conclusion of the investigation, the chair of the ad hoc committee will provide its recommendation to the Provost.

Step 6.

Within ten (10) working days of the receipt of the recommendations from the committee, the Provost will make a decision regarding the complaint and provide a written notice of the decision to all parties involved.