• Appropriate confidentiality of all information related to your disability.
• Equal access to courses, programs, services, jobs, activities, and facilities available at Salem State College.
• Appropriate reasonable accommodations according to your disability, which may include academic adjustment, and/or auxiliary aids determined on an individualized basis using required documentation.

• Disclosing your disability and providing documentation regarding your disability from an appropriate health care professional to OSD.
• Completing the Semester Accommodation Request Form and meeting with OSD staff each semester to review course requirements and obtain Accommodation Approval Letters for each instructor.
• Meeting with faculty to get the faculty signature page signed and discuss disability-related needs and accommodations.
• Requesting all services in a timely manner, and following established procedures.
• Reporting any concerns that you have regarding accommodations immediately as they arise.
• Treating all College personnel with respect.
• Meeting the College’s graduation requirements and essential qualifications for full participation in and completion of any academic program.

• Request current, appropriate and comprehensive documentation of the disability.
• Discuss a student’s need for reasonable accommodations, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids with the professional who provides the written verification of disability (with the student’s signed consent).
• Deny a request for accommodations, academic adjustment, and/or auxiliary aids if the documentation does not meet our guidelines.
• Refuse to provide specific accommodations if:
• The appropriate procedures are not followed.
  • It constitutes a substantial change or alteration to an essential part of a program or course.
  • It poses a direct threat to the health and safety of others.
  • It poses undue financial hardship on the College.
• Select the most appropriate or equally effective accommodations, adjustments, or auxiliary aids through discussion with the student.
• Be treated respectfully by all students.

• Maintaining the student’s confidentiality with respect to the specifics of their disability.
• Ensuring that all programs, courses and services through the University, are provided in the most integrated settings.
• Orienting students to information regarding policies and procedures of OSD and ensuring their availability in an accessible format upon request by a student.
• Supporting timely, reasonable and appropriate accommodations, academic adjustments, adaptive equipment and/or other auxiliary aids for students with disabilities on an individualized basis, upon request and with documentation verification.
• Informing students with disabilities of college grievance procedures.
• Resolving problems or issues related to disability services in an expedient manner.

• Determine course content and general methods of teaching.
• Make informed decisions about how to best adapt their teaching and assessment methods to accommodate all students.
• Ensure that the standards in their courses are not lowered or compromised.
• Ensure that a student has demonstrated mastery of the essential requirements of a course in order to obtain an appropriate grade.
• Fail any student if he/she does not demonstrate mastery of essential course requirements.
• Question a specific accommodation request if it is either inappropriate for their course, or if the nature of the request would alter the essential requirements of a course.
• Determine through consultation with knowledgeable professionals the most appropriate ways to adapt their course to the needs of a particular student.
• Be treated respectfully by all students in their class.

• Acknowledging that students who are registered with OSD have provided adequate and appropriate documentation of their disability from a registered health care professional. Accommodations are based on this documentation. Faculty need to respect student’s confidentiality with regards to the specifics of their disability.
• Signing the Accommodation Approval Letter and other appropriate forms.
• Learning about OSD policies and procedures, and cooperating with the coordination of services.
• Understanding that some students with disabilities have academic or behavior problems that are not related to their disability. Faculty is not obligated to treat such problems differently than they would for a non-disabled student.

• Disability related information is to be treated as medical information. Any information regarding disability is considered confidential to OSD and shall be shared with others within the institution only on a need-to-know basis.
• To protect confidentiality by assuring limited access, all disability-related information must be filed with OSD.
• Information in files will not be released except in accordance with federal and state laws.
• Your file may be released pursuant to a court order or subpoena.
• You may give written authorization for the release of information when you wish to share it with others.
• You have the right to review your file, however you must make an appointment to do so.

OSD understands that there are times when there may be disagreement on a decision regarding accommodations, or problems that may arise during the process of receiving accommodations that have been already determined. If a student wishes to challenge an OSD decision of accommodations, or has a complaint about accommodations they are receiving, they should notify the director as soon as possible. The director will promptly evaluate the situation and attempt an informal resolution.

If the director is unable to resolve the matter, or if the student disagrees with the outcome, a grievance can be filed with the SSC Office for Equal Opportunity [link], where relevant information pertaining to the incident will be presented. A detailed overview of the grievance process is available at the OEO office (978) 542-6106.

Every effort will be made to resolve the disagreement as expeditiously as possible. It is important to note that at any time during the process, a student may choose to contact the Office of Civil Rights (617-223-9700) to seek appropriate advice and/or to file a formal complaint.

Any ADA/504 grievances that are related to employment/job-related issues, physical access, activities or events on campus should be directed to the Equal Opportunities Office