This is the Y(our) Book. It is Your Book and it is Our Book.

It’s Your Book because the information in the following pages is meant to assist you in your college career. It’s Your Book because this journey starts with you. But, somewhere along the journey, we come in, so it’s also Our Book.

It’s Our Book because we, at the Office of Disability Services (ODS), are prepared to encourage you and be there for you along your journey.

It’s also Our Book because we are James Madison University (JMU). The staff at ODS and the JMU community are committed to creating and facilitating an environment of inclusivity and equity for all. JMU and its diverse community of individuals are all one; we are interconnected, respected and supported. We are all in this together.

So, it’s Y(our) Book. Yours and ours.

The Office of Disability Services (ODS) at JMU strives to be the strategic campus partner for removing barriers and building the capacity to ensure inclusion and equity for people with disabilities. ODS and several other departments on-campus offer a multitude of resources that could be helpful to all students. Although no one is obligated to use these resources, alumni who used ODS found that our resources have assisted them in the classroom and beyond.

Some of our resources includes Accessible Media & Technology (AcMe), Exam Accommodation Support, Note-taking Accommodation Support, Housing Accommodations, Dining Accommodations, and Accessible Transportation. Please refer to the Table of Contents for a comprehensive list of all resources. 

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Accommodation Letter - A written plan that lists a student's official accommodations. Students send these to their professors using the Accommodate Portal.

Accommodation - A specific tool approved for a student who has a disability by ODS to give them equal access to their education in order to mitigate functional limitations.

AcMe - Accessible Media 

DAW - Disability Advocacy Week is a week full of events and activities focused around raising disability awareness and actionable steps around campus and beyond. 

Documentation - Current and comprehensive information provided by an appropriate medical or psychological professional about your substantial functional limitation stemming from disability. Please see our Documentation Guidelines for more information.

DSPs - Disability Services Practitioner are ODS staff who review documentation and meet with students who have applied for accommodations.

ODS - Office of Disability Services 

Policy 1324 - This JMU policy "established the university's commitment to providing a workplance and learning environment free from illegal discrimination and harassment".

Policy 1331 - This JMU policy "established the university's intent that qualified persons with disabilities be provided with reasonable accommodation to ensure equal access and equal opportunities with regard to the university's programs and services". 

Provisional - Provisional eligibility for accommodations means that there is a date when the student's eligiblity will expire.

Registered with ODS - A student who is registered with ODS has been approved to receive accommodations.

Substantial Functional Limitation - This is legalese for "how your disability substantially impacts you."

UDL - Universal Design for Learning aims to remove learning barriers in curriculum design and emphasizes flexibility that attempts to accommodate all learners to access content and demonstrate their learning. Please see CAST for more information. 

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ODS complies with The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (“FERPA,” 20 USC 1232g et. seq.) which is a federal law that addresses access to and confidentiality of student education records. Read more within JMU Policy 2112. 

All information obtained in diagnostic and medical reports will be maintained and used in accordance with applicable confidentiality requirements. All contact information and documentation received in the ODS is kept in separate confidential files within the office. Permission to share information with parents, treating clinicians, or other entities will require the student to complete and submit a Release and Exchange of Information Form. 

No information concerning inquiries about accommodations or documentation will be released without written consent by the student. However, the ODS staff is legally obligated to disclose information to other sources if there is an inclination or evidence of sexual assault or rape, child abuse, self-harm and/or harm to others.

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The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) “requires all offices that provide public assistance of state-funded programs that primarily serve persons with disabilities to provide the opportunity to register to vote by providing voter registration forms, assisting voters in completing the forms, and transmitting completed forms to the appropriate election official.”

During your registration meeting, you will be given the opportunity to receive information about voting and complete the Commonwealth of Virginia Voter Registration Agency Certification form. This form verifies that ODS has made you aware of the NVRA policy and the fact that you can register to vote at ODS.

Please see the Dukes Vote website to learn more about other voting resources on and off-campus, including other on-campus locations where students can register to vote.

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Student Rights 

• Equal access to postsecondary education both to learn and to demonstrate your learning
• Reasonable accommodations or modifications
• Information regarding availability of auxiliary aids and possible modifications, as well as procedures for making requests for either
• Non-discrimination
• Equal opportunity for participation in programs and benefits of your school (including co-curricular activities, services, housing, transportation, etc.)
• Confidentiality of your disability information
• Information about procedures for initiating appeals of institutional decisions

For more information, see JMU Policy 1324 which applies when a complaint is brought against JMU faculty or staff. 

Student Responsibilities

• Acting as your own advocate, including managing all of your own disability-related affairs
• Fulfillment of the same obligations as other students to meet and maintain the institution’s academic, technical standards, and behavioral expectations
• Self-disclosure of your disability and needs to the Office of Disability Services (ODS)
• Documentation of the disability and how it substantially limits major life function
• Demonstration of accommodations needed to achieve equal access to education
• Timely requests of needed accommodations or modifications
• Compliance with procedures for requesting accommodations, modifications or for filing appeals

University Rights

• Establishment of abilities, skills and knowledge necessary for success in its programs and evaluation of applicants and students on this basis
• Establishment of abilities, skills and knowledge fundamental to academic programs/courses and evaluations of student performance against these standards. Fundamental program and course standards are not subject to modifications
• Receipt of documentation that supports requests for modifications
• Denial of a request for modifications if the documentation demonstrates no modifications are necessary or if the individual fails to provide such documentation
• Selection from among equally effective modifications for individuals with a disability
• Refusal of an unreasonable modification or one that imposes an undue hardship on the university

University Responsibilities

• Communicating with the student as the primary advocate
• Accessibility of recruitment information and activities in both format and facilities
• Evaluation of applicants based solely on their abilities, seeking reasonable alternatives for any discriminatory criterion
• Selection and administration of tests used to evaluate students so as to best ensure that test results accurately reflect aptitudes or competencies and do not discriminate against an individual with a disability
• Accessibility and usability of all of its programs, viewed in their entirety, including but not limited to academic offerings, housing, transportation, student organizations, counseling, and placement
• Adjustments of discriminatory academic requirements which are not essential to the integrity of the academic program
• Reasonable modifications for a student with a disability in the delivery, instructional method, and evaluation system of a course
• Information about the availability of auxiliary aids and the range of possible modifications, as well as the procedures for requesting them

What are the laws?

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and The Americans with Disabilities Act give specific rights to students with disabilities in postsecondary education. These laws focus on access, providing rights to equal opportunity for both learning and the demonstration of that learning. In addition, these laws protect equal opportunity to participate in school activities.

For further information regarding the University’s policies and procedures regarding issues of discrimination, please review the policies and definitions. 

In addition, the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, protects student privacy and firmly establishes student rights as their own self-advocate. For further information, see the article for students with disabilities preparing for postsecondary education from the U.S. Department of Education. 

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The following procedures should ensure that JMU students receive appropriate and reasonable accommodations that will assist them in mitigating the impact of functional limitations stemming from their disability while ensuring an equal opportunity while at JMU:

1. Application and Documentation: Students complete the ODS Application and submit appropriate, current, and comprehensive documentation. Please see our Documentation Guidelines for more information. 
2. ODS Review: In keeping with the published ODS standards, please allow 15 business days for review of documentation. Following the review, the student will be contacted to schedule a registration meeting or for further information. 
3. Registration Meeting: At the registration meeting, we will discuss what reasonable accommodations would be appropriate for the student and create your Accommodation Letter. Recommendations from documentation and consultation with the student are both used to determine accommodations. Final determination of accommodations rests with the university.
4. Accommodation Letters: It is the student's responsibility to submit a semester request for accommodation letters to be sent to their faculty. Afterwards, we recommend students meet with their professors privately to raise their level of understanding of the student's strengths and challenges. This provides an opportunity to work out the logistics of providing the approved accommodations. Students are not required to disclose their disability to their professor. As the primary relationship in the learning process is with the professor, ODS strongly encourages students to take the initiative early in the semester to develop that relationship. Additionally, note that accommodations are not retroactive. Accommodation Letters are sent through the Accommodate Portal by submitting a Semester Request. Please see our Semester Request Video Tutorial for more information. 
5. On-going Support: If difficulties occur in the actual provision of approved accommodations, and the student is unsuccessful in resolving those issues, then they may appeal to ODS and request assistance with securing the appropriate accommodations. ODS will work with the student and the faculty member or department to arrive at an appropriate resolution.

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The AcMe team supports students registered with ODS who need alternative formats and assistive technologies. Once a student completes the ODS registration process, they will meet with AcMe staff for an intake meeting to discuss the student’s needs and identify options.

Students who are not registered at ODS are also welcome to meet with AcMe to learn about free software, apps, and computer tools that can make learning more accessible.

Audiobooks and Accessible Text

• AcMe can assist a student with an alternative formats accommodation for print materials in multiple ways. Format options include:
  • PDFs, EPUBs, or other electronic formats to utilize with screenreaders or text-to-speech programs such as CaptiVoice or Kurzweil.
  • Braille materials in various codes, including Nemeth, foreign language, etc. as well as tactile graphics
  • Accessible Word documents for use with screenreaders or text-to-speech software
  • Large print materials
  • Learning Ally & Bookshare audio books
• Students with an accommodation for alternative formats qualify for individual memberships with Bookshare, Learning Ally, and CaptiVoice.
• After the initial intake meeting, students may make future requests for alternative formats by filling out the on-line Accessible Media Request Form.
• Students are also welcome to set up in-person meetings to request books or other course materials at any time.
• Please Note: Students may need to provide proof of purchase/rental confirmation to receive an electronic copy of a book. Please keep all receipts from textbook purchases.

Accessible Video and Audio Content

• Captioning and Transcripts
  • AcMe provides captioning and transcripts of video and audio materials for students with deaf or hard of hearing accommodations.
  • After students meet with AcMe staff for an intake meeting, we coordinate with the student’s faculty members to process any audio or video content for their classes.
• Audio Described Videos 
  • AcMe produces videos with audio description for students with visual impairments.

Accessible Technology Labs

• Students who are registered with ODS will have JACard access to the three AT Labs on-campus:
  • Student Success Center Accessible Technology Lab in ODS, Suite 1202
  • Rose Library Accessible Technology Lab, Room 1204
  • Carrier Library Accessible Technology Lab: Under construction!
• Assistive software available in the labs includes JAWS, ZoomText, Fusion, Dragon NaturallySpeaking, and Kurzweil 3000, as well as Mac computers with built-in tools such as Voice Over, Dictation, Speech, etc.
• The labs also include a low-vision desktop magnifier, height adjustable computer tables, ergonomic chairs and a flatbed scanner.

Please visit the Accessible Media and Technology Website for more information or contact AcMe with any specific questions. 

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Exam Accommodation Services are provided for students who have exam accommodations with the cooperation of the student’s instructors.

• Exam Accommodations
  • Accessible Media Formats
    • Text to Audio
    • Audio to Text
    • Braille
    • Captioned Videos
    • Descriptive Videos
    • Enlarged Print
    • Others as needed
  • Proctoring Services
  • Reduced Distraction Environment
  • Extended Exam Time
• Requests for Exam Accommodations
  • To request to take an exam in the ODS Testing Center, please submit your request through the Accommodate Student Portal. Please reference the Student Guide for Scheduling Exams in the ODS Testing Center. 
  • Students who test in the ODS Testing Center Agree to the ODS Testing Center Student Agreement.
  • ODS recommends that all requests be submitted at least three business days before quizzes and exams. Not adhering to this timeframe increases the possibility that ODS will be unable to proctor your exam. 
  • Emails will be sent out regarding deadlines and important information throughout each semester.
  • Due to the high volume of exams during Finals Week, all requests to test with ODS must be submitted in Accommodate within the reservation window in order to be scheduled. You will receive an email prior to Finals Week with detailed instructions once the seats are available to schedule in Accommodate. We strongly encourage you to plan ahead and submit your requests early.

Please contact Exam Accommodation Services with any questions. 

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ODS may provide interpreter services for students with deaf and hard of hearing accommodations.

Requests for interpreters should be made in a timely manner, so that ODS can locate an interpreter as soon as possible. ODS requires that the registered student provides an accurate class schedule so
that interpreter services can be properly planned.

Learn more about Interpreter Services. 

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A screening is a two hour interview with a Graduate Assistant in School Psychology which looks at a broad range of historical, academic, study habits/skills, academic frustrations and emotional components. The screening will not yield a diagnosis. Rather, it assists in the decision making process for making recommendations by consulting the Triage Committee.

All information is confidential, unless you sign a release, indicate intent of harming yourself or others, indicate past or present child abuse, indicate past or present sexual assault, or in the case of a medical emergency.

A follow up meeting will be scheduled to discuss committee recommendations. Recommendations may include referral for a comprehensive diagnostic assessment (i.e. testing) at the Interprofessional Services for Learning Assessment (ISLA) clinic or with other qualified diagnosticians. Referrals to other JMU resources may also be provided. If you are not a candidate for testing, the screening process ends at this point.

Learn more about Screening and Referral.

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Accessible Parking

Accessible parking spaces are exclusively intended for the use of those persons possessing a valid JMU Parking permit and displaying a valid Accessible permit (dash card, hang-tag or license plate).

Any member of the university community who possesses a current, valid accessible parking permit is eligible to obtain a gate permit at no charge through the Office of Parking and Transit Services. In order to obtain a gate permit to access accessible parking within the gated area, the user will need to complete an Accessible Gate Permit Request Form, present a valid accessible parking permit, and if applicable, the associated ID card issued in conjunction with their accessible parking permit.

Learn more about accessible parking on campus.

HDPT Paratransit Services

The Harrisonburg Department of Public Transportation (HDPT) Paratransit is a wheelchair-accessible public transportation service that is available for JMU faculty, staff, and students who have mobility and other accommodations. Paratransit accommodations can be used by faculty, staff and students who have either permanent or temporary impairments that impact transportation.

• To become eligible for rides at JMU or in the city of Harrisonburg, please fill out the Paratransit Registration Form. 
• The Paratransit Registration Form should be submitted to ODS. ODS will review the form and then authorize the student’s use of the paratransit service.
• Students are responsible for their pickup and drop-off schedule once ODS has authorized that they can use the paratransit services. Students should contact Paratransit by email at hdpt-dispatch@harrisonburgva.gov or by phone at (540) 432-0492 with any questions. 

Learn more about Paratransit Services. 

Building Access

JMU is committed to making sure campus is accessible. Please see the Interactive Campus Map to learn more about accessible entrances to campus buildings. If you experience a physical or digital barrier, please submit a Barrier Report. 

Learn more about navigating campus. 

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Counseling Center

The primary focus of the Counseling Center mission is to provide the highest quality individual and group counseling to students struggling with problems common to a college population. All students are eligible for an initial assessment and recommendation which will occur during their first visit. Walk-in hours for initial assessments are between 10:00AM – 3:00PM from Monday through Friday.

In addition to in-person counseling services, the Counseling Center offers TimelyCare for students to have access free to virtual mental health and well-being services. Students do not need insurance and do not need to visit the JMU Counseling Center to access TimelyCare services.

Dean of Students

Office of Equal Opportunity

The Office of Equal Opportunity administers JMU’s commitment to providing an equitable and safe environment for the entire JMU community. JMU adheres to a strict policy that prohibits discrimination of any kind in JMU’s hiring practices, admissions, academics, or programs involving JMU employees or students.

Any university community member who believes they have been subjected to discrimination due to age, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status may file a complaint with the OEO. OEO investigates complaints of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.

Learning Centers

The Learning Centers offer free tutoring by trained faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students. Their services include: 

• Communication Center
• English Language Consultation
• Peer Academic Coaching
• Peer Assisted Study Sessions 
• Science and Math Learning Center
• University Writing Center

Learning Success Strategies

Learning Success Strategies provides individualized, student-centered life skills and learning strategies coaching designed to engage all students in accessible and inclusive learning to increase student success and well-being. They support students with: 

• Time management
• Study skills 
• Reading comprehension
• Note-taking
• Test-taking 
• Online learning

Students may schedule an appointment online. 

Student Support Hub

The Student Support Hub houses information about campus and community resources that can help students meet their basic needs, including: 

• Food assistance 
• Financial assistance
• Housing assistance
• And other supports, such as laundry, printing, childcare, workplace attire, etc. 

Well Dukes 

Well Dukes helps promote and enhance student well-being through wellness coaching, peer-to-peer programming, safer sex stations, consultation services and other resources. They aim to empower students with the knowledge, resources and skills they need to navigate, protect and advocate for their well-being.

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