Welcome to Arkansas State University!

Access & Accommodation Services (AAS)

   

Our Goal

AAS focuses on facilitating opportunities to stimulate and create a barrier-free environment, eliminating academic, social, and physical obstacles which impede students’ access to a higher education. We actively work to:

  • Eliminate any barrier that could hinder a student’s success and feeling of belonging in the university setting.
  • Advocate for spaces, programs, and services that are not only accessible but inclusive.
  • Hear the concerns of students and advocate on their behalf if needed.
  • Foster the confidence in students so that they learn to advocate for themselves in the university setting and beyond.
  • Encourage and support academic achievement, personal and professional development, accountability, and lifelong learning for all students with disabilities.

    Frequently Asked Questions

       

  • What services can AAS provide?

    AAS can provide an wide array of services, dependent on student needs. Some of our most common accommodations are:

    • Priority registration
    • Note-taking
    • Alternative testing (tests proctored with student-specific accommodations)
    • E-Text (texts in alternate format such as PDF)
    • Computer and technology demonstrations/check-out
    • Physical adaptations campus-wide
    • Guidance and counseling
    • Interpreter services

    If you have questions about services we provide, or do not find information about services you may need, please contact our office or schedule a Q&A session via Penji.

  • I am already registered with AAS. How do I set up my accommodations?

    All students must log into AIM at the beginning of each semester and choose accommodations from your pre-approved list. If changes need to be made to your accommodations, you must schedule a meeting with your AAS Counselor. To ensure accommodations are set and faculty letters are sent in a timely manner, request your accommodations as early as possible in the academic term. When AAS sends the accommodation letter to faculty, you will also receive a copy of the letter in your A-State smail account. 

    General accommodations:

    • Log in to the AIM Portal (You may be redirected to enter your MY.ASTATE credentials before returning to AIM)
    • Under MY ACCOMMODATIONS, choose LIST ACCOMMODATIONS
    • Click "Step 1: Select Class(es)" and select each class you are requesting accommodations for
    • Click "Step 2: Continue to Customize Your Accommodations"
      • Under "Select Accommodation for..." check each accommodation you want for that particular course
      • Repeat for each class you are requesting accommodations for

    Note-taking services:

    • Log in to the AIM Portal (You may be redirected to enter your MY.ASTATE credentials before returning to AIM)
    • Under MY ACCOMMODATIONS, choose NOTE-TAKING SERVICES
    • Only click CONFIRM for the courses you will NEED note-taking (i.e. do not request note-taking for labs or online courses)
  • What is A-State's policy on Service/Emotional Support Animals?

    A-State is committed to providing access for individuals with disabilities in compliance with state and federal laws. This includes when students with disabilities have an accommodation regrading a service or assistive animal on campus.

    Service Animal: Service animals ("Assistance Dogs") are trained to perform quantifiable tasks that directly ease the challenges associated with their owner’s physical, psychiatric, sensory, and/or developmental disability.

    **If you are living on campus with a service animal, you must notify AAS. This does not mean you have to fill out an application.**

    Emotional Support Animal (ESA): Emotional support animals are companion animals who help their owners cope with the challenges associated with emotional and mental health conditions (such as depression and anxiety) by providing comfort with their presence. Unlike service and therapy dogs, emotional support animals are not expected to perform specific tasks related to their owner’s condition, nor must they adhere to any behavior standards or training. Their presence alone is what is thought to provide their owner with solace and therapeutic benefit. Emotional support animals are not allowed in public places, with the exception of air travel, which requires special documentation.

    **Students who wish to have an ESA on campus must register with AAS and obtain approval before the animal is permitted on campus.**

  • How do I set up Golf Cart Transportation?

    To obtain golf cart transportation due to a temporary injury or permanent disability/condition, click on the link provided below to submit a Transportation Request Form. This form must be completed for services to be facilitated!

    Services are approved based on capacity and need.

    Golf Cart Transportation Application*

    *If this form is not accessible to you, please contact our office for further assistance.

    **Please read the Golf Cart Transportation Policy before obtaining transportation services.

  • What is A-State's policy on Course Substitution?

    On occasion, student(s) with a learning disability or other disabilities that present significant learning difficulties, may encounter a course(s) which the student is not capable of passing due to his/her disability condition(s). These courses are usually part of the core curriculum in the student's choice of major and are highly protected by accreditation criteria/requirements. When a situation arises where a student has given their "best effort" in a particular subject, but continually struggles to pass or even fails the course because of their disability, some type of action needs to be in place to assist these students. To this end, the office of Access & Accommodation Services offers course substitutions to students who encounter this problem. Please see the course substitution policy and application by clicking here for more information.


   

Become a Volunteer Note-Taker today!

AAS recruits volunteer note-takers who are willing to share a copy of their notes with a student with a disability.

To Volunteer:

  • Log in to the AIM Portal (You may be redirected to enter your MY.ASTATE credentials before returning to AIM)
  • Complete and submit the 'Note-taking Volunteer Application'
  • Upload notes to AIM no less than 2x per week

For any questions, please contact our Note-Taking Coordinator, Dominique White.

    

Disability Grievance Procedure

Arkansas State University has adopted an Internal grievance procedure providing for prompt and equitable resolution of complaints alleging any action prohibited by the U.S. Department of Justice regulations while implementing Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Title II states, in part, that "no otherwise qualified disabled individual shall, solely due to such disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits for, or be subjected to discrimination" in programs or activities sponsored by a public entity. Complaints should be submitted to the Director of Access & Accommodation Services, coordinator of ADA and 504 compliance efforts for A-State students. Grievance forms are available both on the web (please click here to download the PDF) and in the Access & Accommodation Services office.

Process and Procedure for Filing a Complaint:

  • A complaint should be filed in writing, contain the name and address of the complainant (or campus resident location), and briefly describe the alleged violation of the regulations

  • A complaint should be filed within 35 school days after the complainant becomes aware of the alleged violation. (Processing of allegations of discrimination that occurred before this grievance procedure was in place will be considered on a case-by-case basis)

  • An Investigation, deemed appropriate, shall follow upon the filing of a complaint. The investigation shall be conducted by the ADAAA and 504 coordinator. 
    • This process contemplates informal, but thorough investigations, affording all interested persons and their representatives, if any, an opportunity to submit evidence relevant to a complaint. A written determination as to the validity of the complaint and a description of the resolution, if any, shall be issued by the investigating official (s) and a copy forwarded to the complainant no later than 25 days after its filing.
    • The ADA coordinator shall maintain the files and records of Arkansas State University relating to the complaints filed.
    • The complainant can request a reconsideration of the case in instances where they are dissatisfied with the resolution. The request for reconsideration should be made within 15 school days to the Access & Accommodation Services Committee.

Reconsideration Process:

If complainant requests a reconsideration of the case in instances where they are dissatisfied with the resolution determined by the Access & Accommodation Services Committee, a written request for reconsideration should be submitted to the Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Community Engagement. The decision of the Vice Chancellor will be final.

The right of a person to a prompt and equitable resolution of the complaint filed hereunder shall not be impaired by the person's pursuit of other remedies such as filing of an ADA complaint with the responsible federal department or agency. Use of the grievance procedure is not a prerequisite to the pursuit of other remedies. The entire process shall be constituted to protect the substantive rights of interested persons to meet appropriate due process standards and to assure that Arkansas State University complies with the ADA and implementing regulations.

   

STUDENT SATISFACTION SURVEY

 

     

Access & Accommodation Services (AAS)
Scheduling with AAS

AAS offers appointments for many reasons including but not limited to:

  • Intake Appointments
  • General Q&A
  • Technology/Software Training
  • Technology Check-Outs

To schedule an appointment with a staff member please visit the AAS Community on Penji.


Contact Access & Accommodations

dservices@AState.edu

Phone: 870-972-3964
Fax: 870-972-3351

Room: 2181
Reng Student Union, 2nd Floor

Postal Address:
P.O. Box 360
State University, AR  72467

AAS Facebook Page

AAS YouTube Page

AAS Instagram Page


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