WVU | Office of Disability Services

Hello, and welcome to West Virginia University's Office of Disability Services. We currently have five counselors on staff to provide accommodations and serve other disability related needs to the WVU community.

The Office of Disability Services is the central service that provides students with accommodations for disability needs at West Virginia University. Because different people have different needs multiple links on this website often provide the same information. In addition to accessing information from this website we encourage you to make contact with one of the counselors in our office at any time.

Students having received disability related accommodations in secondary schools will find important differences as they continue in higher education. Being aware of these differences can make the transition easier. Among the differences are:

Once a student reaches the age of 18, they will need to give written consent to the Office of Disability Services for any kind of parental involvement. Even if parents are assuming the financial responsibility for a student's education, this release is still necessary.

Secondary schools may have provided for the financial cost of securing necessary documentation of a disability. In higher education, that cost is the responsibility of the student.

The length of time documentation is valid is substantially different in higher education.

Some types of accommodations, such as study guides, that are often used in secondary education are not available at the college or university level.

The amount and type of documentation that will be needed may be different between secondary and higher education. More detailed information about differences may be found at http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/transition.html

The Office of Disability Services is committed to helping qualified students with disabilities achieve their academic goals by providing reasonable academic accommodations under appropriate circumstances. Appropriate accommodations are based upon both documentation of a disability and the significant functional limitations supported by diagnostic test data.

The following information is designed to help you to understand the policies and procedures related to obtaining disability related accommodations at West Virginia University. This information is meant to assist you in obtaining services that are available to all students at WVU.

Schedule an initial interview with a counselor to register with the Office of Disability Services;
Provide documentation of your disability that meets WVU criteria for obtaining disability related academic accommodations; and
Request services on a semester by semester basis.

Because of the legal nature and complexity involved in the process of obtaining disability related accommodations within your academic program it is important to read and understand the policies and procedures related to this process. West Virginia University encourages all academically qualified students to take advantage of its academic programs. It is West Virginia University policy not to discriminate against qualified persons with disabilities in its admission policies or procedures or its educational programs, services and activities. Admission to WVU is based upon meeting the WVU admission requirements. Upon being admitted to WVU you should contact the Office of Disability Services for an appointment.

The West Virginia University process of providing disability related accommodations follows guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and current case law. This process is designed to assure that reasonable accommodations are provided to all qualified students in a timely manner.