Programs and Services from Office of Students with Disabilities

John Denny, Assistant Dean

Greetings to all from the Office of Students with Disabilities (OSD)! Here are a few reminders about how the OSD can help faculty work with students with disabilities.

All students who receive classroom and testing accommodations should be presenting faculty with a memo from the OSD, addressed to the individual faculty member, which verifies they are registered with our office. The memo will detail the accommodations they will need to be successful in the classroom.

The OSD can provide assistance in providing accommodated testing. Our most frequent testing accommodations involve extra time and a separate environment. If you are unable to provide this accommodation, our testing coordinators will be glad to assist you in administrating the exam.

OSD employs two learning specialists, who assist students with study skills, time management and learning strategies. They are also able to refer students for formal evaluations if a faculty member suspects the student may have a learning disability.

OSD can provide guidance if faculty have specific questions about providing accommodations.

Since the accommodations provided by our office are mandated by federal and state law, we ask your help in making sure that students receive their accommodations as outlined in their accommodation memos.

Please consider adding a statement to your syllabus that states, “If you require accommodations due to a disability, please make an appointment during my office hours so that we may discuss your needs.” This will promote a welcoming atmosphere in what can be an intimidating situation for your students.

If you would like to learn more about the OSD, visit our website at www.dso.ufl.edu/OSD or call us at 392-1261. We are available to consult with faculty individually or do a brief presentation at your staff meetings.

Best wishes for a successful fall semester.