Office of Accessibility

You are not required to disclose your disability at any time and the college is prohibited by Federal law from asking you about a disability on the application form.  If you believe your disability has had a negative impact on your grades and test scores and, thus, those scores do not truly reflect your ability to do college-level work, then it might benefit you to explain that to the admission officer or committee.   However, this is a personal decision that you should also discuss with your support system (your parents, school counselor, vocational rehabilitation counselor, etc.).  Often, once a student has been accepted, it is up to you to contact the Office of Accessibility to set up accommodations.

If you regularly see a family doctor, ask him or her if they can make a referral to someone that can provide you with the appropriate testing.  You may also contact the Office of Accessibility for a recommendation.  You can go online and research possibilities through the Learning Disabilities Association of America.

We do not offer on-campus transportation. We have a van shuttle to the barns for class or work purposes. The city of Findlay has accessible van transportation to access the city surroundings. The HATS local phone number is: 419-423-7261.

Yes! As established by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), service animals shall not be excluded from University facilities or activities. The ADA defines a service animal as a dog: “individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including, but not limited to, guiding individuals with impaired vision, alerting individuals who are hearing impaired to intruders or sounds, providing minimal protection or rescue work, pulling a wheelchair, or fetching dropped items.”
To work on campus, a service animal must be specifically trained to perform a service function.  If an animal meets this definition, it is considered a service animal regardless of whether it has been licensed or certified by a state or local government or a training program.  Service animals whose behavior poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others or is disruptive to the campus community may be excluded regardless of training or certification. 

Service animals may not reside in University housing without the expressed approval of Residence Life. 

Procedures and responsibilities for the students using service animals must be obtained at the Office of Accessibility.

The college has the responsibility under federal law for ensuring access to their programs and activities by students with disabilities.  Often, the Office of Accessibility has delegated the authority to make decisions on what is regarded as reasonable adjustments to ensure equal access because they have the knowledge, credentials, and experience to do this. The office often uses medical or other professional documentation provided by the student as a basis for making such decisions but they are not required to exactly follow the recommendations made in the documentation provided.

Unlike high schools, UF does not offer special or remedial classes for students with disabilities. UF does offer stepping stone classes for all students depending on academic records and/or ACT/SAT scores.

The majority of classroom buildings are accessible on campus. The director of accessibility will make arrangements with the facilities director to arrange accessibility to classes/meetings or events.

It is your choice to which professors you would like to disclose your limitations. With your permission, your instructors will get a letter of introduction with your name and accommodations. OA Staff will not discuss a diagnosis with any faculty or staff member unless you sign a release of information form.