Disability Support Services provides accommodations and services to students with various disabilities. Accommodations are designed to provide an equal opportunity so as to assist students with meeting course standards, not changing or preventing them. Accommodations also provide an alternative way to fulfill requirements by eliminating or reducing disability-related barriers. DSS aids students with many disabilities including:
- Learning disabilities
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
- Mental health disabilities
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Brain injuries
- Physical/mobility and medical disabilities
- Vision and hearing impairments
DSS works with students to determine and facilitate reasonable accommodations based on documentation and a personal interview. DSS is a resource designed to speed up the accommodations process; it should not be time-consuming so, be sure to disclose the disability in a timely manner. To register with Disability Support Services, follow these steps:
- Submit an application along with documentation of your disability
- Contact the DSS office or review the documentation guidelines if you have any questions
- A DSS Specialist will contact you to schedule a meeting for a personal interview to discuss your disability, reasonable accommodations, and support services.
After you are registered with DSS, be sure to pick up your DSS accommodations memo each semester. Memos document your registration and specify approved accommodations. You must physically give your memo to each of your professors and discuss how the accommodations will be implemented in each course; this should be done as early as possible and preferably within the first two weeks of the semester.
You will also want to maintain regular contact with your DSS Specialist. In addition to discussing your academic progress and referring you to other resources if/when needed, your DSS specialist is available to assist both you and your professors in implementing accommodations as they relate to specific course or program requirements.
For additional information including access to forms, visit towson.edu/dss. To register with DSS, or if you have any questions about disability accommodations, contact Disability Support Services by phone at 410-704-2638, or visit the DSS office in the Administration Building, Room 232-235. As a reminder, remember that instructors are not obligated to give any accommodations unless a student is enrolled with DSS before requesting an accommodation.
