Staff

Brittany Jackson, Ed.D.
Disability Services Coordinator

Web address: https://www.hiram.edu/disabilityservices

Hiram College follows the best practices set by the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD).  In providing support services to students who may require them, our goal is not only to provide the individualized support that is necessary for academic success here at Hiram but also to help develop both the functional skills and the skills of self-advocacy that will help students in their lives after Hiram.

If you are a student at Hiram College, and you have a disability that substantially limits a major life activity, you can register with the Hiram College Disability Services Office and you may be eligible to receive accommodations. Please note this information is kept strictly confidential. Self-identification is voluntary. However, if you have a disability, not registering with Disability Services may delay or compromise the availability of accommodations. As many reasonable accommodations require significant pre-planning, registration with the Disability Services Office prior to situations requiring accommodations is essential.

Reasonable Accommodations

Under both the Americans with Disabilities Act, as recently amended, and Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, a reasonable accommodation is considered to be a modification or adjustment to a course, program, service, or facility, which ensures that a qualified student with a disability is not excluded, segregated, or otherwise treated differently.

  • Reasonable accommodations are tailored adjustments that level the playing field.
  • Reasonable accommodations must not compromise essential functions of the course or program.
  • Reasonable accommodations are individually determined after a review of medical documentation and an interactive needs assessment between the Hiram College Disability Services Office and the student.

An accommodation would not be considered reasonable if it:

  • Fundamentally alters the essential nature of the course, curriculum, or program.
  • Constitutes services of a personal nature (such as private tutoring).
  • Results in an undue administrative or financial burden for the institution.
  • Results in posing a direct threat to the health or safety of self or others.

Accommodations

All Hiram College students with a disability may request to receive certain free academic and housing accommodations.  

Initial Student Request

To request accommodations for the first time, please complete the following steps:

  1. Submit a self-disclosure form identifying the specific diagnosis of the disability, barriers, and effective and ineffective accommodations. (Required)
  2. Submit additional documentation from external sources which may include educational or medical records, reports and assessments created by health care providers, school psychologists, teachers, or the educational system directly to disabilityservices@hiram.edu. This information is inclusive of documents that reflect education and accommodation history, such as Individual Education Program (IEP), Summary Of Performance (SOP), and teacher observations. (Required)
  3. Meet with Disability Services to discuss appropriate accommodations and identify the student’s next steps. (Required)

The College reserves the right to require more detailed or more current documentation when necessary to consider accommodation requests. Students are encouraged to contact the Disability Services Office (disabilityservices@hiram.edu or 330-569-6114) early in their college career or immediately following diagnosis to discuss any anticipated needs. 

RETURNING STUDENT REQUEST

Accommodation letters have an expiration date that is listed at the top right corner of the document. If an accommodation letter is expired, a new one can be requested by: