Deaf/hard of hearing

Students with hearing disorders who are seeking accommodations from SUNY Oswego on the basis of a hearing disorder are to submit documentation to verify eligibility under Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Physicians, including otorhinolaryngologists and otologists, are qualified to provide diagnosis and treatment of hearing disorders.  Audiologists may also provide current audiograms.  The diagnostician should be an impartial individual who is not a family member of the student.

The following guidelines are provided to assist the Accessibility Resource Services Office in collaborating with each student to determine appropriate accommodations.  Documentation serves as a foundation that legitimizes a student's request for appropriate accommodations.  Recommended documentation includes:

•  A clear statement of deafness or hearing loss, with a current audiogram that reflects the current impact the deafness or hearing loss has on the student's functioning, (the age of acceptable documentation is dependent upon the disabling condition, the current status of the student, and the student's request for accommodations,
• A summary of assessment procedures and evaluation instruments used to make the diagnosis and a narrative summary of evaluation results, if appropriate,
• Medical information relating to the student's needs, the status of the individual's hearing (static or changing), and its impact on the demands of the academic program,
• A statement regarding the use of hearing aids (if appropriate),
• A statement of the functional impacts or limitations of the hearing loss on learning or other major life activity, and the degree to which it impacts the individual in the learning context for which accommodations are being requested.

Further assessment by an appropriate professional may be required if co-existing learning disabilities or other disabling conditions are indicated.  The student and the Accessibility Resource Services Office collaboratively determine appropriate accommodations.

**These guidelines are not meant to be used exclusively or as a replacement for direct communication with the Accessibility Resource Services Office regarding the individual nature of a disability. While submitted documentation meeting the above guidelines may be acceptable to SUNY Oswego, it is important to be aware that they may/may not meet the documentation guidelines required in other academic or testing organizations (e.g., special certifications, board examinations, standardized tests for admission to graduate schools, law schools, etc.)

All documentation should be sent to:

Dr. Starr L. Wheeler, Coordinator
Disability Support Services
SUNY Oswego
155 Marano Campus Center
Oswego, NY  13126

Source: The Policy Book, LRP Publications, 2000