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Office of Accessibility Services

The Office of Accessibility Services exists to serve, empower, and provide accommodations for students.

Location & Hours

Contact

N320 (3rd floor, Tower Hall)
Monday- Friday,Ìý8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Dominique Dusek
Assistant Director of Accessibility Services
ddusek@stfrancis.edu
815-740-3204

Ìýto meet with Dominique!

Mission & Purpose

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), its amended acts and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, OAS strives to empower students and remove barriers to equal education by providing accommodations and disability-related services.

Services

Our office is dedicated toÌýserving and empowering students who self-identify as having diagnosed disabilities.

According to ADA, a disability is defined as:

  • Any physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major living activities, such as breathing, walking, talking, hearing, seeing, learning, etc.
  • Having a history of such an impairment,
  • Being perceived as having such an impairment.

Under ADA, individuals who may qualify for accommodations include, but are not limited to, learners who have:

  • ADD/ADHD
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Physical disabilities
  • Hearing loss
  • Vision impairmentÌý
  • Learning disabilities
  • Speech and language disabilities
  • Mental health disordersÌý
  • Temporary disabilitiesÌý
  • Traumatic brain injuries
  • Chronic and systemic health conditionsÌý

Accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis taking into account the nature and severity of the student’s disability status. The below list is by no means exhaustive but rather represents some common accommodations.

  • Extended time on tests and quizzes
  • Testing in an alternative setting
  • Text-to-speech software for test proctoring
  • Short breaks as needed
  • Recorded Lectures
  • Peer notetaker or printed notes
  • Access to food or water
  • Use of ear plugs
  • Alternative texts
  • OCR pens and Kurzweil (text-to-speech)
  • USB compatible recorders
  • And more, as we continue to expand our collection to better serve our students!

Staff

Dominique Dusek,
Assistant Director of Accessibility

OAS is overseen by Dominique Dusek, who is a two-time Lewis University alumna with a bachelor’s degree in writing and a master’s degree in secondary education. Over the past 10 years, Dominique has worked in academic support and public relations at Joliet Junior College, Triton College and Lewis University. For the past five years, she applied her passion for serving students with diverse needs in the co-taught classroom environment. In spring of 2023 Ó£ÌÒÓ°ÊÓ, she returned to higher education, joining the Ó£ÌÒÓ°ÊÓ team as an academic advisor before transitioning into her current role. Dominique loves collaborating individually with students to help make higher ed spaces more student-centered and accessibility-friendly.

Frequently Asked Questions

The application process involves four steps:

1) Providing current documentation of your diagnosis from a qualified medical professional.

2) Completing an intake interview with the assistant director to discuss your previous learning experiences and the services you may qualify for.

3) Completing theÌýintake form containing consent to contact and confidentiality information.

4) Receiving your letters of accommodation via Ó£ÌÒÓ°ÊÓ email along with your professors.

Your IEP or 504 plan from high school can be an informative form of supplemental documentation. However,Ìýdocumentation from a qualified medical professionalÌýin a relevant field is still required. If you have trouble accessing this information or are unsure of whether the documents you can provide would qualify as appropriate documentation, please contactÌýoas@stfrancis.edu.

An IEP or 504 plan can serve as supplemental documentation to help support your request for accommodations. However, students should provide documentation from a qualified medical care provider, which is current and identifies the student’s diagnosis and limitations.

Please contact OAS to request disability-specific guidelines concerning what information your medical care provider should convey. However–as a general rule–your doctor’s report should…

1) be on official letterhead.
2) identify the diagnosis.
3) provide testing information or data as to how the diagnosis was determined.
4) describe limitations or challenges related to the diagnosis.
5) identify possible accommodations to support the success of the student

Each of your instructors will receive a personal letter of accommodations via email. The letter–which you will be copied on–documents any appropriate accommodations the instructors should provide. However, this letter will not contain any personal, private medical information. You are always encouraged to approach your instructors discreetly to collaborate on how accommodations will be implemented within each specific course.

To ensure that you continue to receive reasonable and appropriate accommodations, you must complete an accommodation renewal formÌýeach semester and meet with the Assistant Director for a brief check-in.ÌýAccommodations will not roll over from semester-to-semester.

Students seeking housing accommodations should:

  • Complete the Housing Accommodations Request Form each year.
  • Provide documentation from a medical care provider supporting the need for specific housing accommodations. (A fillable health care provider form is available upon request!)
  • Meet annually with OAS to discuss your housing needs.

Yes! Ó£ÌÒÓ°ÊÓ recognizes the value of emotional support animals and support animals in light of the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act; However–similar to seeking academic accommodations– there is an application process and documentation is required. Please contact the Office of Accessibility Services for more information.

The University and the Office of Accessibility Services supports your right to file a grievance when you believe you have been denied equal access as described in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)of 1990. Students can file report grievances using to the Student Complaint and Appeal Form located on the Ó£ÌÒÓ°ÊÓ Portal.

Contact Us

Dominique Dusek
Assistant Director of the Accessibility
ddusek@stfrancis.edu
815-740-3204

Jennifer Ethridge
Director of Academic Center for Excellence
jethridge@stfrancis.edu
815-740-2286