The Office of Accessibility Services exists to serve, empower, and provide accommodations for students.
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!
Our office is dedicated toÌýserving and empowering students who self-identify as having diagnosed disabilities.
According to ADA, a disability is defined as:
Under ADA, individuals who may qualify for accommodations include, but are not limited to, learners who have:
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.
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.
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.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:
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.
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