Disability Services - Resources

The Disability Statement on your syllabus is the first step in creating an atmosphere that welcomes diversity in your classroom. Academic Affairs can provide faculty members with the preferred Fitchburg State disability statement.

Faculty who receive a student Accommodation Agreement from Disability Services are required to retain it for their records. The Accommodation Agreement will be printed on Fitchburg State University letterhead. If you are instructing an online course, you will receive the student's Accommodation Agreement as a scanned copy in an email.

Please complete the carbon "Exam Accommodation Form" (if attached) within the first week of the semester and return to Disability Services, Hammond 303. The Exam Accommodation form MUST be received before Disability Services will proctor any student exams. Any questions you may have regarding a student's accommodations can be addressed with the Director of Disability Services.

The preferred method of delivery of exam material for Disability Services staff to proctor is via our testing email: testing@fitchburgstate.edu. Only students registered with Disability Services will be provided exam accommodations.

• ​Faculty approval form for testing accommodations
• Sample syllabus statement

A Note To Faculty

As a public institution, Fitchburg State University is committed to the principles of equity, access and excellence in higher education.

Meeting the needs of our diverse spectrum of learners may require some flexibility or adaptability on the part of instructors. However, this does not require that faculty alter their teaching objectives or compromise academic standards.

Academic accommodations ensure equitable access to the teaching and learning environment for all qualified students. Providing accommodations to a student registered with Disability Services is an obligation of the university, as well as an obligation of faculty members at the institution. Although federal and state laws mandate this obligation, our shared values as a university community also embrace the spirit of access and equity for our diverse spectrum of learners.

Many of you already incorporate aspects of universal design into your courses. Examples include:

• Posting course materials and lecture notes on Blackboard for all students to access throughout the semester
• Using several shorter length exams throughout the semester as opposed to one or two high stakes tests
• Creating podcasts so that students can replay lecture material to capture important points that they might have missed in class
• Using multiple modalities to teach complex constructs (video/audio, text, drama, the internet, etc.)
• Reading aloud anything that is written on a whiteboard or posted on a PowerPoint slide
• Providing verbal descriptions of diagrams or pictures used to convey a concept
• Closed Captioning of videos is now required by the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act.

Online Links

• National Center on Universal Design
• Convert a document to an accessible format - Follow the steps to have your document converted into an alternative, accessible format. The result is delivered in your email inbox. You may upload one or more files, enter a URL to a file or simply type in the text you wish to have converted. The form expands as you make your selections.

• Accessibility guide for businesses: Best practices for compliance in person and online - A guide to help businesses fully understand the Federal Accessibility Standards, ADA compliances, accessible UX design, and best practices for web accessibility, all to help them reach a higher level of service and a deeper understanding of their customers.
• A learning assessment to see if distance education is right for you.
• Web Accessibility Homepage
• Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) includes information on web authoring software, educational software, reading comprehension programs, talking and large-print word processors.
• Distance Education and Training Council (DETC)
• Resources for Students with Disabilities - With the advances of adaptive technologies and trend toward progressive legislation, prospective college students with disabilities now have countless resources available to make their transition to postsecondary education less stressful.
• Scholarships for Students with Disabilities provides a list of general scholarships for students with disabilities, as well as those specifically aimed towards students with:
  • Learning disabilities
  • Hearing or visual impairments
  • Psychological disabilities
  • Mobility impairments
• Numerade - 100,000+ video solutions for your textbook questions.
• OnlineCourses provides our online courses.
• Guide for Online Colleges and Disabilities provides some good resources for online accessible education
• College for Students with Disabilities: A Guide for Students, Families, and Educators -Researching and selecting a college that fits your needs can be daunting, but that challenge can be even greater when you’re a student with disabilities. 
• College Choice - Scholarships, advice on choosing schools, laws and rights, distance learning—we’ve got it all covered. We at College Choice have attempted to consider every angle in presenting this resource.
• Guide to Paying for College - Getting a college degree is hard enough, but it presents a different set of challenges for people who have disabilities. If you have a disability, this guide can help you determine how to get financial aid, and access scholarships meant for people with disabilities.
• Students with Disabilities College Guide
• DIVERSEability - Resources for disabled business owners and entrepreneurs
• BRIGHT: Stories of Hope & Innovation in Michigan Classrooms -  Interviews with teachers located across the state of Michigan who have been doing an outstanding job in dealing with the challenges of the pandemic. We get to hear their stories of how they tried new approaches to reach their students virtually, failed and succeeded in various areas.

Electronic Text and Alternative Format

• Daisy Consortium - International consortium developing standards for talking books.
• America Printing House for the Blind, Inc. - Note takers, screen readers, speech synthesizers, talking software.
• LearnPsychology - In this guide, students will find useful hints and tips to help them make the most of the testing time, videos to help them become familiar with what to expect, and even expert guidance from those who have taken the GRE.
• The Online Books Page
• Alex Catalogue of Electronic Texts
• National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS)
• National Braille Press, Inc.
• National Captioning Institute
• Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf
• Project Guttenberg
• Bookshare - A subscription service for online electronic books.
• Capti Narrator - Revolutionizes the way people consume digital content.

• Duxbury Systems - Brailling software for computers.
• AbleNet Inc. - A good starting point for finding assistive products.
• Assistive Tech - Alternative and augmentative communication, authoring software, speech synthesizers, alternate input, processing aids.
• Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) - web authoring software, educational software, reading comprehension programs, talking and large-print word processors.
• Closing the Gap - Computer technology in special education and rehabilitation.
• Don Johnston - Alternate keyboards, assistive communication products, interface devices, keyboard additions, reading comprehension programs, switches and switch software, talking and large-print word processors, word prediction programs, writing composition programs.
• Nuance - Dragon Dictate voice recognition software.
• Mayer-Johnson - Alternate keyboards, assistive communication products, speech synthesizers and related products.
• Kurzweil - Kurzweil software
• Microsoft Corporation Accessibility and Disabilities Group
• Sun Microsystems Accessibility Program
• ATSTAR is an acronym for Assistive Technology - Strategies, Tools, Accommodations and Resources. This online curriculum improves educational outcomes for students with disabilities by helping teachers learn to use assistive technology in the classroom.
• School Health - A wide range of K-12 technology for various learning styles and abilities.

• Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD)
• (ATSTAR) Assistive Technology: Strategies, Tools, Accommodations and Resources - This online curriculum improves educational outcomes for students with disabilities by helping teachers learn to use assistive technology in the classroom.
• Internships.com - site that lists available internships and statistics.
• JAN Job Accommodation Network
• Mentra is a neurodivergent-friendly talent platform that intelligently matches neurodiverse individuals with employers that value their strengths.

• Black, Disabled, and Proud
• National Coalition for Latinxs with Disabilities
• Disability Visibility Project
• National Arts and Disability Center
• Disability Pride
• Society for Disability Studies (SDS) - For nearly two decades, the Society for Disability Studies has worked to explore issues of disability and chronic illness from scholarly perspectives.
• Disability Studies Quarterly ( DSQ ) is the journal of the Society for Disability Studies (SDS).
• UC Berkeley's website on the Disability Rights and Independent Living Movement

• Universal Design for Learning Handout (PDF)
• Universal Design for Learning
• Universal Design for Learning and Assessment

ADA Resources

• ADA information
• Arizona State Office for Americans with Disabilities - know the ADA

Employment and Labor Resources

• Office of Disability Employment - United States Department of Labor
• U.S. Department of Labor - Information to promote an inclusive workforce and increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities

Education Resources

• No Child Left Behind
• What Works - The What Works Clearinghouse was established in 2002 by the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences to provide educators, policymakers, researchers, and the public with a central and trusted source of scientific evidence of what works in education.
• EducationUSA - International students with physical, mental, intellectual or learning disabilities should be aware of the many resources available to them during their time on U.S. campuses.

Technology Resources

• Information on Section 508 and what it means to you
• Department of Justice Section 508 Home Page

Other Resources

• Massachusetts Office on Disability
• Access Board - A federal agency committed to accessible design
• National Disabilities Organizations & Information Groups
• Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission
• Social Security disability benefits application
• Department of Developmental Services

• National Center for Learning Disabilities
• State of Vermont - Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired (Includes vision simulations)
• American Foundation for the Blind
• National Federation for the Blind
• Carroll Center for the Blind
• Emergency Preparedness Tips
• Massachusetts Association for the Blind
• Massachusetts Commission for the Blind
• National Center for Accessible Media - Research and development facility dedicated to the issues of media and information technology for people with disabilities.
• Blindskills Tip Sheet
• National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS)
• 10 Free Screen Readers for Blind or Visually Impaired Users - A range of software is available that can help to make using a computer an easier, more enjoyable and more productive experience for blind or visually impaired users.

• Mass State Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MSAD)
• National Association of the Deaf (NAD) - An advocacy organization represented and operated by the deaf.
• Described and Captioned Media Program - The leader for captioning and description standards. They provide not only accessible content but the standard for professionals and amateurs working to build quality, accessible media.
• National Center on Deafness - The National Deaf Center’s mission is to close the substantial gaps in education and employment that exist for deaf people in the United States and its territories. We are a technical assistance and dissemination center funded by the U.S. Department of Education.
• Health and Human Services - Provides information and referrals, interpreter referrals, advocacy, and vocational rehabilitation services to persons who are deaf or hard of hearing.
• Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) - A national organization that certifies sign-language interpreters.
• Massachusetts State Registry of Sign-Language Interpreters (MASSRID)
• Association of Late-Deafened Adults Inc. (ALDA)
• National Center for Accessible Media Research (NCAM) - A development facility dedicated to the issues of media and information technology for people with disabilities.
• The Deaf Resource Library - An online collection of reference material and links intended to educate and inform people about deaf cultures in Japan and the United States, as well as deaf and hard of hearing related topics.

• National Alliance on Mental Illness
• Fiscal Tiger - How To Access and Pay For Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Services - We are a collection of writers and designers who are aware of the precious nature of your financial resources and the power they have in your life. We work together as a team in beautiful Boise, Idaho, to bring you world-class content that helps you maximize your money.
• Suicide Prevention: A Public Health Issue - This guide outlines key details to increase public awareness including defining suicidal behavior, vulnerable populations, the connection to mental illness, factors that contribute to suicidal behavior, the public health impact and prevention approach, and additional resources.

• Children and Adults with ADHD
• LD Online - An educator's guide to learning disabilities and ADHD.
• Graduate School of Education & Human Development - A clearinghouse for postsecondary information regarding students with disabilities. They are sponsored by the American Council on Education.
• National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) - A reference circular that describes sources of information for persons with learning disabilities, their families, and professionals.
• The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) - A nonprofit organization dedicated to helping individuals with dyslexia, their families, and the communities that support them.
• Edubirdie - Resource guide for students with ADD/HD.

• Massachusetts RMV - Information on Massachusetts disability plates and placards.
• National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association (NMEDA)
• Newsome Melton Brain and Spinal Cord - Committed to spreading awareness for brain and spinal cord injury survivors.
• The Massachusetts Office on Disability (MOD) - Created in 1981 under M.G.L. Chapter 6 Section 185. The primary mission of MOD is to ensure the full and equal participation of all people with disabilities in all aspects of life. They work to advance legal rights, maximum opportunities, supportive services, accommodations and accessibility in a manner that fosters dignity and self determination. MOD is a state advocacy agency that serves people with disabilities of all ages.
• The Association for Late-Deafened Adults (ALDA)
• National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS)

• New Mobility Magazine - An online jobline for people with disabilities.
• Independent Living - Sells various assistive equipment.
• Office on Health and Disability (OHD) - Part of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH). OHD promotes the health and well being of people with disabilities and chronic conditions in Massachusetts.
• National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS)
• Cerebral Palsy Group - Life as a College Student with CP - A number of cerebral palsy resources to help you succeed during this pivotal chapter of your life.

• Resources for Alcoholics and Problem Drinkers - A comprehensive guide to getting help and understanding the disease.
• Guide to Paying for College - Getting a college degree is hard enough, but it presents a different set of challenges for people who have disabilities. If you have a disability, this guide can help you determine how to get financial aid, and access scholarships meant for people with disabilities.