LibGuides: Home: DASS: Accommodations

FAQ

What is DASS (Disability and Accommodations Support Services) at Concordia Seminary St. Louis?

DASS (Disability and Accommodations Support Services) is a coordinated effort between the Curriculum Office and the manager of Hasse Library’s Academic Resource Center to assist students in obtaining acceptable and reasonable academic accommodations.

For more information, please email: accommodations@csl.edu

What is a disability and who qualifies as disabled under the law?

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 defines an individual with a disability as a person who:

1. Has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities of that person

2. Has a record of such impairment, or Is regarded as having such an impairment

3. A disability may be evident, such as a visual impairment, hearing impairment, or mobility impairment. Or a disability may be something not visible, such as a learning disability, ADD/ADHD, a psychological disability, autism, or a chronic condition such as Crohn’s disease, fibromyalgia, Parkinson’s, etc.

Any disability, as defined by Section 504, may be qualified to use resources facilitated by DASS.

What are accommodations?

Accommodations are modifications to the ways in which things are usually done. The purpose of effective accommodations is to remove barriers and provide students with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate and benefit from higher education.

Examples of possible accommodations are as follows:

• Changes to a classroom environment or task, such as extended time for a test, private testing location

• Exceptions to policies, practices, or procedures such as priority registration or accessing assignments early

• Provision of auxiliary aids and services such as providing a sign language interpreter, providing a notetaker. – We may or may not be able to provide accommodations that require additional staff and financial burdens (such as interpreters) depending on the academic semester.

N.B. Concordia Seminary, St. Louis does retain under the law the ability to refuse modification and accommodations under the following:

Accommodations that would place others at health or safety risk as a result of the accommodation
Modifications that lower or change course or program standards
Modifications that would change the essence of a course or program
Services that create an undue burden – administratively or financially

Steps to Initiating DASS Services

Steps to initiating accommodation services from DASS:

1. Complete the Interactive Intake Form and Submit Acceptable Documentation (Word Document version of form is linked at bottom of this box)

2. DASS coordinators will review the Interactive Form and diagnosis(es) documentation to determine appropriate and reasonable accommodations that can be provided by the Seminary

3. An appointment between the student, DASS coordinators, and the appropriate Program Director will be scheduled to discuss the accommodation plan

4. Once in agreement, the student will be provided an accommodation plan to share with instructors

5. If there are challenges with obtaining academic accommodations, students will contact the Program Director to assist in administratively enforcing accommodations for students

DASS INTAKE FORM 2023

Appropriate Paperwork

What is considered appropriate documentation?

Proper, sufficient documentation of a student’s claimed disability must include:

 typed on letterhead, dated, and signed by a qualified professional (with credentials listed)
 clear identification and description of disability or disabilities (using DSM-V diagnostic criteria)
 cannot be over 4 years old; if documentation will expire while enrolled at the Seminary, accommodation services will expire by the end of the term if updated paperwork is not supplied
 lists all related diagnostic methodology used to diagnose impairment (e.g., Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale or Woodcock-Johnson III)
 list functional limitations or symptoms to help determine appropriate accommodations
 list any medication(s) and related side-effects
 tell the history of disability onset and description of current abilities
 tell any past accommodations provided in high school or college

Instructor's Responsibility

When instructors are asked by a student(s) to implement an academic accommodation plan, instructors will:

1. ask the student to provide a Seminary approved accommodation plan (this should also be available via PowerCampus class list)

2. provide any in-class services identified in the student’s accommodation plan

3. ask questions on uncertainties or concerns regarding the accommodation plan to the student; if answers are insufficient, DASS coordinators and/or the Program Director may be contacted for guidance