Disability Services

At Penn State Greater Allegheny, we are committed to providing a welcoming, encouraging, and empowering environment for students with disabilities to ensure equal access, full participation and reasonable accommodations for their academic pursuits.

Penn State Greater Allegheny’s Disability Services office is ready to help you coordinate services and reasonable academic accommodations to help you reach your goals. 

Collecting documentation

Students requesting accommodations must complete requested intake forms and participate in an intake interview. Documentation supporting the request for accommodations must be submitted and cannot be more than three years old. Documentation is specific to the type of disability that a student has. Individual Education Plans (IEPs) from high school are not acceptable.

You will find information about appropriate documentation for your disability at Penn State's Office of Student Disability Resources website.

Receiving accommodations

Once you are approved for academic accommodations, you will receive an Academic Accommodation Letter that includes recommendations for accommodations. You are strongly encouraged to meet with your professors at the beginning of each semester, at which time you may share this letter with them. Your professors will not be apprised of your diagnosis, which is strictly confidential.

In order to receive the accommodations, you are required meet with each your professors to discuss your needs and how they will be satisfied within the context of each course. An out-of-class appointment for this discussion will probably be necessary.

Your responsibilities

You are responsible for your own needs! Make sure you contact the disability coordinator immediately to obtain the help you need and to follow up to address problems and/or additional needs that may arise during your time at Penn State. 

Renewal

In most, but not all, cases, your initial documentation will suffice for the entire time you take classes at Penn State Greater Allegheny. At the beginning of each semester, you should meet with the disability coordinator to review your accommodation letter for the new semester and to receive a copy to share with your professors.

Temporary impairment

If you become temporarily impaired due to an illness or accident, please contact the disability coordinator, who will work to assist students who have short-term special needs during the recuperation process.

For more information, please visit Services for Students with Temporary Impairments.

Types of accommodations 

Academic accommodations are individualized to provide an accessible learning environment suited to the unique needs of the student with a disability. 

In order to receive accommodations, students are encouraged to meet with their professors as early in the semester as possible and have a discussion about how the accommodations will work in the context of the class. Once the accommodations have been made, the student will be graded according to the same standards as other Penn State students.

Types of academic accommodations may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Extended time for exams/quizzes
• Note taking assistance
• Permission to audio record lectures
• Consideration with regard to absences
• Assistance with tasks that require bending over or lifting
• Textbooks/written material available in an alternate format

In order to determine what academic accommodations would be most appropriate, please make an appointment to talk to the disability coordinator.