Accessibility Services

About the Office of Accessibility Services

The Office of Accessibility Services staff will review and approve disability-related accommodations, make referrals to other campus resource persons, and provide learning specialist services. OAS also operates our Academic Testing Center (ATC). The Center, located in M34 of the Unistructure, has a large, distraction-reduced room with privacy carrels, individual testing space, lockers for secure storage of personal items, a waiting area, and an accessible bathroom.

Our Mission

Disability is a form of diversity and respect for the differences among our students, faculty, and staff is woven into the Bryant University mission. Accommodation provides equal access to course material, physical spaces, campus events, and more. Bryant University adheres to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008. Staff in the Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) recognize that providing access is only the first step in fostering inclusion and belonging. OAS strives to provide wholistic support for our students with disabilities and educate the campus community about disability through information sharing and purposeful dialogue.

A Word about the Word “Disability”

A diagnosis that qualifies as a disability under the law does not prescribe how someone identifies themselves. Know that the Office of Accessibility Services uses the word disability in the legal sense and as a starting point. Students are encouraged to share thoughts and preferences with our staff about the language they use to express their identities.

When To Consider Accommodations

Students may reflect on the following questions as they decide whether to request accommodations:

1. Have you been diagnosed with a physical, psychiatric, or neurodevelopmental disability or disorder?
2. Did you have an IEP/504 or similar success plan in high school? Were accommodations approved for your use while enrolled at another college or university?
3. Does your disability impact daily functioning in the University environment, either chronically or episodically?

Requesting Accommodations

1. When requesting accommodations for the first-time at Bryant University, the student will begin by completing the online application through the ClockWork portal, which can be accessed from the Quick Launch menu on the Bryant portal home page (my.bryant.edu). The student will only complete this application once during their enrollment at Bryant. Please note that students who are accepted into the University for the following semester will not have access to the portal until they commit to Bryant and make their initial deposit.
2. A staff person from the Office of Accessibility Services will contact the student to schedule an intake appointment after the Intake Application is submitted. Conversation during intake, combined with relevant documentation, will assist OAS staff to identify and approve the most appropriate accommodations.
3. Accommodations are approved for one semester only. The student must request accommodations for each term, including winter or summer sessions. Without the student’s request, the Office of Accommodation Services is unable to notify your new professors. Questions about registration should be directed to accessibilitysvcs@bryant.edu

• Directions for Registering with ClockWork
• Register with ClockWork and the Office of Accessibility Services
• Directions for Booking an Appointment with the Office of Accessibility Services
• Make an appointment with an Office of Accessibility Services staff member

Documentation of Disabilities

All students must upload documentation from a qualified medical professional that includes (1) diagnosis(es), (2) how the diagnosis(es) impacts daily functioning in the university setting and (3) accommodations recommended by the provider. The OAS staff will accept documentation such as a letter from a qualified provider, neuropsychological evaluation results, and a recent Individual Education Program (IEP) or 504 plan. Students’ files are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and the documentation needed may vary.

Support to blind/low-vision and deaf/hard of hearing students

Speechify educational licenses, which support text-to-speech, are provided to students who are blind or low-vision. Support for deaf or hearing impaired students may include an onsite or remote sign language interpreter, use of an educational license for the Glean online note-taking program, or a peer note taker.

PAWS Mentoring & Delta Alpha Pi

Ask our staff about the PAWS (Promoting Access, Wellness, and Success) Mentoring Program and the Delta Alpha Pi (DAPi) Honor Society for students with disabilities! Through these programs, students support one another and educate the campus community about disability.

Faculty Support

Are you a faculty member with a question about Accessibility Services? Please submit your question using this form and a staff member from our office will be in touch.

Ask An Accessibility Question