We are here to help you get accommodations (even temporary accommodations especially for Covid and pregnancy) and access to the unique tools and resources you need to succeed. Below are links to pages with more information as well as a button to take you to our page on the FPU website.
According to the ADA, a person with a disability is one who
Has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits a major life activity*
Has a record or history of an impairment
Is regarded as having an impairment
*Major life activities include, but are not limited to, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, working, caring for oneself and performing manual tasks. These impairments may exist in those with chronic health issues, learning disabilities, emotional disturbances, or physical disabilities.
Each case is considered individually, but generally, a chronic or acute health condition that fits the above definition of “limiting a major life activity” can be considered a disability. If the condition lasts long enough to affect academic performance, you may be eligible for ADA or Title IX accommodations. Some examples of common temporary disabilities are
Recovery from surgery, injury, or other self-limiting health event, especially if the ability to focus, attend class, complete homework on time, take notes, or write an exam is affected for more than a week or two:
Concussion
Surgery or injury to dominant hand, arm, or shoulder
Illness or other physical condition that requires hospitalization, frequent medical appointments, or extended bedrest:
Valley fever
Mononucleosis
Cancer
High-risk pregnancy
Typically, situations that will resolve within a week, such as the flu or wisdom teeth extraction surgery, should fit within class syllabus allowances for missed classes and make-up exams. Professors are free to make whatever allowances they wish for life circumstances.
Students must request accommodations and register for services with the office of Disability Access and Education.
The request can come at any point during the semester.
Some accommodations take time to arrange and provide, so timeliness of a request may influence how quickly accommodations will be in place.
Complete an Application for Services, available online at Application for Services.
Complete a Confidentiality Disclosure, available online at Confidentiality Disclosure to indicate your preferences regarding your confidential information.
Submit a valid form of verification of your need for accommodations. A verification form is available online at Verification of Disability. Include the practitioner’s business card if the office name is not printed on the document.
Verification must by from a licensed professional to treat or assess the relevant condition.
A medical doctor should be a general practice physician or specialist related to your specific health concern who has provided treatment for the relevant condition.
Learning disabilities should be verified by a psychologist or learning specialist.
Mental health conditions should be verified by a therapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, or general practice physician who has provided treatment for that condition.
Verification may be in alternate forms:
Note on letterhead from the professional's office
Post-operative instruction
Emergency Room or hospital discharge papers
Other official paperwork including diagnostic, assessment, or test result information
If a condition is obvious such as blindness, missing or injured limb, or needing only a self-report such as deafness or pregnancy, additional verification of the condition may not be needed except if required to support a request or need for specific type or duration of an accommodation.
Arrange for a discussion (face-to-face, telephone, or email) of your accommodation needs with the director of DAE. The director will consider your history and experiences with your disability combined with information from your health care provider. Every individual has unique needs, so your accommodations may not be the same as someone else’s even with the same condition. Some accommodations may involve negotiation to find a balance of meeting your needs without causing substantial alteration of a course.
If you had accommodations at a previous college or university, the accommodations that were useful to you will probably be continued at FPU.
Just to give you an idea of what is possible, here is a list of commonly used accommodations:
Permission to record lectures
Distraction-reduced setting for exam
Electronic text (to be read aloud by text-to-speech software)
Emotional support animal (housing only)
Extended time on exams (1.5X or 2X)
Extended due dates
Modified attendance
Closed captioning
Permission to stand/move/leave during class
Quiet room (housing only)
Single room (housing only)
Sign language interpreter
Use of text-to-speech software for exams
Use of speech-to-text software for exams
Assistive technology:
Read & Write provides text-to-speech and many other literacy support functions
Available as a site license to all students
Download via the FPU portal
Microsoft Word Dictate is a speech-to-text function, enabling the computer to type from the sound of your voice
Livescribe pen (for demonstration only) records audio and captures handwriting simultaneously; the audio can be searched through the handwriting
On-Site Counseling:
OSCP.admin@fresno.edu 559-453-8050
Provides low-cost counseling services for FPU students
Assessment and referral services
Academic Success Center:
academic.support@fresno.edu 559-453-5585
Provides tutoring on the main campus for traditional undergraduate students in general education subjects, writing across the curriculum, and academic coaching
Net Tutor—online tutoring in a variety of subjects, including writing
Regional campus tutors for writing
Exam proctoring on the main campus
FPU Health Center:
health.center@fresno.edu 559-453-2097
R.N. available on the main campus provides guidance, resources, and referrals to manage health concerns
Melinda Gunning
Director of Disability Access and Education
559-453-2247
Email: melinda.gunning@fresno.edu
You can head over to the Fresno Pacific University website page for the Office of Disability Access and Education. Here is the link. If you have a question that isn't answered there, you can email Melinda Gunning (Melinda.Gunning@fresno.edu).