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January 23, 2008
By Joy Wolfe
Collumnist
Last semester, the Office of Disability Services came under fire. There had been many reported complaints requests from students had not been answered by the ODS. So far this semester, according to Dr. Judy Shipp, there have been no complaints.
Because of the backlog at the beginning of the fall semester, and the fact that many requests were not handled in a timely manner, Shipp said that procedures have been changed. Instead of being a reactive, they are being more proactive. At the end of last semester, letters were sent to students who had been previously registered with the ODS. These letters wee to remind students that they need to contact the ODS to discuss what services they need.
Shipp also said that they like to discuss with all students receiving their services to see if the accommodations made for them worked and were helpful. The services are reviewed to see if any additional accommodations can be made that would be more beneficial to students or that were not previously anticipated.
Dr. Shipp said that there are measures put into place so that the backlog that occurred last fall will not occur again. She said the office was in a time of transition, but has since implemented new procedures. Students are also reminded that if services are needed, they need to contact the ODS at least six weeks prior to the beginning of the semester. Upon acceptance to UIS, students are given material that does state that they need to call the Office of Disability Services if students require their services. Shipp also says that the campus has gone above and beyond what is required by the ADA (American’s with Disabilities Act).
If students need to contact the ODS for any reason, the number is 206-6666.
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