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HOW TO USE ACCOMMODATIONS AT STONY BROOK
1. Make sure that documentation of your disability reaches DSS before the start of your first semester.
2. Make an appointment every semester with a DSS counselor to discuss your courses and what accommodations will be necessary. Keep in contact with DSS throughout the semester.
3. Know your classes. Carry a schedule that includes your courses, the days, times, rooms, buildings and the professors’ names.
4. Get a class syllabus or outline. Keep a calendar of assignment due dates and appointments. Schedule study time for yourself.
5. Introduce yourself to the professor and make an appointment in the first weeks of class. It is important to let your professor know the best way to meet your disability-related needs.
6. Arrange the services you need early. Do you have the special equipment you will need? If you need a note-taker or reader, you can ask DSS for the form to have the professor announce a need for a note-taker or reader in class. Fully discuss your expectations with any readers, note-takers or tutors.
7. Expect to maintain the standards that apply to everyone else in the course.
The content of the course will not be altered. You will be expected to fulfill
all requirements. Be sure to adhere to the class attendance policy unless specific
alternate arrangements are made with the faculty person.
8. If you are requesting special test arrangements through DSS, notify the instructor
as well as DSS before every exam.
9. Do your best to handle problems independently. If you have questions or concerns,
make an appointment to talk with your professor during office hours. If necessary,
speak to someone at DSS to get suggestions about talking with professors or
how to advocate for yourself.
10. For every course:
a) Attend all classes.
b) Preview new material and review the previous lecture before each class.
c) Sit toward the front of the class to reduce distraction, ask questions and
participate in class.
Tips for Students with Mobility Disabilities
REVIEW HOW TO USE ACCOMMODATIONS IN STONY BROOK
1. Visit the campus early and locate accessible parking, walkways, entrances, elevators, restrooms, etc.
2. If you need housing accommodations, notify DSS, provide medical documentation and, if you are eligible, apply for a medical single.
3. Register as early as possible and be certain that all buildings and classrooms are accessible to you. DSS will work with you to solve problems.
4. Work closely with DSS during the winter months to plan accommodations for the difficulties you may encounter due to ice and snow.
5. If your manual dexterity is limited, be sure to make arrangements for note takers, time extensions, scribes, lab partners, etc.
6. Review emergency procedures at http://www.ehs.sunysb.edu/fire/disabilities.asp
7. Use the “buddy” system by informing professors and Residence Assistants that you may need help in case of emergencies.
Tips for Students with Visual Disabilities
REVIEW HOW TO USE ACCOMMODATIONS IN STONY BROOK
1. Arrange with the Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped (CBVH) for mobility training to help you get acquainted with the campus.
2. Recruit readers and note-takers as early as possible. DSS can help in this recruitment. We need to know if you are eligible for Readers Aid funds from CBVH.
3. If you are not sponsored and need volunteer readers or note-takers, we can request that faculty make an announcement in class. Carbon-free note taker paper is available as needed.
4. Contact the academic departments and the bookstore to obtain textbook information from the Recordings for the Blind & Dyslexic, as early as possible.
5. If requested as an accommodation, class handouts, quizzes and exams will
be enlarged through the academic department or DSS.
Tips for Students with Hearing Disabilities
REVIEW HOW TO USE ACCOMMODATIONS IN STONY BROOK
1. At your request, an information sheet is available to be sent to your instructors. Please review it with a DSS staff member to see if any additions or corrections are needed.
2. Recruit interpreters and note-takers as early as possible. DSS can help in this recruitment. We need to know if you are eligible for Readers Aid funds from VESID.
3. If you are not sponsored and need volunteer readers or note-takers, we can request that faculty make an announcement in class. Carbon-free note-taker paper is available, as needed.
4. Keep ahead of your reading by using your class syllabus. This will supplement
your efforts to lip-read.
5. Request that you be given all announcements, assignments or changes to the syllabus in writing to be certain that you do not miss important information.
6. Be sure you and your interpreter meet with each faculty member at the beginning of the semester to discuss any questions or concerns regarding the accommodations being requested. A DSS staff member will assist if needed.
Tips for Students with Learning Disabilities
REVIEW HOW TO USE ACCOMMODATIONS IN STONY BROOK
1. Make an appointment with the Learning Disabilities Specialist to discuss appropriate accommodations and to plan your schedule.
2. Keep a semester calendar to record all appointments, assignments, course and study schedules.
3. Use extra help options: recitations, test reviews, office hours of graduate teaching assistants, campus workshops, the Math and Writing Centers, the Counseling Center, student-formed study groups, etc.
4. Make a commitment to become more organized, efficient and consistent. Set realistic daily and weekly goals and strive to achieve them.
5. Break assignments into smaller more manageable pieces and focus on them for shorter periods of time.
6. Review class notes regularly.
Tips for Students with Psychological Disabilities
REVIEW HOW TO USE ACCOMMODATIONS IN STONY BROOK
1. Make sure your documentation is recent, includes a diagnosis, and explains the functional limitations of your disability.
2. Make an appointment with the DSS Counselor to review your documentation and discuss appropriate accommodations.
3. Attend the DSS orientation, which is held prior to the start of classes.
4. Schedule your classes so that you have time to move through the day at the
pace that fits your personal needs. Avoid rushing. Remember to set aside time
for socialization, refreshments and errands.
5. When your schedule is firm, make an appointment with your DSS Counselor to
arrange for accommodations. Remember to bring all class information with you,
i.e. number, section and the professor’s names.
6. Consult with your Counselor regularly about issues that may affect your academic performance.
7. Use the student lounge as a place where you can refocus and relax in familiar surroundings.
8. Consider becoming involved with the activities at DSS by joining the student club (STAC), joining a support group or attending workshops.
9. Keep a daily planner that includes all of your appointments, assignments and exams.
COMMUNITY AGENCIES / SERVICES
Ch.A.D.D./Attention Deficit Disorder (631) 981-9270
Long Island Advocacy Center (516) 248-2222 Nassau, (631) 234-0467 Suffolk
Long Island Head Injury Association (631) 543-2245
NYS Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped
(CBVH) (516) 564-4311 TTY
RESPONSE Crisis Hotline (631) 751-7500
NYS Advocate for the Disabled (800) 522-4369 TTY/Spanish
League for the Hard of Hearing (917) 305-7700
New York Relay Service (800) 421-1220 (Voice), (800) 662-1220 TTY
New York Society of the Deaf (516) 877-2620, (516) 877-2622 (TTY)
Reader’s Aid Program (Contact DSS) (631) 632-6748
Recording for the Blind (800) 221-4792 or www.rfbd.org
Social Services (Hauppauge) (631) 853-8714
Social Security (800) 772-1213
Suffolk Independent Living Organization (SILO) (631) 654-8007
Suffolk County Office of Handicapped Services (631) 853-8333, (631) 853-5658 (TTY)
Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Talking Books Plus (631) 286-1600
Suffolk County Transit Information Center
(631) 852-5200/286-4546TTY,or www.sct-bus.org
Veteran’s Administration Medical Center (631) 261-4400
Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities
(VESID) (631) 952-6357, www.nysed.gov/vesid
Links to all Stony Brook Campus departments can be found here
If you need assistance, do not hesitate to call UNIVERSITY POLICE – (631)
632-3333
This page was last updated 07/31/2003 by Student Affairs WebMaster
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