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Disability Services

The University of Montana - Western is committed to achieving equal educational opportunity and full participation for persons with disabilities. It is Western's policy that no qualified person be excluded from participating in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination with regard to any University program, activity, internship, practicum, or class.


RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE STUDENT

A student with disabilities must give initial notification to the Student Life Office and the Dean of Students that he/she has a physical, psychological, and/or learning disability. The student must provide appropriate documentation that describes the qualifying disability, the extent of that disability, and information on how the effects of the disability might be overcome through reasonable accommodations. Please see the link to the left, Disability Documentation, for more complete information on how to provide documentation to UMW.

If the student does not make this notification and provide the appropriate documentation, Western does not have a legal obligation to provide accommodations.

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HOW THINGS WORK AT WESTERN

It is the goal of The University of Montana - Western to meet the needs of each student with a disability. Upon receipt of disability documentation, the Assistant to the Dean of Students or her representative will contact the student to arrange a meeting to discuss reasonable accommodations. The student is welcome to bring a parent, guardian, significant other, or assistant to the meeting.

The meeting is designed to help the student be successful in his/her course work at UM-Western. The Assistant to the Dean of Students will help guide the student in making decisions regarding classes and needed accommodations. Accommodations may include services such as:
  • Note-taking
  • Books-on-tape
  • Proctored and/or orally-delivered tests
  • Extended testing periods and assignment deadlines
  • Dictation services
Housing and dining accommodations, access to buildings, and student support groups are also topics discussed in the meeting with the Assistant to the Dean. Accommodations must be reasonable as to the extent of the law, including ADA and Section 504 provisions. When accommodations cannot be agreed upon between faculty, student, and administration, the Student Life Office will seek advice, input, and/or mediation from the University of Montana, Missoula campus.

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GETTING MORE INFORMATION

We look forward to working with you and hope you'll benefit from our services. Please feel free to contact Nicole Hazelbaker, Assistant to the Dean of Students at (406)683-7900 with questions or for further information. You may email me at: n_hazelbaker@umwestern.edu.