Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who qualifies for Disability Services at Asbury Theological Seminary (ATS)?

Asbury Theological Seminary (ATS) offers services for otherwise qualified students with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations. It is the policy of the seminary that no qualified persons with disabilities shall, on the basis of disability, be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any of its programs or activities. Any qualified student who has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more of major life activities, such as walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning and/or working, can receive assistance at ATS as provided in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the applicable provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and its amendments.

2. What does “otherwise qualified” mean?

An otherwise qualified student is defined as one student, with or without reasonable accommodation, meets the requisite academic and technical standards required for admission or participation in educational programs and activities.

3. What types of accommodations are provided by ATS?

Typical accommodations provided for students at ATS are as follows:

  • Audible textbooks
  • Enlarged course materials
  • Extended time on tests (50% additional time)
  • Permission from professors for selected use of assistive devices in the classroom (calculators, laptop computers, electronic spellers, recording devices)
  • Extensions on assignment due dates
  • Provision of class notes
  • Housing accommodations

4.  Who are the contact persons for accessing accommodations?

View the staff page for the latest contact information.

5.  Can prospective students register with the Disability Resource Center?

ATS makes no preadmission inquiries as to whether a prospective student has a disability and does not make admission decisions on the basis of disability or lack thereof. Accordingly, no documentation relating to disability should be submitted until after a student has been admitted. Following admission, in order to be eligible for Disability Services, a student must submit to the Disability Resource Center qualifying documentation of disability and complete the respective ATS forms that apply to a student’s particular accommodations. Prospective students are welcomed to confer with the Disability Resource Center and explore the opportunities and services that are available at ATS for students with disabilities.

6. What is the process for accessing accommodations?

  1. The student fills out the Application for Reasonable Accommodations to register with the Disability Resource Center.
  2. The student submits the documentation of disability along with the Application for Reasonable Accommodations at least thirty (30) days prior to the first course, and two weeks prior to the first day of class for each semester.
  3. The Accommodations Committee evaluates the documentation and assigns accommodations that would be permitted at ATS.
  4. The student is provided the Graduate Student Assignment of Accommodations form, which specifies the accommodations assigned by ATS for respective students.
  5. The Graduate Student Assignment of Accommodations form is shared with respective professors for each course that the student designates.
  6. The student is responsible for communicating with professors concerning the process for accessing specific accommodations for each respective course.
  7. The initial application process for reasonable accommodations requires a minimum least thirty (30) days prior to the first course, and two weeks prior to the first day of class for each semester.  Six (6) months will be required if an updated evaluation is required. (See standards for documentation at https://asburyseminary.edu/academics/disability-resource-center/)

7. How are the documentation records kept confidential?

In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), all forms and documentation will be kept confidential in the Disability Resources Center and not be released by Asbury Theological Seminary to any third party without explicit written request of the student.

8. What kinds of information should be included in the documentation of disability?

Documentation Guidelines

  1. A student’s documentation that verifies the existence of a disability must be submitted from a qualified professional who is licensed or credentialed to make the particular diagnosis (such as a physician, psychiatrist, or psychologist).
  2. Along with the documentation the qualified professional submits a letter, with letterhead, date, qualifications, license number, and signature. 
  3. Documentation of disability must be submitted to the Disability Resource Center least thirty (30) days prior to the first course, and two weeks prior to the first day of class for each semester for which the student is requesting accommodation. 
  4. The content of the documentation should:
  • Include the date(s) of the evaluation
  • State the diagnosis of the disability
  • State the symptoms or impact of the disability on daily functioning
  • Make reference to the types of evaluation procedures utilized and the evaluation results/scores (as appropriate) 
  • List the limitations of student functioning, especially as related to the higher education environment
  • Provide recommendations and rationale for accommodations, which are helpful in assisting institutional personnel in determining appropriate and necessary support 
  • Give an accurate picture of how the disability impacts the student at this point in time and thus should be current. In most cases, documentation should be less than five years old. For psychiatric disabilities the documentation should be current within the past year, with updates provided (as appropriate) during a student’s enrollment.

9. What is the process for accessing reasonable housing accommodations?

Students with disabilities who qualify for reasonable housing accommodations make this request by submitting the Application for Housing Requests and Accommodations form.

  1. This form is filled out by a qualified professional representing the student, and documentation that is specified in this form should accompany the form.
  2. The Reasonable Accommodations in Housing Review Committee evaluates the information in the form and documentation to determine the extent to which the requests for reasonable housing accommodations are implemented.
  3. Students are informed of the decision of the Reasonable Accommodations in Housing Review Committee

10. How does a student access audible textbooks or audible course materials?

Students who qualify for audible texts fill out the Alternative Format Materials Form. Students purchase the textbooks and submit the textbooks to the Disability Resource Center. Personnel utilize the BlueLeaf Book Scanning service to translate the written material into digitalized format. The textbook and digitalized content are sent to the student. 

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