About Us

The Abilities Office provides services to all Chicago State University students with verified disabilities. Services are provided as a reasonable accommodation as mandated in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, which states "No otherwise qualified person with a disability in the United State shall, solely by reason of ... disability, be denied the benefits of, be excluded from participation in, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance."

The Abilities Office provides students with verified disabilities with: readers, note takers, test monitors, lab aids, library assistance, scribes, equipment loans, sign language interpreters, tutors, and use of a computer lab with adaptive equipment and software. These are only examples of the accommodations currently provided. Other accommodations are provided on a case by case basis.

Abilities Office Rights and Responsibilities. The Abilities Office has certain rights and responsibilities. It is the right of the Abilities Office to :

• Ask students to meet with the coordinator and staff
• Request appropriate documentation of a disability
• Deny requested test accommodations in this office if not given adequate notice or the accommodation form has not been completed and signed by the professor.
• Report to faculty any student caught cheating in this office or strongly suspected of academic misconduct.

It is the responsibility of the Abilities Office to:

• Provide reasonable and appropriate accommodations
• Work with students and faculty in determining individualized accommodations
• Provide access to services and available equipment.
• Provide auxiliary aids as appropriate
• Teach advocacy skills to students
• Act as mediator or advocate for students when appropriate and maintain the confidentiality of the disability.