Kean University wants students to know that the campus is a safe environment that provides assistance for those in need. Kean has many departments for educational, career and health purposes.

The Kean Counseling Center is home to disability services in Downs Hall room 122. The Office of Disability Services provides assistance and accommodations for all students with documented physical, medical, learning, emotional, and psychological disabilities.

Services provided are:

• Academic assistance
• Classroom and testing accommodations
• Residence hall accommodations
• Adaptive technology and accessible resources

Kean and the Disability Services want students to know that they have rights to equal access to courses, programs, services, jobs, activities and facilities offered at Kean University. Students also have the right to make all information regarding their disability and reasonable and effective accommodations confidential. 

With that being said, students seeking accommodations must be registered as a Kean student with a current schedule. The student must also submit documentations verifying their disability and eligibility for services. 

Academic accommodations are designed to provide equal access to course content while maintaining the academic standards that are required in all classes. The university may also deny an accommodation, academic adjustment or request for technology.

In order for students to receive these accommodations they must do the following:

• Complete and return an intake form found on the disability service website
• Submit their current educational and psychological evaluations to the Office of Disability Services
• Have a doctor or therapist complete the medical form verification
• Send a copy of their class schedule

Once the materials have been sent to the Office of Disability Services, it is recommended to call the office to schedule an appointment to discuss options available.

The Disability Services wants students to understand that there is no need to worry. All records are private and confidential and consent is the main concern for the department to ensure the safety of each student.

Donna Dingle, the Managing Assistant Director for the Office of Disability Services, mentioned the many accommodations they have been able to obtain, such as an adaptive testing room, a technology assistant who trains students in the use of technology and a mentor program. She also shared the growth from 60 to 450 students. 

"Our professional mentors work with first-year students to help the transition from high school to college, as well as time management, organizational skills and appropriate classroom behavior. Students learn how to use accommodations and are then able to be very successful and graduate with honors. The students using the mentor services have a higher grade point average than our other students," explained Dingle.

When asked about how the Office of Disability Services works with its students, Dingle said, "We approve college appropriate accommodations to give students with disabilities equal access to all areas of university life. We advise, mentor and help students schedule tutoring. We also have an adaptive testing room for students who need to test outside of the classroom. We support the students in their transition to the independence of college providing mentoring, teaching them the technology that enables them to become independent learners, offering social support to those who need it, working with professors and students when the disability requires changes in the class or testing situations."

Dingle shared what she wanted students with or without disabilities to understand about the department, "Our department works with students with all types of disabilities and medical conditions. We provide services to create an equal playing field. Accommodations should not give any student an unfair advantage. More and more students with disabilities are attending colleges and universities. Disability Service providers make sure that they all have access to class materials, as well as physical and social areas of college." 

If students have any more questions regarding the services, contact disabilityservices@kean.edu or call 908-737-4910.