Here at Duquesne, Equity & Opportunity Begin at Home

Coming to college with a disability can be challenging—Audriana Michrina knows. While getting around campus in a wheelchair can be cumbersome, she's compassionately relieved by helpful classmates and friends, accommodating teachers and support from the University's Disability Services team. 

Our diverse student body includes people of all abilities and disabilities, and we're here to help you succeed. It's our responsibility to help you achieve your goals, and our joy to watch you thrive. Our team will help you receive the support you need to reach your goals. We'll provide appropriate and reasonable accommodations to help you through your academic courses and reach your greatest potential.

Commitment to Equality, Inclusion and Compassion

Motivated by its Catholic identity, Duquesne University values equality of opportunity, human dignity, and racial, cultural and ethnic diversity, both as an educational institution and as an employer. Accordingly, the University prohibits and does not engage in discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability or status as a veteran. Further, Duquesne University will continue to take affirmative steps to support and advance these values consistent with the University's mission statement.

This policy applies to all educational programs and activities of the University, including, but not limited to, employment practices, admission, educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic or other University-sponsored programs. This is a commitment by the University in accordance with its religious values and applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations including Title IX of the Education Amendment Acts of 1972. Nothing herein, however, should be interpreted as a waiver by the University of its own Constitutional and legal rights based upon its religious affiliation.

We're Here for You

If you need accommodation or services due to a disability, we're happy to do our part to help you get what you need. Each student's challenges and needs are unique. It's important that we have all necessary information in order to help you. Read about required documentation and important guidelines below:

Emotional support and service animals provide a unique and helpful service for students. Emotional support animals provide comfort to students, while service animals are trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. 

Learn about our policies and accommodations regarding emotional support animals and service animals.

If your disability challenges your ability to learn a second language, we're here for you. Working with the McAnulty College of Liberal Arts, we will collaboratively determine the most helpful accommodations to help you succeed. Learn more.

Should you experience medical hardship like extreme illness, serious injury or extended hospitalization, we'll help you remain enrolled while navigating the best options for your academic success. In the case that a medical withdrawal is what you need, here's what you need to know.

Academic Accommodations

Whether your disability is physical, psychological or a learning disability, we'll provide appropriate and reasonable accommodations to help you through your academic courses and reach your greatest potential.

Students with disabilities may register early for courses prior to the normal pre-registration period.
Depending on an individual's needs, the University offers special arrangements for oral testing, extended times for examinations, test readers, distraction reduced testing and computers for testing. Learn More
Depending on an individual's needs, the University creates accommodations to make the classroom environment fit the student's disability needs. Accessible classroom relocations can be made through the Office of Disability Services on an as needed basis for students who use wheelchairs or are mobility impaired.
Services include (but are not limited to) making arrangements for: oral testing, secluded testing, tape-recording in classes, note-taking assistance, extended-time testing and readers for test situations.

We will also assist students in petitioning the Student Standing Committee for any warranted substitutions as per submitted documentation.
Accommodations available on an individual basis
We work closely with various state and nonprofit agencies to coordinate the services of interpreters for students with hearing impairments.

The process to provide accommodations begins with an intake interview with the Office of Disability Services team, where we'll work with you to understand your challenges and what you need to help you have the best academic experience. From there, we'll go over opportunities, resources and required documentation. 

Facilities

  • We are happy to assist each student in procuring reasonable accommodations in the Living/Learning Centers and classroom facilities.
  • Accessible classroom relocations can be made through the Office of Disability Services on an as-needed basis for students who use wheelchairs or are mobility impaired.

Special Parking Areas/Permits

  • Students who possess a handicapped license plate can purchase a standard parking permit and park in designated handicap parking areas.
  • For additional information about parking, call the University's Parking Office at (412) 396-5813.

It is always a student's right, and personal choice, to determine if they chose to disclose their disability to the Office of Disability Services. Disclosing your disability can be done at any point in the semester, and does not require that accommodations be used.

Accommodations cannot be given retroactively if a student makes the choice not to disclose their disability. If a student does disclose their disability but does not request that letters of accommodations be sent to their professor, accommodations will not be granted, even in the case that the students feels work submitted or exam scores received do not accurately reflect their abilities.

Achieving a More Inclusive Classroom

 
Dr. Tiffany Hatcher teaching in the classroom

Dr. Tiffany Hatcher

Providing Proactive, Considerate Accommodations

Dr. Tiffany Hatcher, clinical assistant professor in the School of Pharmacy, strives to ensure that students with disabilities feel comfortable speaking up and seeking accommodations, and are alleviated of any additional inconveniences or stresses. "It's a conscious decision to take personal responsibility to make sure your content is accessible to everyone."

Learn How We're Increasing Inclusivity
Dr. Stephanie Gray teaching in the classroom

Dr. Stephanie Gray

New Strategies to Help Students Thrive

Dr. Stephanie Gray, assistant professor of public history in the McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts, jumps on the opportunity to learn about students’ challenges and ways she can help them succeed. "I want Duquesne classrooms to be a safe environment. As an instructor, you have to be interested in and invested in your students; an empathetic teacher who wants students to learn and achieve academic success, and who also cares about the physical and mental wellbeing of each individual student.”

See How Equity & Opportunity Begin at Home

 

Contact Us

Visit us in rooms 305 and 309 in the Union. We're here and ready to help you.

Tiana Brophy

Director Disability Services

Maggie Allen

Assistant Director of Disability Services

Mari Jean Kocinski

Administrative Assistant