Office of Disability Services

Office of Disability Services

The Office of Disability Services facilitates the process of academic accommodations for students with disabilities, and works in collaboration with the professional schools of the Health Sciences Center in an attempt to ensure full participation in all activities, programs, and services of the institution.

The office operates in accordance with the ADA, ADAA, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. 

Accommodation Procedures

  • Step 1: Students complete the Student Intake Form. 
  • Step 2: Documentation from qualified healthcare providers is submitted. 
    • Qualified healthcare providers must complete and submit the LSUHSC-NO Healthcare Provider Form to ods@lsuhsc.edu  or fax to (504) 568-5588.
    • Additional documentation such as neuropsychological/psychoeducational evalutions, detailed letters from qualified providers regarding impacts and barriers, or past accommodation letters from other institutions or standardized exams may be helpful. 
  • Step 3: ODS reviews submitted documentation. 
  • Step 4: Students participate in an Intake Meeting with ODS to create their accommodation plan. 
  • Step 5: Students provide accommodation letters to faculty for implementation. 
  • Step 6: Students request a new accommodation letter every term they are enrolled. 

Accommodation Guidelines

  • Accommodations are not official unless they have been created through the Office of Disability Services
  • Accommodations are not retroactive; they are active once a plan has been created through this office and disclosed to faculty members. 
  • Documentation and diagnosis information will remain completely confidential.
  • The Office of Disability Services reserves the right to request more documentation if documentation submitted is deemed insufficient.

Note on Technical Standards

Some programs require students to meet certain technical standards encompassing the following skills:observation; communication; motor function and coordination; intellectual abilities:conceptual, integrative, and quantitative; and behavioral and social attributes. Students are expected to be able to perform these skills with or without reasonable accommodations. An otherwise qualified student may not be excluded solely because of a disability if a reasonable modification or accommodation can be made by the institution. Reasonable accommodations must not fundamentally alter a program,service, or activity or create an undue burden on the institution. 
 

Contact:

Photo of Leigh Smith-Vaniz, female wth brown hair wearing a blue shirt and black jacket

Leigh Smith-Vaniz, MA, CSAEd, CSAEd-SC
Director 
ods@lsuhsc.edu
504-568-2211
Resource Center Building (RCB)
433 Bolivar Street, Room 826A
New Orleans, LA 70112