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Accessibility Services and Accommodations

Assistive Technology

  • Job Access With Speech (JAWS) screen reader software
  • ZoomText
  • Screen magnification software
  • Laptop or iPad loaner program
  • Notetaker assistance (use of smartpen technology)
  • Interpreter services
  • Stationary and portable closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs)
  • Access to alternate forms of text or textbooks
  • Alternative testing methods
  • Natural readers, speech-to-text or dictation software
  • Assistive listening devices
  • Adaptive equipment
  • Accessible tables and chairs
  • Pedal desks
  • Adaptive transportation

We also provide extended time for testing, alternate site and reduced distraction testing spaces, reasonable housing accommodations, preferential seating and referrals to academic support (tutoring).

Registering with Student Accessibility Services

Registration with Student Accessibility Services (SAS) is a separate process from applying for admission to North Carolina Central University. Interested students should contact SAS by phone at 919-530-6325 or email at SDS@nccu.edu. We advise that you do not submit disability documentation to the Admissions Office. Services and accommodations cannot be provided until the student has registered and provided the appropriate documentation to SAS.

New Student Registration

Students are highly encouraged to sign up with SAS prior to the start of the semester to ensure that supports are in place for the start of classes.

Please note: Reasonable academic accommodations cannot be retroactively fitted.

  1. To begin your registration process, please use the Public Accommodation Request form. At the end of that form, there is a place to upload a copy of your documentation of disability or diagnosis from an appropriately qualified provider.
  2. Supporting documentation can be uploaded through our online system, hand-delivered to our office (Student Services Building, Suite 120) or faxed to 919-530-6938.
  3. Once the registration form and documentation are received, a SAS staff member will review them. Students must allow at least two weeks (10 business days) for SAS to review all new requests for accommodations. Students receiving provisional accommodations may have a longer waiting period until documentation has been furnished.
  4. Once your file has been reviewed, you will receive an email to meet with a staff member to do the intake interview.

At the intake appointment, you will discuss:

  • Accommodations and services
  • Campus and local resources
  • SAS policies and procedures
  • Student rights and responsibilities

Students are welcome to meet with SAS staff members for questions or concerns year-round. We are here to assist you and will provide resources or information to help you achieve your academic goals.

Currently Registered Students

A Semester Accommodation Request must be completed for each semester a student is enrolled and seeking accommodations. The Semester Accommodation Request can be completed and submitted to SAS through Eagle Accommodate. This must be done before a professor or instructor can provide reasonable accommodations. Accommodation requests are not retroactive, and it is highly encouraged that you request your accommodations within the first two weeks of the semester.

The Semester Request form can be found under the Accommodation tab on Eagle Accommodate:

  1. To begin the Semester Accommodation Request, hover your mouse over the Accommodation tab and select "Returning Student Request."
  2. After clicking the "Request Accommodation," you should be directed to a page that lists all of your previous accommodation requests. Click on "Request Accommodation" in the middle of the page.
  3. Select the semester you are requesting the accommodations for; if you do not see an upcoming semester, please wait until you have received a notification from SAS that the semester is open for registration in Accommodate.
  4. Once you select the semester, your classes for that semester will appear; select either "Request for All" or "Review Semester Request." Please note: "Request for All" means that you are requesting all of your approved accommodations for all of the courses listed, whereas "Review Semester Request" means that you will request specific approved accommodations for specific courses.
  5. Click "Submit."
  6. Only your approved accommodations will appear in Eagle Accommodate for you to request. In order to receive additional accommodations, you must meet with a staff member and may be asked to present additional documentation.

Changes in Accommodation Needs

Students are entitled to request additional accommodations or academic adjustments during the course of the semester or at any time during their tenure at NC Central University. Students are also entitled to request modifications to the nature of the accommodations. Students must work with SAS to determine the appropriate changes to accommodations, academic adjustments or auxiliary aids and services. The office should be contacted at the earliest indication of emerging accommodation needs. Students must allow at least two weeks (10 business days) for the coordination and provision of new accommodations or modifications to existing accommodations.

Temporary Accommodations

Some disabilities are temporary and may only require accommodations for a limited time. Each case is considered individually. The following documentation is required for accommodations based on a temporary disability: a letter on letterhead from a qualified professional stating the diagnosis, the functional limitations necessitating reasonable accommodations and the estimated length of services that will be needed. After one semester of temporary accommodations, subsequent semester requests should be requested through Eagle Accommodate for review by the SAS staff.

It must be noted that North Carolina Central University and Student Accessibility Services reserve the right to deny requests for services or accommodations while the receipt of appropriate disability documentation is pending.

Faculty Notification Letters

Faculty notification letters with a student’s reasonable academic accommodations are emailed to professors within 48 business hours (two business days) after submission and approval of the student’s Request for Reasonable Accommodations via Eagle Accommodate (if submission and approval occur before the start of classes, the letters will be emailed the first week of class). The letter will automatically be generated after the student has re-registered for accommodations. Students receive a copy of this letter to their Eagle email as a confirmation that the letters have been sent. Students should speak with each professor regarding their reasonable accommodations once the letters have been emailed.

Academic Accommodations

Scholars can receive an array of academic accommodations to aid in their classroom success. Below you will find a list of commonly prescribed academic accommodations at NCCU:

  • Adjustable desk or chair
  • Assistive listening devices
  • Braille materials
  • Breaks as needed
  • Captioning of course videos
  • Desktop video magnifiers
  • Permission to record class
  • Preferential seating
  • Utilization of reader, scribe or sign language interpreter
  • Sit or stand as needed
  • Breaks as needed
  • Utilization of a live scribe pen, laptop, tablet or other adaptive equipment
  • Adaptive computer software (Fusion, ZoomText, JAWs, etc.)
  • Real-time captioning (CART)
  • Reasonable extension on due dates
  • Make-up work for absences due to a medical condition
  • Reduced course load
  • Access to recordings

Testing and Note-Taking Accommodations

Students can request testing accommodations and acquire note-taking strategies and resources to aid in their academic journey. Commonly prescribed testing and note-taking accommodations at NCCU include:

  • Separate or reduced distraction testing spaces
  • 1.5x extended time on quizzes, tests or exams
  • 2.0x extended time on quizzes, tests or exams
  • 3.0x extended time on quizzes, tests or exams
  • Peer note-taker or note-taking support
  • Utilization of a reader, scribe, sign language interpreter or educational assistant
  • Alternative format test: braille, printed copy, enlarged test or written version
  • Breaks as needed

Housing Accommodations

SAS scholars are welcomed and encouraged to live in university housing. NCCU seeks to provide accessible housing to meet the needs of all Eagles. Commonly prescribed housing accommodations at NCCU include:

  • Wheelchair accessible rooms
  • Modified furniture
  • Single room
  • Private bathroom
  • Separate sleeping space
  • Emotional support animal (ESA) (must be requested at least 60 days prior to the start of the academic semester; students should not bring an ESA to campus without prior approval and registration with SAS)

Temporary Injury Adjustments

NCCU scholars who encounter a temporary injury can request temporary accommodations to aid their transition back to full health. Commonly prescribed temporary injury adjustments include:

  • Transportation or Eagle Escort van service
  • Delayed arrival
  • Make-up work due to medical condition
  • Reasonable extension on assignments, quizzes and exams due to medical condition

Students who test positive for COVID, flu or any other temporary illnesses should contact the Student Health Center at 919- 530-5485. Please review the COVID-19 Quarantine and Isolation Guidelines here.

Emotional Support Animals

According to NCCU's Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals on Campus Regulation, an “Emotional Support Animal” (ESA) is any animal that (1) alleviates one or more identified symptoms or effects of a person’s disability; (2) is necessary because of an individual’s disability to afford the individual an equal opportunity to use and enjoy University housing; and (3) its presence in University housing is reasonable. An ESA is not a service animal under this regulation or the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). ESAs may also be referred to as “Comfort Animals.” Please note a student’s ESA will not be allowed in any other areas on campus except for the student’s living area in the residence hall.

Psychological disabilities are considered to be conditions involving psychological, emotional, cognitive, and/or behavioral disorders and symptoms. Qualified professionals should provide documentation for the psychological or medical necessity of a patient or client having an ESA as a part of their ongoing medical treatment plan. Qualified professionals should also be able to diagnose and determine psychiatric disabilities according to the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Version 5 (DSM-5). Qualified professionals who can provide ESA documentation may include the following licensed providers:

  1. Psychologists/neuropsychologists
  2. Psychiatrists/neuropsychiatrists
  3. Psychiatric nurse practitioners
  4. Professional counselors
  5. Mental health counselors
  6. Clinical social workers
  7. Other relevantly trained medical doctors

Documentation of the need for an ESA should include a signed letter on professional letterhead from the qualified professional as described above. The provider should be familiar with the professional literature concerning the assistive and/or therapeutic benefits of Emotional Support Animals for people with disabilities. The letter should include the following items:

  1. Qualified professional’s printed name, title, license/certification credentials, and area of specialization, phone/fax number, address, signature, and date of treatment.
  2. The letter must come from someone who the student can demonstrate a history of patient/provider relationship with and that history should be stated in the letter, along with the provider's credentials.
  3. Clear statement of the individual's diagnosis according to the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Version 5 (DSM-5), with a description of diagnostic tests, assessment methods, and/or criteria used.
  4. Description of expected progression or stability of the impact of the condition for up to one year from the date of the letter.
  5. A clear description of the current impact, functional limitations, and current symptoms of the disability or psychological condition. An explanation should also be given of how the impact of the condition affects the student in the university academic setting.
  6. A description of how the student’s ESA specifically alleviates psychiatric or psychological symptoms and how the ESA supports the student specifically in the residence hall setting within the university environment. Letters that provide general information on the “beneficial nature” of having an ESA will not be considered.
  7. Name, age, and type of animal.
  8. A statement to explain the student’s capability of ensuring the health and well-being of an ESA while still properly taking care of their own psychological and physical health needs within the context of being a university student.
  9. Any additional rationale or statement the University may reasonably need to understand the basis for the professional opinion.

Some websites sell letters, certificates, registrations, and licensing documents for assistance animals to anyone who answers certain questions or participates in a short interview and pays a fee. Generally, such documentation is not, by itself, sufficient to reliably establish that an individual has a non-observable disability or disability-related need for an assistance animal. In addition, documentation from health care professionals who review emotional profiles and create template ESA letters for public housing and air carriers, or who have had no contact with the student except for limited encounters that were specifically intended to produce an ESA letter, are not considered reliable.

Appropriate documentation should additionally:

  • Speak to an existing and continuing diagnostic and therapeutic relationship
  • Include the providers' confirmation that the Emotional Support Animal has been deemed to be a necessary component of treatment in order for the student to reside on campus
  • Include a clear description of how the animal will mitigate functional limitations

  1. Schedule an initial meeting with the SAS Office to begin the process.
  2. Review the NCCU Campus Animal Regulation in detail to understand the policies surrounding ESAs and Service Animals.
  3. Make an online request for an ESA in Eagle Accommodate.
  4. Take, email or fax the ESA Documentation Guidelines to your medical provider.
  5. Take, email or fax the ESA Veterinarian Form to your animal’s vet.
  6. Provide the ESA documentation to the SAS Office by fax or in person. Documentation must include a medical need (not just a benefit) for an ESA by a licensed medical doctor (MD), psychiatrist, psychologist or therapist.
  7. Provide the ESA Veterinarian Form to SAS, to include current animal vaccination records and any other key information needed about the animal (size, weight, grooming, feeding, overall care, etc.).
  8. SAS will contact students to inform them of the committee’s decision.
  9. If approved, review and sign the ESA Owner or Handler Responsibilities Agreement. ESA animal tags and door stickers will be provided.
  10. SAS will contact Residential Life to inform them. Residential Life will decide on any room or location changes if needed.
  11. Residential Life will inform roommates of an ESA approval for their location. If a conflict arises, roommates will be asked to work out a solution with Residential Life and SAS staff to include the rights and privileges of all students involved.
  12. Updated ESA documentation will be requested each academic year.

Student Leadership Opportunities

The Office of Student Accessibility Services has over seven opportunities for students to develop leadership skills, build community and become a part of the SAS family.

  • Official office ambassadors help spread awareness of the SAS office, its mission and resources
  • Aid in planning annual events

  • Mentor first-year and transfer SAS scholars refer to campus resources
  • Host socials and community-building opportunities

  • Student organization that promotes accessibility
  • Host events and socials for campus and community to conduct community service

  • Aid in office administration
  • Help plan annual programming
  • Oversee the PAL program

  • National honor society for students with disabilities
  • Student-led community service and engagement

  • National honor society for TRIO scholars
  • Student-led community service and engagement
Eddie