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Disability Services


Division of Student Affairs > Counseling & Testing > Disability Services
Welcome! The Office of Counseling and Testing coordinates reasonable accommodations for qualified students with documented disabilities who are attending Francis Marion University. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the office at least two weeks before starting classes at Francis Marion University. Dr. Rebecca Lawson, Director Office of Counseling and Testing Francis Marion University 121 S. Evander Street Florence, SC 29506 rlawson@fmarion.edu 843-661-1841 (Direct Line) 843-661-1840 (Main Office) 843-661-1818 (Fax)
Eligibility for Accommodations
Documentation Requirements To qualify for accommodations, a student must provide appropriate documentation from a qualified health services provider (i.e., physician, licensed psychologist).	Documentation Review Committee Each student's documentation is presented to the Documentation Review Committee (DRC) at Francis Marion.	Setting Up Accommodations After a student's eligibility has been approved by the Documentation Review Committee, an appointment should be made with Dr. Rebecca Lawson, Director of Counseling and Testing.

Accommodations Process
Notification of Professors At the beginning of each semester, the Office of Counseling and Testing will write a faculty notification letter and will address it to each of the student's professors.	Confidentiality A student's disability documentation is confidential.	Student Responsibilities A student is expected to speak and work directly with each professor involved in the provision of accommodation(s).
Types of Accommodations
Accessible Residence Halls Residence hall rooms with varying degrees of accessibility are available. Reasonable efforts are made to accommodate students with disabilities who wish to live on campus.	Accessible Desks and Tables Desks and tables that accommodate wheelchairs are available. After registration, students should notify the Office of Counseling and Testing about their class schedule and the need for accessible desks and tables.	Accessible Computers Computers with speech output software (JAWS) and large-print software (ZoomText) are available in the Academic Computing Center and in Rogers Library.

Handicapped Parking Permits Prior to obtaining a Francis Marion University Disabled Placard, students must complete registration of their vehicle. (Please refer to the Traffic Regulations or Student Handbook for information on how to register a vehicle).	Interpreter Services Sign-language interpreters are provided for courses and other academic-related activities.	Tutoring Services Tutorial services are considered to be personal services; therefore, all expenses for personal tutors are the responsibility of the student.

Test-Taking Accommodations Examples of test-taking accommodations include extended test time and the option to test alone.	Notetakers Francis Marion will pay for notetaker services for students whose documentation supports the need for that type of assistance.	Personal Care Attendants The Office of Counseling and Testing is willing to advise students on the recruitment and hiring of personal care attendants (PCAs). The cost and maintenance of the services of a PCA are the responsibility of the student. To determine if a PCA is needed, students will need to assess their skills and abilities with their medical provider, vocational rehabilitation counselor, or case manager.

Priority Registration Students with disabilities may be eligible for priority registration. Before priority registration is granted, students are asked to meet with their designated faculty advisor to discuss course requirements and schedule recommendations.	Readers and Scribes Francis Marion will pay for reader and scribe services for students whose documentation supports the need for that type of assistance.	Tape Recorders Students needing to record lectures as an academic accommodation are encouraged to purchase tape recorders. If your tape recorder is damaged or lost, the Office of Counseling and Testing may be able to loan you one (subject to availability).

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