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Disability Access Center Division of Student Affairs

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Student Resources

DAC Mission

Who we serve: The Disability Access Center (DAC) serves any enrolled student who meets the standard of a qualified individual with a disability (QID), regardless of whether temporarily or permanently disabled.

What we do: DAC ensures that qualified students with disabilities receive appropriate accommodations at Sac State. Examples of accommodations include:

  • Classroom Accommodations
  • Testing Accommodations
  • Housing Accommodations

Our Mission: In alignment with the University’s commitment to inclusivity and guided by applicable policies and legal regulations, The Disability Access Center (DAC) provides a comprehensive range of access services that facilitate equal educational opportunity for students with disabilities.

Our Vision: To equip our students with tools that foster positive disability identity, independence, and self-advocacy that prepare them for meaningful, productive lives.

Our Philosophy: DAC views disability as a positive identity that has been marginalized by ableist ideology. As such, disabled individuals are entitled to civil rights just as any marginalized identity. Civil rights, disability rights, and disability justice movements were led by disabled individuals, making possible the passing of the regulations for Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the ADA Amendment Act.

Applying for Accommodations at Sac State

DAC looks forward to assisting you with your accommodation needs.

How to Apply:

  1. Click the DAC Student Portal button below
  2. Click "Apply for Services"
  3. Answer the short questionnaire
  4. Upload your documentation
  5. Agree and Submit
  6. You will receive a confirmation email to your CSUS Email account within 24 hours.
  7. You will receive a notification that your Disability Access Center profile has been activated within three business days of submitting your application.
  8. You will then be informed that you need to make an appointment with an Access Coordinator via your portal to review your documentation, accommodation requests and any forms required to provide approved accommodations.
  9. In some cases, the requested accommodations may require additional medical documentation.
  10. Once accommodations have been approved by an Access Coordinator, then you will be able to request via your portal, that accommodation letters be sent to designated faculty.

Please be aware that from start to finish the intake process can take several weeks, we recommend that students apply as soon as they know they may need accommodations.

Once you have been approved for accommodations, the renewal process only takes a few clicks each semester.

Documentation Guidelines

DAC requests documentation regarding your current functional limitations and their impact on the learning environment. We recommend the following documentation:

Once you are ready to apply for services:

Student Portal

Audio Recording Lectures


Audio recording of lectures is one of the accommodations specifically identified in Section 504, Subpart E, Post-secondary Education, of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as a means of ensuring full participation in educational programs or activities for students with disabilities. This accommodation must be approved by a DAC Access Coordinator. Approval depends on a review of the student's disability documentation, level of severity connected to the disability’s condition, and requirements of the course.

Request Process

  • Requests to audio record must be made to DAC or Access Coordinator for review
  • Students must request their DAC letter of approved accommodations be sent to faculty for each class, every semester that they require the accommodations.
  • DAC must have a signed copy of the Audio Recording Agreement before students are authorized to audio record

Guidelines

  • Students generally utilize Otter.ai to audio record lectures, which is a free web-based and smartphone-based software. Students will use Otter.ai unless otherwise instructed by their AC or the DAC ATL team.
  • Students are required to complete an “Audio Recording Agreement” before being authorized to audio record.
  • Students are required to submit a faculty notification letter via DAC student portal before the first day of the class audio recording is to be used, to notify the instructor that they are approved by DAC to audio record lectures as a disability-related accommodation. Students should discuss with instructors any concerns about recording lectures. Instructors may feel it is inappropriate to record certain class discussions. Students are approved to record lectures, but not necessarily discussions in which other students may reveal personal information or self-disclosure. If necessary, students or their instructor may ask an AC to help make this distinction.
  • Students are required to use the recordings solely in pursuit of an educational program, not for any commercial or non-educational purpose.
  • Students must agree not to share recordings with other students or anyone else.
  • Students must erase recordings at the conclusion of the course (within 14 days after issuance of a grade) unless the student obtains written authorization from the instructor to retain recordings beyond this period.

Violation of these guidelines will be considered a violation of academic integrity and a violation of the CSU, Sacramento State Code of Conduct. Upon request, faculty may be provided a copy of the audio recording agreement to understand the guidelines for student conduct.

Transfer Student Information

In addition to medical documentation or learning disability assessments, you are encouraged to submit copies of accommodation letters used at previous institutions. The Disability Access Center will engage in an interactive process with you to determine appropriate accommodations at Sac State. If you are unable to locate your medical documentation, you should contact your previous college/university to request copies of the documents used to qualify for accommodations.

The Disability Access Center is excited to serve our transfer student population. It is important to note that accommodations do not automatically transfer from one institution to another, as each post-secondary institution has its own processes for approving accommodations and providing resources.

Transition Guide

CCE Student Information

College of Continuing Education (CCE)

The College of Continuing Education (CCE) and the Disability Access Center (DAC) at Sacramento State are committed to providing qualified students with disabilities equal access to their educational and vocational goals. Students are responsible for submitting an application as well as current and relevant medical documentation, and for meeting with an Access Coordinator to discuss accommodation requirements. Once approved for course modifications or adjustments, students are responsible each semester, for sending the approved accommodation letters to faculty.

CCE Website

Renewing Accommodations Each Term

Each term students are responsible for requesting accommodation letters to be sent to their faculty via the Online Portal. Once requested by the student via the Online Portal, the accommodation letters are automatically delivered to the faculty via the Online Portal. Faculty will be expecting an accommodation letter dated for the current semester otherwise accommodation will not be provided.

Accommodations are not retroactive. So, request approved accommodations as soon as possible.

If accommodations need to be changed/updated, the request must be approved by your designated Access Coordinator before submitting a request to have an accommodation letter be sent. If approved, the change will be reflected in the Online Portal.

If you are ready to renew your accommodations for the current semester.

  1. Click the DAC Student Portal
  2. Click Request Accommodation Letters
  3. Click the Accommodations button
  4. Choose which classes you would like to send an accommodation letter to
  5. Hit Submit

Student Portal

Priority Registration

Priority Registration is not automatically approved for students registered with the Disability Access Center. Instead, priority registration is an accommodation that can be applied for by students who have disability-related symptoms, and/or medical appointments that adversely affect their ability to take classes on certain days or times. Priority registration does not guarantee that the required courses will be offered on days and/or times that best-fit students' needs.

Complaints

Complaint Resolution Process

Disability Access Center (DAC) would appreciate the opportunity to address in an informal manner any complaints or concerns regarding alleged academic inaccessibility, discrimination, retaliation, and/or accommodations based on disability, However, students have the right to follow any of the Complaint Resolution processes below at any time.

Rights

You have the right to an accessible campus, including all University-related activities and programs, as stated in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADAAA). Additional legislation pertaining to the right to an accessible education can be found in the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, specifically Sections 504 and 508. Depending on the concern, students may be referred to other departments or resources that are more specifically responsible for the oversight of the concern area.

Responsibilities for Academic Accommodations

Follow established Disability Access Center processes for arranging and using academic accommodations each semester.

Informal Complaint Resolution

Complaints regarding DAC academic accommodation approvals should first be directed to the DAC Access Coordinator (AC) working directly with the student. If a concern relates to an Access Coordinator, then concerns may be addressed to the Disability Access Center Director in writing at dac@csus.edu, along with any new information or additional documentation for review, that has not previously been reviewed by the AC. The DAC Director or designee will arrange a meeting within 10 working days if the matter is not otherwise resolved via e-mail communication. The AC Coordinator or site designee may attend this meeting at the request of either the student or the AC Director/designee.

These complaints can include, but are not limited to, denial of accommodation, delay and/or denial of services or auxiliary equipment, unequal treatment and/or discrimination, program and architectural inaccessibility, and/or failure to be reasonably accommodated in the employment setting (student assistant campus positions only).

The DAC Director or designee will inform the student in writing of the outcome of the interaction no later than 10 working days after the meeting.

If an informal resolution is not reached, the student may submit a formal complaint within 100 days of the event/action (or the last date of a related series of events/actions), notwithstanding any action taken by the appropriate administrator.

It should be noted that DAC’s scope is to ensure equal academic access. As a result, concerns related to other departments or activities may be outside DAC scope, upon which referrals may be made to appropriate offices charged with providing the services in question

Formal Complaint Resolution

A formal complaint may be filed by a student who has been denied services by the DAC Coordinator or site designee or is dissatisfied with the services provided. The campus DAC website provides information on how to file a formal complaint.

Formal complaints must meet one of two criteria:

Procedural error occurred that may have impacted the decision, or

New evidence exists that was not reasonably available to present at the time of the original decision or informal complaint process.

The formal complaint must be made in writing to the DAC Director or designee and include the following information:

  • The accommodation or service that is subject to the complaint,
  • Date of the complaint,
  • The facts on which the complaint is based,
  • Alleged procedural error or violation of policy,
  • New evidence that was not previously available that may affect a student’s requested service(s), and
  • The resolution requested.

The decision regarding formal complaints shall be made by a committee of three people appointed by the Associate Vice President overseeing the DAC. The Committee’s review will be to ensure due process was followed and if appropriate, consider new evidence that may affect a student’s requested service or accommodation. The DAC Director or designee will notify the student in writing of the Committee’s decision regarding the complaint. The committee's decision will be final. For more information on this policy, refer to https://calstate.policystat.com/policy/14568219/latest/#autoid-77nv7.

If a student feels they have been discriminated against due to a disability, they may file a complaint pursuant to the CSU’s Policy Prohibiting Discrimination, Harassment, Sexual Misconduct, Sexual Exploitation, Dating Violence, Domestic Violence, Stalking, and Retaliation (Nondiscrimination Policy) with the Office of Equal Opportunity CSUS Office for Equal Opportunity (OEO).

External Complaint Resolution

The Office for Civil Rights, a department within the U.S. Department of Education, ensures compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you feel you have experienced discrimination based on disability, please refer to the Questions and Answers on OCR's Complaint Process. Also, https://www.ed.gov/laws-and-policy/civil-rights-laws/file-complaint/how-the-office-for-civil-rights-handles-complaints.

Disability Access Center will make appropriate arrangements to ensure accommodations, if needed, to access any of the grievance processes. No faculty or staff member of CSUS may intimidate, threaten, coerce, or retaliate against anyone who files a complaint regarding a right enforced by the California State University Chancellor's Office Executive Order 1097and Executive Order 1111, or who cooperates in such an investigation. Anyone who believes that he or she has been intimidated or retaliated against should refer to Executive Order 1097 and Executive Order 1111 for further guidance.

Policies

The CSU Chancellor's Office - Policies addressing discrimination and disability rights, including disability discrimination:

Provision of Accommodations and Support Services to Students with Disabilities