Accessibility & Accommodations

Northwest Missouri State University is committed to providing students with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in the University’s programs, courses and activities. Title IX and Equity provides learning and living accommodations at no cost to any student who has a documented disability as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

COVID-19 Accommodations: Northwest recognizes that certain health conditions may be impacted by COVID-19, facilitating the need for living or learning accommodations. Please follow the accommodations request process identified below, which includes completing an accommodations application and providing supporting documentation from your health professional, or contact ada@nwmissouri.edu.

What is Considered a Disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits "major life activity," such as walking, hearing, seeing, speaking, breathing, or learning. ADA laws protect:

Visual impairments (legally blind, progressive vision loss, etc.)
Deaf or hard of hearing
Mental/Emotional health conditions (depression, anxiety, bipolar, OCD, personality disorders, etc.)
Learning disabilities
ADD/ADHD
Brain injuries, epilepsy
Autism, Asperger's Syndrome
Mobility (paraplegia, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, etc.)
Other (cancer, diabetes, food allergies, etc.)

If you have a disability that you think would qualify for a living or learning accommodation, please complete the accommodation application and provide supporting documentation, or contact ada@nwmissouri.edu.

How to Request an Accommodation

To make a formal request for learning or living accommodation(s) to Title IX and Equity, Accessibility and Accommodations:

Students must complete and submit the fillable form below. Students must also submit separately (ada@nwmissouri.edu), supporting documentation about your disability from your health or counseling professional. For more information please see the documentation guidelines in the section Disability Documentation and Requirements.

Accommodation Application

Types of Accommodations Provided

Title IX and Equity, Accessibility and Accommodations provides a range of accommodations, including, but not limited to:

Test accommodations (examples: extended time, minimal distraction, reader)
Early registration
Note taking assistance (computer usage or lecture recording)
Assistance with hearing (equipment is student-provided)
Referrals to other services and programs

Disability Documentation and Requirements

A supporting letter completed by a licensed professional who is knowledgeable in the field of the student's particular disability.
Include a statement of diagnosis.
Include a description of the current status of the disability.
Relate how the student's disability affects his/her learning.
Include recommendations for appropriate accommodations.
Be dated and signed by the licensed professional on agency letterhead (prescriptions are not accepted).
Supporting documentation must be no older than one year.

NOTE: Supporting documentation cannot be a K-12 IEP or 504.

Title IX and Equity, Accessibility and Accommodations may request additional or more recent documentation.

Confidentiality will be maintained for all documentation related to a student's disability.

Emotional Support Animals (ESA)

Students with an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) must complete an accommodations application, and provide documentation from a health or counseling professional prescribing the need for the ESA. If the request is approved, there are additional living requirements required from Residential Life.