Disability Resources for Students Admitted to Rice University
Rice students registered with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) may have a wide range of disabilities including learning disabilities, attention deficit disorders, physical or medical conditions, sensory loss, or psychiatric or psychological conditions, etc. The DRC establishes eligibility for disability-related assistance, notifies and consults with faculty on needed accommodations, and provides adaptive equipment or resources as needed.
Rice University is committed to providing equal opportunity and access to the educational environment. The Disability Resource Center supports and implements federal guidelines included in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The DRC strives to make programs and facilities accessible to Rice students with disabilities using a wide range of disability resources.
The Disability Resource Center works with community and state agencies to coordinate campus services for students with disabilities admitted to Rice. For Houston area agencies, the DRC will refer students as needed. Students from other states may want to contact their state vocational rehabilitation agencies if special equipment or services are needed while attending Rice University.
Accommodations: What are they? How are they determined? How are they provided?
Accommodations are academic adjustments, resources and/or equipment that allow a Rice student with a disability to have equal access to academic programs, and to share in full participation with the Rice university community. Accommodations are made on an individual basis and are based on the functional limitations posed by the disabling condition(s).
Accommodations may include, but are not limited to:
- Assistive listening devices
- Sign language interpreters
- Captioning services (CART)
- Extended time on examinations
- Distraction-reduced examinations
- Braille materials
- Books in an alternative format (audio or e-texts)
- Desktop video magnifiers (CCTVs)
- Note taking or assistance with lecture notes
- Specialized computer software
- Advocacy
Accommodation letters are developed collaboratively by the director of the DRC and the student with a disability. These letters are for the student’s professors and indicate recommended accommodations. The nature of individual courses and course requirements vary, e.g. labs versus lectures. Therefore, the ways in which a student at Rice with a disability is functionally limited will impact some classes differently than others.