Students With Disabilities

CONTACT US
Melissa Zgliczynski.
Coordinator for Students with Disabilities/ Coordinator of Housing
Phone: (716) 961-1879
Email: zgliczynskim@villa.edu

Office hours
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 9 am - 5 pm

I am Melissa Zgliczynski and my position is Coordinator for Students with Disabilities. I can be reached at 716-961-1879. My office is in the lower level of the Library Building. Villa Maria College of Buffalo is committed to serving students in compliance with the American Disabilities Act (ADA). Villa's services to students with disabilities promote access to higher education and support the academic success of students. Students who need accommodations must meet the criteria outlined under the ADA.

 

10 Tips for College Students with Disabilities

Source: Survival Guide for College Students with ADHD or LD by Kathleen Nadeau

1) Look for help when you need it.  This may be in the form of a tutor, a study group, or an instructor.

2) Schedule and plan how you will use your time.  Try using a daily planner or PDA.

3) Plan ahead, especially for tests and big projects.

4) Learn about how you learn.  Are you a visual, auditory or hands-on leaner?  What are your strengths and weaknesses as a student?

5) Be an active learner.

6) Create an effective study routine.  Do you need the quiet of the library to study or do you focus better with background music on?

7) Organize the place where you study.  Get rid of unnecessary clutter.

8) Start early.  Speak with the professor or a tutor if you need help before the assignment is due.

9) Identify problems that often get in your way.

10) Ask about resources that can help you.

Process for New and Continuing Students

• Students should voluntarily identify themselves as needing accommodations as they apply to Villa Maria College.
• Students must have documentation that clearly indicates the need for academic adjustments, modifications, auxiliary aids, or services. Documentation is submitted to the Coordinator for Students with Disabilities.
• Students are encouraged to sign a release form that allows the Coordinator for Students with Disabilities to inform instructors of the accommodations needed to promote learning.
• Students are recommended to inform instructors of the accommodations they require each semester.

Accommodations Offered at Villa Maria College
After discussion of accommodations with the Coordinator for Students with Disabilities and the Director of the Learning Strategies Center, typical accommodations for students may include the following:

• Extended time to complete tests.
• Proctored exams in a specific location.
• Test questions read by a proctor.
• Dictating answers to a scribe.
• Responding orally to essay questions.
• Taking an alternative type of exam.
• Having a proctor rephrase test questions.
• Having a proctor explain the meaning of auxiliary vocabulary.
• Using alternative answer sheets and sufficient scratch paper.
• Need for adaptive equipment should be discussed with the Coordinator for Students with Disabilities.
   

Documenting a Disability (word document)

Click on the above title to learn about the guidelines.

The Tower Program

The Tower Program is an academic support porgram that students with disabilities  can choose to participate in at Villa Maria College. As part of the program, students meet one-on-one on a regular basis with the Coordinator for Students with Disabilities to discuss topics such as time management, accommodations, and registration. Students also agree to use the tutoring services of the Learning Strategies Center on a regular basis. This program strives to build on students' strengths so they feel prepared and comfortable in the college environment.

The American Disabilities Act Section 504

According to the American Disabilities Act (ADA), an individual with a disability is defined as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such impairment.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act states that no otherwise qualified person in the United States "shall solely by reason of disability, be denied the benefits of or be excluded from participation in or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity that receives federal financial assistance."

 

LINKS