Support for Students with Disabilities
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At our university, in order to provide the appropriate level of support to address issues faced by students with disabilities (physical disabilities, developmental disabilities, mental disabilities, or other disabilities which affect students’ mental and physical functions) each office has established a support system (see figure below). In this system, the Student Office provides support with ‘taking classes’ and ‘taking examinations’ to ensure students with disabilities can enjoy and exercise the same “right to receive education” as other students.
Process to Receive Support
Applying to Receive New Support Measures
① Consultation:
The student requesting support applies via the Student Office. Designated office staff consult with the student regarding “their current situation,” “support measures they have previously received,” “requested support measures,” etc.
② Apply for Support:
The student submits documents showing the necessity of their support measures to the University class-sp@apu.ac.jp, including their Application for Special Support Services for Classes and Exams, Medical Certificates from specialists, opinions of Counselors, handover reports from high school, etc.
③ Interview:
Based on the "Application for Special Support Services for Classes and Exams" form that was submitted, an office staff member will hold a consultation with the student to discuss their desired support.
④ Discuss Support Details:
The Disability Support Services Committee discusses the requirement and feasibility of the requested support measures.
⑤ Agreement on Support:
The Student Office will notify the student and the course instructor about the details of the support.
⑥ Course Registration:
After completing course registration, the student should contact the instructor(s) of the course(s) for which they need support. Contact and greet the instructor either in person or by email, and explain the considerations for that course.
⑦ Consult with Instructor(s):
Before or after the course starts each Instructor can request to meet with the student to discuss the course.
⑧ Start of Support:
The student receives support in their class / exams.
Applying to Continue Support
① At the end of the 2nd quarter of each semester the university contacts students receiving special support to receive feedback on whether the provided support was appropriate, and confirm whether the student will need to continue receiving support.
②
For students who wish to continue receiving support, the order is as follows:
Confirm the contents of the "Letter: Request for Reasonable Accommodations"→ Go through course registration→ Office notifies faculty member in charge of course → Explanation from student to faculty member in charge of course → Start of support cycle.
Application for Special Support Services for Classes and Exams
Students should fill out the Application for Special Support Services for Classes and Exams form shown below, and bring it to their consultation.
Application for Special Support Services for Classes and Exams (Excel)
Contact Information
Please see here for more information.
Consultation with Instructors
Each student will have one office staff member assigned to their case during the support cycle.The staff member will periodically consult with the student regarding classes and examinations. Any issues will be discussed in detail with the student to we can try to work together to find a solution.
Notes
- *In principle, requests for class/exam support will be considered based on application submitted to the Student Office by the student requesting support.
- *Requests for class/exam supports which include requests to change a course’s grade evaluation method or passing requirements will not be accepted.
- *The requested support measures might be adjusted based on the results of the Committee’s discussions.
- *In some cases we may consult with students and ask for their understanding regarding support measures which cannot be fulfilled (sign language interpreters, braille interpreters, etc.).
- *Depending on a student’s situation, in some cases faculty consultations may take place before discussion of support details.
- *If a student applying for continued support requests major changes to their support measures we may need to re-discuss the student’s support measures.
- *The foundation of university life at APU is on-campus learning and experience.
Support for students with disabilities will not include the option to attend classes online.
