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ACCESS Staff

Sara Venezian-Director of ACCESSibility

(914) 674-7523

svenezian@mercy.edu

Christina Locario-ACCESSibility Specialist

(914) 674-7624

clocario@mercy.edu

Referring a Student to ACCESS

When a student appears to be displaying academic difficulties which are not congruent with the perceived ability of the student, you may question whether there is a possible disability present. However you should not make any statements to the student which could be perceived to be either a diagnosis or a presumption of fact.

Instead, we suggest letting the student know that there are a number of resources available to them at Mercy College including tutoring services through the Center for Academic Excellence and Innovation, counseling services through the Counseling Center, and accommodations through ACCESS. Be sure to give the student our contact information.

Friendly Reminders

DO NOT ask a student what their disability is. You only have to know what their accommodations are. The student can choose whether or not to reveal that confidential information.
DO NOT ask a student about information regarding accommodation issues when not in a private setting. For example do not ask student how they are doing with the note taker in a public setting.
DO NOT reveal any information to any parents or acquaintances of a student with a disability if they have not completed a FERPA.
DO NOT promise any accommodation to a student unless it has been approved by the Office of Disability Services.
DO NOT save a copy of disability related information in a student’s file or scan into Xtender. This information is confidential and must be stored in Disability Services.
DO feel free to ask students about how you can better meet their needs and address their concerns.
DO let students know that they can receive reasonable accommodations to remove any barriers that their disability may present. “Reasonable” varies in every situation. Accommodations are given on a case-by-case basis so avoid giving blanket statements about accommodations.

Receiving Documentation

If you receive documentation regarding a student’s disability, Scan and email it to accessibility@mercy.edu . It is imperative for us to get this documentation in a timely manner so the student can begin to receive their approved accommodations ASAP.
Remember, Give original documentation back to student. Send the Office of ACCESSibility a copy online.
In general, ACCESS uses documentation of the disability along with an Application for Accommodations (Mercy form) to evaluate accommodation requests.
If a student provides you with documentation such as an IEP, please direct them to our website to register with our office.

Our office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM at the Dobbs Ferry campus. We are also available at the Manhattan, Bronx, and Yorktown campuses by appointment.

For questions, appointments, or sending in documentation:

Visit us in Main Hall, Room 121 (Dobbs Ferry Campus)

Call us: (914) 674-7764

Fax documents: (914) 674-7852

Email us: accessibility@mercy.edu

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