Disability Accommodation


About the Office of Disability Accommodation

Your path to academic success at the University of North Texas may hold some unexpected challenges. UNT’s Office of Disability Accommodation will help you search for adaptive strategies and academic accommodations if you qualify for disability accommodations as defined by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Our office’s mission is to prevent discrimination on the basis of a disability. We will determine your eligibility for appropriate, reasonable accommodations by reviewing your disability-related medical and psychological documentation along with your individual experiences.

More than 650 students are registered for our services, and this number is expected to increase as our student body grows. In turn, our campus diversity will be richer and UNT will be more accessible to everyone. The office provides many services and resources spanning the full range of disabilities.

Examples of ODA services are:

  • arranging classroom service providers such as sign language interpreters and volunteer note takers
  • providing access to alternative-format materials such as textbooks on audiotape and in electronic or Braille format
  • arranging for readers (through a contract with Texas Commission for the Blind)
  • referring students to tutoring services and other academic support programs
  • facilitating arrangement of adaptive classroom furniture and classroom modifications such as relocating classrooms to more accessible settings
  • consulting with other campus departments regarding accessibility issues
  • providing ADA and disability accommodation training to faculty and staff groups

ODA also provides testing facilities for administration of classroom exams. If you qualify for alternative testing arrangements, preparations with the instructors can be made for accommodated in-class testing or to take the exam in an ODA-assigned testing room under the supervision of a test proctor.

In addition, ODA houses an adaptive testing center, which includes access to a CCTV, JAWS and screen magnification software, as well as test readers and scribes. (You must schedule all tests proctored in the ODA facilities and receive authorization by the course instructor 72 hours in advance of the exam and one week in advance during midterm and final examination periods.)


Facilities, parking and transportation

Most of our campus facilities are equipped with ramps, wheelchair-accessible restrooms, automatic doors and elevators with Braille controls. A few of our older buildings may present challenges; therefore, we recommend that you contact your academic department for details about the specific facilities where you will be attending classes. If you have difficulties in mobility, we encourage you to consider a motorized wheelchair, because UNT’s campus spans many acres on a partially hilly terrain.

All UNT parking lots have handicapped accessible parking spaces. A valid UNT parking permit is required even if you have a state-approved ADA/handicapped parking placard or license plate. You will be eligible to ride the campus shuttle system, which operates day and night and is wheelchair lift-equipped. Visit www.unt.edu/transit for current parking regulations, a parking map and current shuttle schedules.

In Denton and the surrounding areas, the Denton County Transportation Authority provides ADA-accessible vehicles that travel to and from various points in the city and county. Information about the DCTA’s services is available at www.dcta.net.

Academic Computing Services houses an adaptive computer lab in the Information Sciences Building, Room 110. This facility will offer you a centralized campus location in close proximity to the University Union and the Office of Disability Accommodation, and ramp access. The lab contains a wide variety of adaptive software and hardware.


Housing and dining accommodations

You will be required to live on campus if you have graduated from high school the previous long semester and completed fewer than 30 semester hours. However, exceptions may be granted if you:

  • are older than 21
  • are married
  • are a veteran
  • have a medical disability
  • will be living with your parents, grandparents or a married brother or sister while attending UNT

These exceptions are granted at the discretion of the Director of Housing. A bacterial meningitis vaccination is required by the state if you live on campus. For more information about housing requirements, visit housing.unt.edu or call 940-565-2610.

The residence hall system makes every reasonable effort to provide facilities that meet the accessibility expectations of individuals with disabilities. A limited number of wheelchair-accessible rooms are available, as well as other reasonable adaptations that are requested 60 days in advance. Keep in mind that the housing office assigns rooms by date order, so you are encouraged to make all room accommodation requests early in the application process.

Campus Dining Services also employs a licensed dietitian who can assist you in formulating special diet plans upon request.

Personal care attendants and service animals are welcome in the residence halls. If you would like assistance in recruiting and hiring an attendant, you may post the job on campus in the UNT Career Center.


Applying for Disability Accommodation Services

To request classroom accommodations through ODA, you should:

  • attain full acceptance to enroll in classes at UNT
  • submit proof of your disability to the ODA Documentation Review Committee. Contact the ODA or visit www.unt.edu/oda for information about documentation requirements for specific disabilities.

After your information is reviewed, you will be contacted by the ODA to schedule an appointment with a counselor. At this time, you will be informed if your documentation was sufficient or if further information is needed. If the documentation is sufficient, you can complete the registration process, officially request accommodations at UNT, and be given letters of accommodation to provide your professors. You must request new letters every semester.

If more information is needed, you will be instructed on how to obtain supplemental details.

You may register with the office as soon as you are admitted to UNT. However, it is strongly recommended that you attend the new student orientation, receive academic advising and register for classes before requesting classroom accommodations.


Office Location and Hours

The Office of Disability Accommodation is in the University Union, Room 321. During regular semesters, ODA is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The office is closed when the university is closed.