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Students as well as academic counselors should be aware that MSU is a special place with people who care!
-Hal & Phyllis Wochholz, Wochholz Endowment founders

Deaf/Hard of Hearing

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Welcome

Michigan State University provides the deaf and hard of hearing community with one of the most intensive college programs in Michigan through academic services designed to enhance and encourage educational growth in both undergraduate and graduate programs.

Full-time Disability Specialists coordinate disability type programs, and are also available for consultation to evaluate and address the needs of students, faculty and employees.

Getting Started with RCPD (MyProfile)

Log on to the MyProfile page with your MSU NetID and password to register with the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities. MyProfile provides online forms and initiates communication with a Disability Specialist.

Documentation

Documentation of a disability must appear on official letterhead from a licensed medical or diagnostic professional and include a diagnosis, scope or degree of involvement, and summary of related functional limitations. A copy of your audiogram is acceptable documentation.

After documentation of a disability has been provided and a needs assessment is completed, reasonable accommodations are determined. RCPD will provide a verification letter that includes: (a) verification of disability and status as a student or employee registered with the RCPD (b) an outline of reasonable accommodations.

Students will receive a Verified Individualized Services and Accommodations letter, otherwise known as a VISA.

Employees will receive a Statement of Employee Accommodation Determination letter, otherwise known as a SEAD.

Confidentiality

RCPD adheres to strict standards of confidentiality in the management of student information. Since RCPD is the only holder of disability documentation; therefore, all disability-related documentation should be directed to RCPD (not other campus departments). The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf Code of Professional Conduct regarding confidentiality binds all sign language interpreters.

Accommodations

RCPD recognizes that accommodations may be required in order to assist individuals in maximizing their educational and workplace experience at MSU. While the university is required to provide reasonable accommodations, it is not required to change essential academic requirements or job functions.

Before Requesting Accommodations, students and employees must Identify and Register as a person with a disability and provide appropriate documentation of their disability to RCPD. Employees should refer to the Reasonable Accommodations Policy for University Applicants and Employees, for the procedure on requesting worksite accommodations.

Students and employees who are deaf/hard of hearing may be eligible to receive the following accommodations facilitated by RCPD:

Resources

Building Community

MSU provides many venues for collaboration and community building on disability issues. Please consider becoming involved in the following organizations:

Frequently Asked Questions

If you have further questions that have not been answered on this page, please refer to the Deaf/Hard of Hearing FAQ page.

The Specialist Spotlight

Visit the Insight Cinema website (http://www.insightcinema.org/ ) for access to popular Open Captioned films.

InSight Cinema is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing the big screen movie-going experience to the 30 million deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) and English-as-a-second-language (ESL) audiences in the U.S.

Contact Information

Virginia Martz

Virginia Martz

Blindness/Visual Impairment
Deaf/Hard of Hearing
Mobility Disabilities
(517) 355-1293


RCPD at MSU © 2009
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