At Penn State World Campus, the Student Disability Services team supports students with a wide range of services and resources, including helping with any necessary accommodation related to a disability or medical condition.
Meet the Student Disability Services team
To help ensure they can fully support the needs of World Campus students, the Student Disability Services team has expanded over the past few years. The current members of the team include:
- Terry Watson, Assistant Director of Student Disability Services
- Maggie Kwok, Student Disability Coordinator
- Emily Clapper, Student Disability Specialist
- Jenn Gurwitz, Student Disability Specialist
- Shannon Singer, Student Disability Specialist
The team is also supported by two student services assistants, Karen Sankey and Andrea Albert.
How the Student Disability Services team assists students
Most frequently, Student Disability Services helps students by coordinating accommodations. Per Penn State policy, an accommodation must be reasonable, which means it “does not require substantial change in the curriculum or alteration of any essential elements or functions of a course, program, service, or activity.”
A reasonable accommodation provides a modification or adjustment that enables a qualified student with a disability to participate in courses, programs, activities, or services in a way that gives that student rights and privileges equal to students without disabilities.
Examples of common accommodations include extension of time for tests, the ability to use adaptive equipment and assistive technology, access to sign language interpreters or real-time captioning, and options for obtaining electronic textbooks or books in alternative formats.
Who qualifies for help from Student Disability Services?
All World Campus students can reach out to Student Disability Services at any time for assistance or advice. If a student isn’t sure whether their issue or concern falls under the umbrella of disability services, we encourage them to contact the team with an initial inquiry. If Student Disability Services cannot help, they can likely connect the student with the appropriate team who can assist them.
The type(s) of assistance Student Disability Services can provide will vary depending on the student’s specific situation and support needs.
It’s important to remember that the term “disability” in this context can include a wide range of conditions and circumstances. A common misconception is that a condition must be chronic or permanent in order to qualify for support or accommodations. In reality, there’s a broad range of conditions that may qualify, including short-term and temporary conditions like pregnancy or a broken arm.
How to request assistance from Student Disability Services
World Campus students who want to request support from Student Disability Services should start by completing the Disability Services registration form on our website. A staff member will then contact you to set up an appointment to speak with a member of the team.
Related resources:
- Disabilities and Accommodations — learn more about accommodations at World Campus, including eligibility and documentation requirements
- New Accessibility and Learning Tools Available at Penn State — find out about two of the latest learning tools available at no cost to World Campus students
