Student Disability Services
Mission
The Student Disability Services Unit (SDS); located in the Center for Student Well-Being, provides services to students with disabilities to ensure that all activities and programs on campus are accessible to them. Through partnerships with students, faculty, and staff, SDS promotes self-awareness, self-determination, and self-advocacy to encourage independence and enhance opportunities for student success. SDS supports students with different types of disabilities including sensory impairments, motor impairments, learning disabilities, cognitive disorders, psychological disorders, and chronic health issues.
Vision
The SDS endeavors to create a campus environment where all students are viewed on the basis of ability rather than disability.
Disability Policy
AUC implements a disability policy governing academic accommodations for students with disabilities. The objective of this policy is to provide and guarantee reasonable accommodations that will enable qualifying students with disabilities to perform at an equal level as compared to their peers.
To read more about AUC's disability policy, click here.
Academic Accommodations for Students
New and Prospective Students
Registered Students
Facilities and Services
Parents and Caregivers
Workshops
Academic Accommodations for Students
SDS facilitates reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities. Reasonable accommodations are legally mandated forms of assistance or changes to environments that will enable a qualifying student to perform with other students despite having a disability.
Academic accommodations enable qualifying students with disabilities to perform as equals with their peer students. Students must register with SDS so staff can determine their eligibility for accommodations.
Academic accommodations include:
Classroom Accommodations
Adjustments or modifications to the environment, curriculum presentation, or equipment that allow students with disabilities to gain access to content.
Assignment Accommodations
Adjustments or modifications to the assignment format and presentation that allow students with disabilities to complete assigned tasks.
Testing Accommodations
Adjustments or modifications to tests or testing conditions that allow students with disabilities to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in a testing situation.
To request academic accommodations, click here.
Support Services
Additional support services are available to registered students with disabilities.
Support services include:
- Note-taking services
- Exam readers and scribes
- Disability buddies
- Disability assistant peers
- Private testing area
- Scheduling support
New and Prospective Students
Once you are admitted to AUC:
- Contact SDS to discuss your disability and needs
- Provide documentation for obtaining disability-related academic accommodations
- Complete paperwork during the initial appointment and register with SDS
To schedule an appointment with SDS, email sds@aucegypt.edu.
To request academic accommodations, submit an Academic Request form.
To download the disability eligibility form, click here.
Registered Students
Access Log in
Access by Simplicity is the SDS’s new web-based accessibility management system.
To log in to your access account, click here.
Facilities and Services
Campus Accessibility
All campus areas, including the University Residences, are accessible by wheelchair. Golf carts are also available for transportation around campus with prior arrangement.
Digital Accessibility
Digital accessibility refers to devices or products that are designed in such a way that individuals with disabilities can successfully use them. AUC is prepared to equip computers with JAWS (Windows screen reading software), Kurzweil 3000 (text to speech learning for Windows or Mac), and Dragon Naturally Speaking (speech to text voice recognition software).
Parking
AUC provides accessible, marked, reserved parking spaces in all parking lots, which are located close to entrances to the University. Only vehicles with issued disability parking permits may park in these reserved parking spaces on campus.
Transportation
AUC’s department of transportation offers a wheelchair accessible vehicle with lower reservation rates to all AUC community members.
For more details, email carpool@aucegypt.edu
Parents and Caregivers
Families of AUC students are an important part of the University community and play a key role in supporting students with disabilities. SDS is available to students and their families to discuss their transition from high school to university with regard to the services offered by SDS and AUC.
Confidentiality
AUC observes all applicable laws (US Federal and Egyptian) with regard to protecting the confidentiality of medical information/information on disabilities. Except in cases of emergency, no member of the University community is entitled or authorized to access information about a student’s disability. Exceptions to this rule are staff members of the CSW, AUC Medical Services, the VP for Student Life and the Provost.
Parents and Caregivers’ Access to Educational Records
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects students’ educational records. Students may opt-out of FERPA by submitting a signed third-party waiver to allow authorized university officials to release their educational records to a third party. The form can be used for specific times and purposes, or have a multi-use effect. Students must sign the form to allow the release of educational and health records by SDS to parents and caregivers.
To schedule a meeting with SDS, email sds@aucegypt.edu.
Workshops
CSW and SDS offer workshops throughout the year for the AUC community.
To view the list of webinars and workshops scheduled for fall 2022, click here.
Contact Information and Working Hours
Campus Center, P001
t: +2.2.2615.3918/83
sds@aucegypt.edu
Sundays to Thursdays
8:30 am to 4:00 pm
