Students with Disabilities Requesting Foreign Language Modifications

Disability and Accessibility Services (DAS) is committed to supporting students with disabilities in completing Loyola’s Core Language requirement. The diagnosis of a learning or other disability alone is not a reliable predictor of success in acquiring a language other than English. Students with disabilities can use the following resources for support in their Modern Language or Classics courses:

• Requesting a peer tutor through The Study.
• Meeting with the course instructor during office hours.
• Taking language courses over the summer to attempt to maximize the amount of time available to focus on the course.
• Meeting with a member of the DAS staff to determine what accommodations may be available to support them.

Even with significant support available, some students with disabilities, based on their individual circumstances and past academic experiences, may feel that their disability prevents them from successfully acquiring a language.These students should follow the procedures for requesting a substitution of the Core Language requirementestablished by the Council of Academic Deans. These procedures require the following steps:

• The student must register with Disability and Accessibility Services. The registration process requires that the student fill out an online application and submit documentation of their disability. The documentation should provide current information about the student’s abilities in skills needed to learn a language such as reading, spelling, writing, speaking, and listening. The documentation should also provide specific accommodation recommendations related learning a language other than English.
• The student must submit a petition that explains why they are requesting a substitution. The petition should include information about the student’s past experiences with language study and how the student feels their disability impacts their ability to learn a language other than English. The student should email the petition to their DAS advisor.
• Once the student has submitted their DAS application, documentation, and petition, the information is then forwarded to the appropriate professionals in the Academic Affairs division for review.
• It may take several weeks for a student to receive a response because many members of the Academic Affairs division, including the Academic Affairs Vice President's office and the Dean of Loyola College of Arts and Sciences, must review the petition. Students with disabilities are encouraged to submit their requests as early as possible to plan and register for courses appropriately.
• The outcome to the petition is sent to the student via email.