Disability Support Services

Welcome to The University of Virginia's College at Wise ADA home page. We hope you will find this wealth of information helpful as you make your choice of which college or university to attend.

Our Mission

Disability Support Services works to assist all qualified students with disabilities in the pursuit of their educational objectives. We attempt to coordinate the students' needs with services and resources available within our college system, and to ensure accessible educational opportunities for students according to their individual needs.

Our philosophy is that the individuals we serve are students first, and their disabilities are secondary. The office strives to coordinate services that will enable students with disabilities to act as independently as possible in a supportive atmosphere that promotes self-reliance. It is the students' choice whether or not they utilize the available services.

A pre-admissions visit to the college is highly recommended to all applicants. Persons with special needs are urged to visit early, preferably during their junior year of high school. The Admissions Office and the Disability Support Services should be contacted for an appointment.

The need for equal access to education in college campuses was mandated by the passage of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Section 504 states that reasonable adjustments in post-secondary programs must be made in order for persons with disabilities to fulfill academic requirements. In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) was passed, extending equal protection to persons with disabilities in the private sector, public institutions, employment, communications and public accommodations.

The submenu at the left offers several general and specific areas of interest. You may use the links to navigate throughout this section of UVa-Wise's Web site.

Contact

If you find that you have questions or would like additional information after you have finished looking over the Web site, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 276-328-0177 (voice), 276-376-1076 (fax), or n_porter@uvawise.edu.

Virginia Relay Calls

Anyone can make a Virginia Relay call, including standard phone (voice) users! Just follow these simple steps:

1. Dial 7-1-1 to reach Virginia Relay.
2. After the prompt, Press 1.
3. After the prompt, to place a call, Press 1 again; for instructions, Press 2.
4. After the prompt, enter the area code and number you wish to call.
5. Once a connection is made, begin speaking as you would during a regular telephone conversation. Remember to speak slowly and directly to the person you are calling, not to the CA.
6. When you are finished speaking, say “Go Ahead.” The CA will then read/voice the other person’s response to you.

Again, thank you for visiting us on the Web, and please enjoy your visit.