Disability Services

Services for Students with Disabilities

Southwest Baptist University is a welcoming, safe environment where all students are able to thrive, regardless of any physical or learning disabilities.

In accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, SBU provides equal access to educational opportunities to qualified students with physical or learning disabilities.

SBU recognizes that each person has a unique situation, and each student’s situation will be treated with the utmost respect and confidentiality.

Academic Accommodations

To ensure that all students are able to successfully participate in SBU academics, SBU’s Accessibility Coordinator will work with professors to determine suitable academic accommodations after receiving the appropriate documentation.

If you are an undergraduate or graduate student with a disability and would like to request academic accommodations, you will need to submit a Disclosure of Disability form. All electronic forms on this page are also available in paper format by contacting the SBU Accessibility Coordinator at (417) 328-2094 or disabilityservices@SBUniv.edu. 

Please also provide additional disability documentation from an external source, which will vary in its relevance and value depending upon the original context, evaluator credentials, the level of detail, and its comprehensiveness. Examples of suitable external documentation include: 

• Medical records
• Reports and assessments created by health care providers
• School psychologists
• Teachers or the education system (documents like education and accommodation history, Individual Education Program (IEP), Summary of Performance (SOP) and teacher observations)

Disclosure of Disability Form

Doctor of Physical Therapy Accommodations

If you need academic accommodations and are a student in SBU’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program, you must fill out and return the physical therapy Disclosure of Disability form and appropriate external documentation to Dr. Josh Layman, program director, who may be reached at (417) 328-1472 and jlayman@SBUniv.edu. The disclosure form will be provided to admitted students during the new student intake process. Additional details are found in the PT Student Handbook.

Please see the DPT Program Technical Standards and Essential Functions for more information about the cognitive, affective and psychomotor skills, abilities and behaviors deemed essential for completing the program and performing as a competent generalist physical therapist.

DPT Technical Standards

Facilities and Accessibility

SBU strives to provide accessible facilities so that all students can successfully participate in SBU academics and community. Facility features include automatic doors, building ramps, handicap parking spaces, dedicated rooms in residence halls, and more. 

If you have a mobility disability that requires special accommodation, please contact the Office of Student Life at mbanks@SBUniv.edu or (417) 328-1885 to discuss your situation.

Service and Emotional Support Animals

SBU will reasonably accommodate persons with documented disabilities requiring the assistance of service or emotional support animals upon approval from the SBU Accessibility Coordinator and/or Director of Residence Life. SBU residence hall occupants are not permitted to keep pets in University housing, other than fish. A “pet” is defined as an animal kept for ordinary use and companionship.

If you would like to request permission for a service animal or an emotional support animal, you must submit a Disclosure of Disability form.

Policies and Procedures

Emotional Support Animals

Service Animals