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Abstract
Institutions of higher education are legally mandated to provide services to students with disabilities and to have an office of disability services (ODS) to manage those services. The legal requirements of the office of disability services in higher education gives the institution flexibility in determining policies and procedures that the student will navigate in order to be eligible for those services. The basis for all disability support programs is legal compliance, however, variability exists between institutions in how the offices are run. The purpose of this multiple-case study was to understand forces that influence the development of the policies and practices of Offices of Disability Services at public universities in the Midwest. Three themes emerged from the data that have an impact on the creation of policies, and practices within the ODS. These themes were: leadership of the ODS, institutional influence, and nationwide current practices of disability services in higher education. Findings of this study can be used by directors and institutions as they seek to develop their ODS to meet the current and future needs of their institution.
