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Services

The Disability Services Office:

Reviews your explanation of how disability or health issues impact you at Walden.
Determines appropriate accommodations based on your explanation and the medical documentation you provide.
Communicates with faculty and other university offices on your behalf in a confidential manner.
Arranges for accommodations online and at residencies or other face-to-face events.
Manages medical documentation submitted by students for any purpose in a confidential manner.
Collaborates with other university offices to optimize accessibility of all program and course components.
Advises members of the university community about assistive technology and other resources to support the needs of people with disabilities in the academic environment.

Office of Disability Services Staff

Director: Carolyn Roney Carolyn Roney, Sr. Director of Disability Services, has worked in the field of disability and higher education for 30 years. She’s been in her current role at Walden University since August 2005 and held a similar role at a Minnesota state university for 12 years prior to that. She has worked as a sign language interpreter in college settings, as well. Her Master’s degree is in Higher Education Administration from the University of Minnesota. Ms. Roney is active in Disability Studies and still teaches a college course in the History of the Disability Rights Movement.
Associate Director: Amy Zafinandro Amy Zafinandro, Associate Director of Disability Services, has worked for Walden since 2010. Initially she was hired as an Student Success Advisor; later joining Disability Services in 2011. Amy manages the classroom accommodations. She has a BS in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Wisconsin and an MBA from Georgia Southern University.
Manager: Carl Schlesser Carl Schlesser, Manager of Disability Services, has worked for Walden University for over 11 years and has worked in Higher Education for 14 years including roles as Student Success Advisor, advising manager, and career counselor. Prior to working for Walden, Carl worked as a school counselor and directed a gifted and talented student program. He also coached a variety of high school sports and was a personal trainer along with teaching courses such as Kinesiology and Anatomy. Carl earned his Master’s degree in School Counseling in 2003 from the University of Wisconsin-Stout and is currently writing his Dissertation in the Health Psychology doctoral program here at Walden University.
Administrative Support: Gao-Jai Yang Gao-Jai Yang, Documentation Specialist Student Affairs and Disability Services Specialist, has worked in the field of higher education at Walden University for 7 years. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Crown College. She is currently involved in a community outreach program for at-risk children and mentors high school and college girls.