How to Request Academic Accommodations

1. Register with SASS by completing the Intake Survey and meeting with SASS by appointment.

Students complete the intake process to become registered with Student Accessibility and Support Services. This process happens only once.

2. Provide required documentation.

Documentation is any form of information that describes the student's disability, or the impact of that disability, in the campus environment. Not all documentation will offer the same degree of detail or relevance. Although a diagnosis is often helpful, it need not be included for documentation to provide useful information.

More information guiding documentation is available from the Association on Higher Education And Disability (AHEAD). You can find more information here: Documentation guidance from AHEAD

3. Discuss accommodation options with SASS.

At the start of the academic year students meet with SASS staff to discuss accommodation options. An electronic accommodation approval letter will be sent to the faculty for any class the student receives accommodations for. A copy of the accommodation letter will also be emailed to the student. Students are encouraged to sign the annual release of information (through the Registrar's Office) allowing SASS to communicate with their faculty advisor or CE advisor by listing their names on their release form. Students can renew their accommodations each semester by completing a "semester renewal request" in Accommodate.

4. Follow up with faculty to discuss accommodation arrangements.

Students must arrange to meet with their professor(s) soon after receiving their copy of the Letter of Accommodation email. This meeting is an opportunity for students to communicate with faculty/staff about the nature of their learning style and to discuss academic test accommodations in order to determine arrangements for extended time testing and or testing in a distraction limited testing area in particular. SASS is available to provide assistance to students, faculty and staff with any questions regarding accommodation arrangements.

Examples of Types of Documentation (taken from AHEAD guidance)

Documentation is a broad category that may include a combination of the following:

❖ Information gathered during a meeting with the student

❖ Academic history, including past use of accommodations and overall performance

❖ Recorded observations of K-12 educators, campus staff, or faculty

❖ Information from federal or state disability agencies

❖ Medical records prepared by qualified professionals, such as a provider’s letter, discharge records, psychoeducational evaluation or other professional assessment.

It would be helpful if psychoeducational evaluations are done with adult measures and include scores, an evaluation summary, and recommendations for accommodation (see examples of psychoeducational tests below).