A guide to student accommodations
We believe education should be accessible to everyone. If you have a temporary health issue or permanent disability, we have services to help meet your needs.
A guide to student accommodations
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A guide to student accommodations
We believe education should be accessible to everyone. If you have a temporary health issue or permanent disability, we have services to help meet your needs.
Our commitment
°®¶¹´«Ã½ provides reasonable accommodations to otherwise qualified disabled students in all university programs and activities and strives to maintain access to all aspects of a student’s education experience. The university is committed to ensuring equal access to information for all. We strive to create an environment where a person with a disability can acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions and enjoy the same services as a person without a disability, and be able to do so in an equally effective manner, with substantially equivalent ease of use.
How do I know if I need accommodations?
Accommodations are designed to provide access to learning activities and courses. They are available upon request for students who are experiencing either temporary or long-term health/medical situations or other conditions that affect their ability to complete course work. Some situations in which you may need to request accommodations include:
- Needing more time to complete course work
- Having difficulty reading and understanding text
- Finding it challenging to organize your thoughts and complete assignments
- Needing additional support to balance the symptoms of your diagnosis with the demands of college-level work
Temporary accommodations
You may be able to receive accommodations for temporary health situations, including (but not limited to) a broken bone, surgery complications, emergency hospitalization, treatment for temporary health conditions or pregnancy complications.
Permanent accommodations
You may be able to receive accommodations for permanent health situations, including (but not limited to) deafness, blindness, low vision, learning disabilities, chronic illnesses, cancer, fibromyalgia, emotional or mental health issues, treatment for debilitating illnesses or recovered drug or alcohol abuse, speech disorders, spinal cord or traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder or ADD/ADHD, among others.Â
What accommodations could I receive?
Accommodations are determined based on the impact of your diagnosis and your approach to learning. A specialist will review options with you, which may include:
- Extended time to complete assignments
- Occasional calls with faculty to ask questions or clarify course content
- Communication access like captions or interpreters for in person meetings 
- Alternatively formatted print materials
How do I apply for accommodations?
Submit a
student request
A member of our intake team will reach out to discuss your specific needs and determine your eligibility.
Send in medical documentation
Medical documentation of your disability or diagnosis that reflects your current condition is required to apply.
Discuss and agree on accommodations
Any agreed-upon accommodations will be documented in the Student Accommodation Agreement.
Request a copy
of your file
Once the process is completed, you can request a copy of your accommodations file.
Other questions students are asking
When students request accommodations, they establish a relationship with the Student Accommodation Office. As a result, students with disabilities are not only provided with reasonable accommodations in their courses but also have access to a team of accommodation specialists who can provide guidance and assistance throughout the student experience at the University. Our specialists are disability services professionals who understand how diagnoses may impact students and their coursework and can provide strategies and resources, in addition to accommodations, to help students mitigate the impact of their disability and complete their coursework.
It can be. Acute medical conditions that are temporary often affect a student’s ability to complete major life activities related to learning and would qualify the student to receive accommodations in their courses. Please contact the Student Accommodation Office to discuss your situation and request accommodations.
Yes, you must work with the Student Accommodations office to receive individual accommodations in your courses.
Online courses can remove barriers that many students with disabilities might experience when taking traditional, seated courses, but they can also present new barriers for students. The pace of an online course can be different and therefore require different accommodations request. For some students, studying online can be more challenging because it requires more interaction with written content than a traditional in-person course. The SAO can help students with disabilities understand what online courses are like and help them determine whether they need to request accommodations.
The SAO staff need to understand your diagnosis and how it affects you to determine what accommodations you may need in your courses. We need to understand what life activities related to learning are affected by your diagnosis. It is helpful for you to share as much information about your diagnosis and how it affects you as you feel comfortable, so our staff can recommend accommodations that will be effective for your situation.
Faculty and staff outside of the SAO only need to know what accommodations you receive to perform their job-related duties at the University. As such, you should not expect that they will ask other questions about your diagnosis or how it affects you in conversations. If this happens, you can inform them that you do not have to answer that question and consult with the SAO about the interaction. We’re here to help and support you through any difficulties related to your disability.