Five Fast Facts about Accommodations for College Students with Disabilities
Disclose
To begin the process of receiving accommodations students* with disabilities (SWDs) must disclose their disabilities to the appropriate person at the college. Most colleges and universities will have an office that is responsible for providing services to SWDs. Any instructor or advisor should be able to direct students to the right office.
Documentation
One of the first things the SWD will be asked is to present proof of their disability. Documentation requirements will vary from college to college. Generally, documentation must come from a qualified professional. It should include a diagnosis, information on the severity and extent of the disability, a brief history of the student’s experience with the disability, and suggested accommodations.
Qualify
To receive services from the college’s disability services office the student must have a qualifying disability. This means that the student’s disability must be of sufficient severity to prevent the student from accessing the services of the college at a level equivalent to his/her peers. In other words; Can the student learn the material as presented.*
Request
The SWD may request specific accommodations and should consider accommodations suggested by his/her instructor and disability services. SWDs requesting unusual, difficult, expensive, or time intensive accommodations should expect requests for justification for the accommodation. Not all requests will be accepted.
Follow the rules
Once an accommodation is in place, the student must follow the college’s policies and procedures to receive that accommodation. For example, a student who requests a quiet room when testing may be required to schedule the room in advance. The rules should not be overly burdensome for the student.