Accommodations Process

The Disability Services Office (DSO) offers services to qualified students with documented physical, medical, visual, hearing, learning, or psychiatric disabilities. All student requests for accommodations must be directed to and evaluated by the DSO staff.  

Please make your requests in a timely manner to give us time to arrange the necessary accommodations. To request a test accommodation, contact the DSO early in the semester, well in advance of any exams.

Students with disabilities are not required to register with the DSO. However, to receive accommodations, you must register with the DSO and request them. Accommodations may or may not be different than previous disability services you may have received (e.g., in high school).

• Academic Accommodations
• Housing Accommodations
• Temporary/Unconfirmed Disabilities

Academic Accommodations

To request an academic accommodation:

1. Contact your doctor or another qualified professional and request documentation of your disability. (See our documentation guidelines.)
2. Download and fill out the request form, giving your reasons for requesting accommodation. Return this form to the DSO along with your documentation. (You may bring documents to our office or send them via mail or fax.)
3. Schedule an appointment with the DSO associate director to review your documentation and requests for accommodations.
4. After reviewing your request and supporting documentation, the associate director will decide whether you are eligible to receive the requested accommodation or an alternative one, and will inform you in writing of this decision.
5. Inform your professors of the accommodations granted, so they can provide the requested accommodation in a timely manner.

Housing Accommodations

To request a housing or meal plan accommodation:

1. Download the request packet for release from your meal plan contract or housing contract.
2. Complete the form and return it to the DSO, along with written documentation of your disability and the relationship between the condition and your request for release from the meal plan or housing contract. The report should indicate the reasons why adjusting the meal plan or moving to a different location on campus is not a feasible alternative.
3. Schedule an appointment with the DSO to review your petition and supporting documentation. (Students who have yet to arrive on campus should download the request packet and send the completed form to the DSO, who will contact the student to review his or her request.)
4. The DSO will present your request to the Housing and Residence Life Committee, which meets to review petitions four times per year, unless an urgent situation arises.
5. The DSO will inform the associate dean for housing and residence life of the Committee’s decision, and the associate dean will then inform you.

Temporary or Unconfirmed Disabilities

The DSO is not required under law to assist students with temporary disabilities such as injury, psychological trauma, or short-term illness. However, on a case-by-case basis, we sometimes provide accommodations to such students. Documentation is still required. The DSO will evaluate the documentation to determine whether the condition qualifies for accommodations and what accommodations can be arranged.

The DSO can only provide services to students who have disabilities documented by a professional in a field related to the disability. If you think you may have a disability, contact us, the Counseling Center, or the Health and Wellness Center to discuss your concerns and find out how to receive evaluation.