Getting Accommodations
How can I get accommodations?
Students with disabilities can receive accommodations by getting connected with Student Accessibility Services. The process begins when students complete the to tell SAS about their disability and past accommodations. Then, students upload documentation of their disability. An Access Advisor will review the application and documentation and then contact the student to schedule a Welcome Meeting to discuss the student’s requests. The student will receive a welcome letter outlining the accommodations for which they are eligible and additional information about how to utilize those accommodations.
Does SAS provide accommodations for temporary injuries, like broken bones or surgery recovery?
SAS provides temporary accommodations such as note-taking assistance, a scribe for exams, or door-to-door transportation via PARTA SATS due to serious injury. Students should utilize the same process to get connected with SAS.
Students who have missed class for medical reasons should first contact their instructors. ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø administrative policy 3-01.2 provides excused absences for students who have medical documentation of their illness or injury. Students should work with their faculty members to develop a plan to complete missed work. Students may also contact the University Ombuds for additional information about this policy.
How does SAS make accommodation decisions?
SAS Access Advisors determine reasonable accommodations for each student individually by reviewing multiple types of information. Accommodations consider barriers that result from the student’s disability interacting with the campus environment and are designed to provide equal access for disabled students. The student’s self-report, provided in their application and during the Welcome Meeting, are essential to determining accommodations, so students should be thorough when discussing their disability. Access Advisors also use documentation from licensed providers to further understand the student’s disability. This might include a disability documentation form (link), a high school IEP and ETR, a 504 with supporting information, or other types of information from a medical or mental health provider. Access Advisors consider an identifiable relationship between the requested accommodation and the student’s disability. SAS Access Advisors combine this individual student information with what they know about accommodating disabilities in a higher education environment to determine accommodations that are appropriate for the student and their unique situation.
Do I need to meet with SAS to get accommodations?
In some cases, SAS may not need to meet with students to determine accommodations and may utilize an expedited registration process. When SAS receives your application and documentation, an Access Advisor will review to see if more information is needed. If your application contains enough information to support your request, the Access Advisor will notify you of your accommodations and provide information on your next steps via email. Students who receive accommodations through the expedited registration process are welcome to meet with an Access Advisor to ask questions or review the information provided. In cases where there is not enough information to support a student’s request, a welcome meeting is necessary. Students will receive information about how to schedule a welcome meeting via email.
How long does the accommodation process take?
SAS will make a prompt decision on your request for accommodations. Typically, accommodation decisions are made within seven to ten working days from the receipt of all requested information. Accommodations are not retroactive, so students should plan accordingly and request their accommodations well in advance of the start of a semester.
Why does SAS need documentation to provide accommodations?
Access Advisors consider an identifiable relationship between the requested accommodation and the student’s disability. When a student’s disability is not readily apparent, documentation may be needed to elaborate on the symptoms, duration, and limitations caused by a disability. While a self-report is helpful, documentation from a licensed provider can give additional insight into the barriers presented by a disability. Additionally, because many disabilities are not obvious, documentation from a licensed provider also assists Access Advisors in determining if a person’s diagnosis meets the definition of a disability by substantially limiting one or more major life activities.