To become eligible for instructional and support services, students must provide documentation of the disability from a physician or licensed professional.

We would like the documentation to focus on how your disability affects your ability to do all the things you will need to if you are to succeed at college.  The more information your documentation provides us with, the better we will be able to know how to be the most helpful to you.  If your disability is temporary, please come and see us so we can work out with you how we can help until you are better.  We need documentation even for temporary disability.

Of course, no one with a disability is required to use our services.  If you think you can make it in college without the use of the services we provide, that is just fine with us.  Once we receive your documentation, we retain it in the department but will not share it with anyone unless you specifically ask us to do that by signing a release form.  Even if we are talking to one of your professors, no one in this department will discuss your specific disability.  That is a private and confidential matter and we will only share information if you ask us to by signing a

“Release of Information” form. Support services are also available for temporary conditions.

Once we have the documentation of your disability, we will work out with you what specific elements of each class need to be changed to make the class content fully available to you and to give you as much chance as anyone else has to succeed at college. This information goes on a checklist, which we fill out each semester for each class. This checklist is called an accommodation form.  This form will allow you to inform your instructor about the accommodations to which you are entitled.

We encourage all students to make their professors aware of their disabilities. Remember, we cannot identify your disability to your professor, only you can. 

Unless you have informed the instructor of your disability within the first three weeks of the semester, the instructor may choose not to give you extra time on tests or to make other accommodations for you. It is not fair to wait until later in the term to ask for special accommodations.  The instructor has the right to know about your disability early in the term if you intend to ask for special privileges. If you wait, you may end up not being able to use the accommodations. In that case, the grade you receive may not be a true indication of your ability.

If your instructor is unwilling to provide you with the accommodation that you request, and you believe the accommodation is an appropriate one, see your advisor in Access Services. Your advisor will work with you and your instructor to try to come to some agreement.  A very common accommodation is allowing you to have extra time to take tests.  We have special forms that your professor needs to fill out a week before each test.  Be sure to read our testing section!

In addition to taking classes on campus, there are many student organizations that you might want to consider joining. Some relate to your field of study while others are just there for you to enjoy. For more information about such organizations you are urged to call Student Life at 237­1250. If you cannot read the many posters that are put up around campus announcing activities, ask someone there to tell you what sorts of things are scheduled. If you have access to a computer, you can check out the North Campus Calendar of Events.  North Campus offers a rich variety of lectures, films, games, dances and other activities that you should consider participating in while here.

You may also want to think about getting involved in student government. This gives you a chance to assure that the needs of disabled people are being included in the issues that are being discussed by students as ways to make the college better. There is also a campus newspaper called the Falcon Times that comes out once a week. Be sure to pick up your free copy and contact the Falcon Times if you would like it in accessible formats or if you would be interested in participating as a reporter or artist. 

Participation in student organizations is an excellent way to make friends and also looks good when you are applying to other colleges or universities for entrance.