What to Know

  • Accommodations are approved based on documented disability-related need.
  • Accommodations provide access; they do not guarantee success or alter academic standards.
  • Not all accommodation requests are approved.
  • Different accommodation types have different eligibility and documentation requirements.

What Are Accommodations?

Reasonable accommodations are modifications, adjustments, or services that help reduce disability-related barriers within the university environment. Their purpose is to provide students with disabilities equal access to university programs, services, and activities. Accommodations are intended to provide access, not guarantee outcomes. They do not ensure academic success, provide an advantage over other students, or fundamentally alter university programs, services, or requirements. Accommodation decisions are made on an individual basis and are based on disability-related need supported by documentation and other relevant information

Accommodation Types

Accommodation Decisions

Accommodation decisions are made on an individualized basis, based on a student's disability-related barriers and access needs. SAS reviews documentation and other relevant information to determine whether a requested accommodation is necessary to provide equal access to university programs, services, and activities. 

To determine appropriate accommodations, SAS considers information provided by the student, relevant documentation, and the relationship between the student's disability, functional limitations, and the campus environment. Accommodation determinations are guided by the ADA, Section 504, university policy, and SAS staff's professional judgment. Decisions focus on access needs and are made through an interactive process that considers each student's unique circumstances. 

Approved accommodations take effect after SAS has made an accommodation determination and the student has completed the required accommodation process. Accommodations are not retroactively applied to past courses, assignments, exams, or other experiences.

Below are common reasons an accommodation request may not be approved.

Requests Are Not Approved When

Requests may not be approved when the available information does not establish a disability-related need for the requested accommodation. In some cases, additional documentation or information may be needed before a determination can be made.

Examples:

  • Documentation does not establish a disability.
  • Documentation is insufficient.
  • Documentation does not support the requested accommodation.
  • Functional limitations are unclear.

Accommodations are approved when they are necessary to address disability-related barriers and provide equal access to university programs, services, or activities. Requests will not be approved when the available information does not demonstrate a disability-related need for the accommodation or when the accommodation is not necessary to provide access.

A requested accommodation may not be approved if it would change what a course or program is fundamentally designed to measure or require, or if it would require changes that are not feasible to implement given operational limits.

In these situations, Student Accessibility Services may look for a different accommodation that still provides equal access without changing essential course or program expectations or creating significant implementation barriers.

Personal services are not considered accommodations. These are services, devices, or supports that a person would need regardless of their participation at the university.

Examples may include:

  • Personal care services
  • Feeding, toileting, or bathing assistance
  • Mental health counseling
  • Rehabilitation services
  • Tutoring
  • Personal mobility devices such as wheelchairs