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by Dr. Andrea Malkin-Brenner | Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes

In recent years, U.S. colleges and universities have strived to cultivate more equitable environments for students. The inclusion of students with disabilities has emerged as an important component of this broader effort. Campuses routinely review their policies, support services, and facilities for students with disabilities to ensure that everyone has access to education and opportunities to thrive within their community. 

The campus hub for seeking disability accommodations is the school’s Office of Disability Services (or some variation of this name). The primary goal of this office is to provide students the accommodations they are entitled to while simultaneously protecting the integrity of the school’s academic services and programs. 

If your student hopes to receive disability accommodations in college, now is the time to educate themselves on the nuances of the process, ask questions, and begin their application paperwork.

Understanding the Process

The first step to applying for disability accommodations in college is for your student to register their disability with the college’s Office of Disability Services. It’s important to remember that unlike in K-12 education, in college, it’s the student, not the parent, who must take the lead in registering for disability accommodations. 

U.S. colleges offer “reasonable accommodations” for students with disabilities. This means that they provide students with equitable access to academic and social programs and facilities, but do not fundamentally alter the essential nature of a course or academic program. Accommodations that the student received in high school as described in their IEP or 504 Plan do not immediately carry over to college. In fact, merely showing documentation that a student has a disability is not enough to receive an accommodation in college. 

“Narrating” The Disability

Since your student will be taking the lead in the process, it’s important for them to practice talking about their disability and needs before they begin the application. Encouraging your student to role play the conversations that they will have with the Office of Disability Services staff can be quite helpful. Here are some questions that students should be prepared to answer orally or in writing:

• What is my disability diagnosis?
• What do I need to manage my disability (e.g., medication, therapy, academic coaches, assistive technology)?
• How does my disability impact my life inside and outside the classroom?
• What are the specific accommodations I am requesting and how will they help me?

Researching and Asking Questions

Every college has a unique process for applying for disability accommodations, and it’s important for students to start by carefully reading their campus’ Office of Disability Services webpage to learn how to begin. At most colleges, this includes completing forms, answering questions about the accommodations they want to request, and providing required documentation about their disability (which may include updated psychoeducational test results).

If college students are still unclear, families should encourage them to reach out to the Office of Disability Services by phone or email to ask:

• What documentation do I need to request accommodations?
• How recent must my documentation be?
• How long will the process take from the time I request accommodations?
• What additional services and programs are available for students with disabilities on campus (e.g., orientation, mentoring, coaching, workshops, support groups, tutoring)? Are these free?
• Are there special housing and dining accommodations offered to students with disabilities?
• Are there specific academic policies regarding students with disabilities (e.g., priority registration, reduced course load)?
• Is there an appeal process if my request for disability accommodations is denied?

Managing Accommodations in College

After your student has applied for accommodations in college, there may be several weeks of waiting before the process is complete. They may check in with the Office of Disability Services to find the status of their application.

As students learn to manage their college accommodations, it’s important to remember that they may have to reapply for accommodations as often as every semester. Students will be responsible for making the reapplication request within a specific time frame and responding to emails from the Office of Disability Services regarding their accommodations. There will also be a process for requesting increased or different accommodations if your student finds that their needs have changed. Many new college students are surprised that they can choose not to use an accommodation after it has been approved if they feel that it’s unnecessary for a particular assignment or class.

Communicating with Professors

Unlike in high school, the majority of college professors have little training in the art of teaching–they are subject area experts. Thus, it’s important to remember that most of your student’s professors may not have experience working with students with learning differences.

Every college professor is required to comply with a student’s registered accommodations. At some colleges, the Office of Disability Support informs professors about students’ disability accommodations, but at other colleges, students may be required to notify their professors about their accommodations via a notification through the Disability Support online system. Although not required, it’s suggested that students with disability accommodations meet with their professors during office hours or send emails to explain what accommodations have been approved for them and to clarify their learning needs. 

The Office of Disability Services can be an enormous support, but it will only benefit students with disabilities if students themselves take the lead, are willing to disclose their specific learning needs, ask questions about their rights and responsibilities, stay on top of the paperwork, and continue to use the supportive resources offered on campus.

Dr. Andrea Malkin Brenner is the creator of the Talking College™ card decks and co-author of How to College: What to Know Before You Go (and When You’re There). She brings 25 years of experience as a college professor and university administrator to her presentations with college audiences. See Dr. Brenner’s website for her articles, resources, podcast recordings, and upcoming talks and webinars.