What does it mean?

College accommodations are supports that help students with disabilities access their education. Examples include extended test time, testing in a quiet location, note-taking support, assistive technology, breaks, and accessible course materials. Accomodations are very common, and most of the time your classmates/peers would not know you are using accomodations, and things are kept confidental when possible. 

How Is College Different From High School?

In high school, accommodations are provided through your IEP or 504 Plan,. In college, you are responsible for requesting your accommodations.

Your college will have a Disability Services or Accessibility Services office that handles accommodations.

What Do I Need to Do?

1. Find the Disability Services Office
Visit your college's website and search for "Disability Services" or "Accessibility Services." You should start this process before the semester begins! Many students access these services, so you want to act early because it can take a few weeks to process the requests. 

2. Provide Documentation
You will need documentation showing your disability and how it impacts you at school.

For students who have an IEP, this may mean:

• Getting an updated copy of your IEP from your home school district, or

• Getting documentation from a doctor, psychologist, or other qualified professional.

Your high school IEP does not automatically transfer to college, and an old IEP may not meet the college's documentation requirements. Check with each college to see exactly what they require and how recent the documentation needs to be from. 

3. Register for Accommodations
Complete the college's application or registration process and submit your documentation. You may also meet with a Disability Services staff member to discuss your needs. Every school will have an office for accommodation services. Once you submit your documentation, they will most likely present you with a letter to give to your professors, or they will send the letter to them directly. 

Use Your Accommodations

Once approved, you are responsible for communicating with your professors and following the college's process for using your accommodations. I recommend requesting the accommodations, even if you think you may not use them. It is better to be prepared and have them, then to wait until a few weeks into the semester and realize you want them....

Remember: Your accommodations don't automatically follow you to college: you have to advocate for yourself (not your parents, you!) Your professors can not give you an accommodation without proper documentation. Your accommodations are private. For example, if you need someone's notes, the professor will not say "Johnny needs a copy of someone's notes". They would ask for any volunteers to send in their notes, the of Office of Accommodations (or whatever title it has at your college) would send them to you. 

Before graduating, make sure you know:

• What accommodations help you

• Why you need them

• Where to find Disability Services at your college

• What documentation you have

• How to ask for help when you need it

Helpful Resource and examples of Accoommodations: