Eligibility for ACCESS Services

There are three (3) criteria to meet to be eligible for disability services.

1. You must complete an Application for Services  and want to participate in the program voluntarily.

2. You must have a professionally documented disability

3. The disability must present a barrier to the learning process. 

Documentation of A Disability

Professional documentation of a disability is essential for determining barriers in education and providing accommodations or services. The documentation should be current and include enough information to assist the ACCESS professional to determine the accommodations a student needs to permit equal access to educational activities. Colleges and universities require disability documentation that shows the student has a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Because these laws are different than the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which only applies to students with disabilities in K-12, new or additional documentation may be required. For specific disability documentation guidelines, please contact ACCESS. 

Verification of Disability Form 
The individual with a disability must provide professional documentation of the disability for verification of the need for academic adjustments or accommodations (this is a link to the “what are accommodations” in the Services page) and is responsible for requesting adjustments or accommodations in a timely fashion. Students submit their documentation to ACCESS or directly to the professor if not using ACCESS services. It is strongly recommended that the professor receiving documentation directly from students, contact ACCESS for assistance in determining and providing appropriate accommodations. Non-students submit their documentation to the Office of Human Resources.