The directions here apply to students who are requesting accommodations for the first time and/or are submitting new/revised information to an already existing file.
As this process can take up to four (4) weeks, please submit your requests as soon as reasonably possible.
I. Step 1: Self-Identification
Self-identify as a student with a disability and request accommodations within the Accommodate software platform. Accommodations can be offered for academics, dining, and/or housing.
You will need your SMCM username, ID number, and SMCM email to make the request.
II. Step 2: Submit Supporting Documentation
Be prepared to gather and probably share third party documentation that gives us information about your diagnosis, the limitations it creates, and ideas for how those needs could possibly be supported on campus. The following documents from our office may be useful:
- SMCM Documentation Guidelines for Accessibility Eligibility May 19 (please consult this document before downloading any of the verification forms)
- Verification form professional must complete if your diagnosis is ADHD
- Verification form professional must complete if your diagnosis is related to mental health
- Verification form professional must complete if your diagnosis is related to physical health
Important: If you do not have documentation yet, do not stop the accommodations process! Accessibility Services will still reach out to schedule a meeting to discuss your request.
III. Step 3: Meet with personnel in Accessibility Services
Complete an intake interview with personnel in Accessibility Services. Our office will reach out to schedule this meeting after we have completed the initial review of your paperwork (which can take up to 4 weeks). We will still schedule meetings with students who have not submitted all of the supporting paperwork.
In this meeting, you can provide any additional documentation about your request. Please be prepared to share information about your learning experiences to date; we are very interested in hearing about the conditions/supports which have been most helpful to you in your learning and how you have navigated challenges you have encountered. In this interactive meeting, we will discuss which accommodations may or may not have been supportive to you in the past.
The information contained from the student’s interview and in the information/documentation will be used to determine eligibility for various accommodations.
IV. Step 4. Accommodations Determination
- We will notify you via your SMCM email of our decision as soon as we have completed our review; this can take several weeks in the summer months.
- Accommodations are determined on a case by case basis.
- Internship accommodations
- Once eligibility has been established, Accessibility Services will determine reasonable accommodations required by the student
- Accessibility Services may find that the accommodation is not appropriate given the requirements of a course
- Accessibility Services may propose an alternative accommodation that would be appropriate for the student, but which neither the student nor evaluator has requested
V. Step 5: Sharing the Accommodations Letter
Students must share their Semester Notice of Accommodation Eligibility (located in their portal for Accommodate) with the instructor of each course in which they want their accommodations to be active. Students are encouraged to share this with instructors over email with our office copied to show that their accommodations have been activated. If students have questions about this process, or believe this process presents a barrier, they should contact the Office of Accessibility Services as soon as possible.