When should I contact DSS for assistance?
If you know that you have a disability, you should contact DSS as soon as possible. It is the student’s responsibility to self-identify to DSS to receive services. DSS will conduct an intake appointment and walk the student through policies and procedures regarding academic accommodations. Please note that accommodations begin on the day that instructors are notified and are not retroactive.
What is documentation of disability?
Documentation of disability is a letter and/or report from a physician, specialist, or qualified diagnostician confirming the presence of a disability. The documentation must contain a diagnosis along with a description of symptoms and limitations that negatively impacts one or more major life functions. It is these limitations that DSS will work to accommodate; therefore, this information is critical. All academic accommodations must be justified by the documentation of disability.
For further information on UW requirements for documentation of disability, you are welcome to review the following:
Required Documentation for Diagnosis of Psychological Disabilities, including Attention Deficit Disorder
I know that I have a disability but it will take a while to obtain this information from my physician. Can I still receive accommodations?
Obtaining documentation from a physician can often take a great deal of time. Students may also need to be evaluated for a disability for the very first time. Classes may already be in session before you are able to provide DSS with these documents. DSS may grant academic accommodations on a temporary basis for one quarter pending receipt of documentation. Depending on the individual student’s situation, temporary accommodations may be extended to a maximum of two quarters. If acceptable documentation is not received by that time, accommodations will cease until they are received. Additionally, the nature of the accommodations may be altered depending on the information provided by the documentation.
I had an IEP or 504 plan in high school. Will this suffice as documentation of disability for the University of Washington?
An IEP or 504 plan provides information on what accommodations were provided to you at the K-12 level, but it usually falls short of the information required by institutions of higher education. The K-12 system often provides services for disabilities determined when students are quite young. By the time a student enters college, the nature of many disabilities may shift over time. Most postsecondary institutions will require documentation at the adult level so that the most appropriate accommodations can be provided to address the student’s current limitations. Additionally, the demands of postsecondary education are greater than those of high school. Subsequently, the types of accommodations needed may be different. Therefore, a student may need a new, updated evaluation to provide acceptable documentation.
Having said this, DSS is happy to review an IEP. Occasionally and on a case by case basis, while it may not meet documentation standards, there may be enough information in an IEP to allow us to provide accommodations.
For additional information, please see Disability Support Services Information for Freshmen. You should also speak with the DSS Office for assistance in finding resources for disability testing.
What are ‘fair and reasonable’ accommodations?
The academic accommodations that you receive from DSS are put into place to allow you equal access to all the educational opportunities and resources at the institution. Accommodations provide students with disabilities with a level playing field. To that end, DSS is not able to request accommodations from faculty or staff that gives them an advantage over other students. For example, we are not able to ask an instructor to change or alter the course material for a student with a disability. The integrity of a course may not be compromised. Instead, accommodations are put into place to provide DSS students with greater ability to participate in the course.
I have a disability that often prevents me from being able to complete my assignments on time. May I receive extensions as an accommodation?
Extensions on deadlines is not a reasonable accommodation. Typically, a student with a condition that limits the ability to manage multiple assignments and due dates in college will experience the same challenges in the work place, perhaps to an even greater degree where employers will be less forgiving of late work. Therefore, to provide extensions as an accommodation would not allow the student to learn how to manage what is more than likely a lifelong disability in relation to life functions and commitments. DSS can assist the student in adopting learning and time management skills so that course expectations may be met. What is often recommended is that students in this situation consider taking a reduced course load so that the amount of work is more manageable.
A student may have a chronic illness and become symptomatic at unpredictable times, leading to an occasional absence from class. In such cases, DSS may provide a quarterly letter to the student’s instructors informing them of this possibility. This is not necessarily an academic accommodation, per se, but a courtesy in that instructors are informed of the possibility of this occurring. They would be asked to extend as much flexibility as they would any student who suddenly falls ill. The DSS student would be responsible for contacting instructors to review due dates and make up assignments.
Will anyone know that I have a disability?
DSS will not divulge any information regarding a student with a disability. This information is considered confidential and may not be shared with faculty, staff, or fellow students. Exceptions exist in cases where 1) the student with a disability has provided a written release permitting DSS to share information and/or 2) if the student is regarded as being of potential harm to self or others.