Accommodations & Services
Overview
The University of Connecticut is committed to achieving equal educational opportunity and full participation for persons with disabilities. It is the policy that no qualified person be excluded from participating in any University program or activity or otherwise be subjected to discrimination with regard to any University program or activity. This policy derives from the commitment to non-discrimination for all persons in employment, access to facilities, student programs, activities and services.
Achieving full participation and integration of people with disabilities requires the cooperative efforts of the departments, offices and personnel. To this end, the University will continue to strive to achieve excellence in its services and to assure that its services are delivered equitably and efficiently to all of its members.
What are accommodations?
Accommodations are adaptations and changes made to elements of a student's postsecondary program that help to compensate for the student's impairment(s) and provide equal access to students with disabilities. Here are the basics:
- Any student with a documented disability may be eligible to receive accommodations & services from the CSD;
- The purpose of accommodations and modifications is to reduce or eliminate any disadvantages that may exist because of an individual's disability;
- Accommodations are not a guarantee for success, but rather seek to promote non-discrimination and equal access opportunities;
- Accommodations are not student preferences; they are determined through an established review process based on documentation received regarding the student's disability;
- The law does not require institutions to waive specific courses or academic requirements considered essential to a particular program or degree. Rather, they are mandated to modify existing requirements on a case-by-case basis in order to ensure that individuals are not discriminated against on the basis of their disability;
- In order to access accommodations, students must disclose their disability to the CSD and state their requested accommodations.
How do I request accommodations?
- Students requesting accommodations should contact the CSD at the beginning of each semester (if not sooner) so that appropriate accommodations can be provided in a timely manner. Students are asked to complete a Student Intake packet which provides an opportunity to request specific accommodations.
- Students are responsible for providing appropriate documentation to the CSD in order to verify their needs for accommodations.
- Documentation must be current, in most cases within three years of the current date, and must be submitted by a qualified professional who is not a family member of the student. Guidelines for specific disabilities can be accessed on our Documentation Guidelines page.
- Once appropriate documentation has been received, the CSD will review the request and then meet with the student to discuss appropriate accommodations.
**Please refer to our step-by-step guide for Accommodation Requests.