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To request reasonable accommodation, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids, students must initiate the process by contacting the Disability Services Coordinator and providing documentation of disability. 

STEP 1:  Students will request accommodation by submitting a completed and signed Request for Disability Services (PDF) form. 

Examples of some types of academic accommodation:

• Extra time on tests and quizzes
• Alternative testing location
• Alternative test format
• Use of assistive technology in the classroom
• Access to lecture notes, outlines, power points used by instructor
• Preferential seating

STEP 2: The student is also required to submit adequate clinical documentation to support the service being requested.   

Documentation is confidential information from an appropriately qualified professional who is knowledgeable about your condition. This professional might be a doctor, therapist, rehabilitation counselor, nurse practitioner, audiologist, mobility specialist, or another qualified professional with knowledge of how your disability impacts your daily life.

Documentation can vary in length and format but should focus on the ways the condition currently affects you, especially in an academic setting. Below are some examples of useful documentation:

• Psycho-educational evaluation
• Neuropsychological assessment
• Individualized Educational Plan (IEP)
• 504 Plan
• Vocational Assessment
• Information on previous use of accommodations
• Statement from health or service provider
• Clinical Documentation Form (PDF)

Forms for Requesting Academic Accommodation

•  Request for Disability Services (PDF)
• Clinical Documentation Form (PDF)

STEP 3: Meet with Disability Services Coordinator

After the Disability Services Office has received the necessary forms and appropriate documentation, students will be scheduled to meet with the Disability Services Coordinator to discuss their request(s). This discussion will be based around disability-related barriers experienced by the student, appropriate access solutions, and the process to use approved accommodations. Depending upon the nature of the request and related details, accommodation may be determined in as little as one meeting. For some students, determining and putting approved accommodations in place may require additional meetings.

To request reasonable accommodation, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids, students must initiate the process by contacting the Disability Services Coordinator and providing documentation of disability. 

STEP 1:  Students will request accommodation by submitting a completed and signed Request for Disability Services (PDF) form. 

Examples of some types of housing accommodations:

• Single occupancy at double occupancy rate
• Preferential assignment to quieter residence areas
• Visual doorbell alert
• Preferential assignment to entry level room

STEP 2: The student is also required to submit adequate clinical documentation to support the service being requested.   

Documentation is confidential information from an appropriately qualified professional who is knowledgeable about your condition. This professional might be a doctor, therapist, rehabilitation counselor, nurse practitioner, audiologist, mobility specialist, or another qualified professional with knowledge of how your disability impacts your daily life.

Documentation can vary in length and format but should focus on the ways the condition currently affects you, especially in an academic setting. Below are some examples of useful documentation:

• 504 Plan
• Vocational Assessment
• Information on previous use of accommodations
• Statement from health or service provider
• Clinical Documentation Form (PDF)

Forms for Requesting Academic Accommodation

• Request for Disability Services (PDF)
• Clinical Documentation Form (PDF)

STEP 3: Meet with Disability Services Coordinator

After the Disability Services Office has received the necessary forms and appropriate documentation, students will be scheduled to meet with the Disability Services Coordinator to discuss their request(s). This discussion will be based around disability-related barriers experienced by the student, appropriate access solutions, and the process to use approved accommodations. Depending upon the nature of the request and related details, accommodation may be determined in as little as one meeting. For some students, determining and putting approved accommodations in place may require additional meetings.

"Emotional support animals are not service animals, not trained, and not easy to care for, so bringing one to school should not be a simple decision."
Devon Hodge, Western Washington University, CollegeX, May 31, 2017.

An assistance animal, also referred to as an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) or a companion animal, provides a measure of support and comfort to an individual with qualifying disabilities in the individual's residence. An assistance animal must be a prescribed part of therapy for emotional and/or psychological disabilities and serve to alleviate symptoms of the disability.  An assistance animal must be approved by the Disability Services office prior to being on campus.

Unlike a service animal that has access to public places where pets are not typically allowed, an assistance animal has limited access to places of public accommodation. An approved assistance animal is only allowed in residence halls and is restricted from access to all other indoor campus areas.  Assistance animals are not allowed in classrooms, other campus buildings, residence halls in which the student does not reside, or at campus events. Assistance animals must be under the control of their owner at all times, cannot be left alone overnight, and cannot be cared for on campus by another student. For additional information, please contact our office.

How to be approved for an ESA

Step 1:  Form 1, your official request to be considered for eligibility for an ESA.  Once completed and signed, submit the form to the Disability Services Coordinator

Step 2: Form 2, your documentation of a diagnosis.  This form must be completed and signed by a professional health care provider or medical practitioner.  It must indicate that the animal you are requesting eligibility for is a prescribed part of your treatment plan.

Step 3: Forms 3 and 4, Documentation that your animal is in good health, and the Housing Office agreement.  These forms will be submitted to the housing office after the Disability Services Coordinator has determined your eligibility and instructed you to meet with the Housing Office to submit Form 3 and complete Form 4. 

Assistance Animal Forms 1 through 4

Students with disabilities in higher education are protected by two laws: The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Pub. L. No. 93-112, as amended) and the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (Pub. L. No. 1001-336). According to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA, 1990), a student with a disability is someone who has a physical or mental impairment, has a history of impairment, or is believed to have a disability that substantially limits a major life activity.

: This is a civil rights statute designed to ensure that programs receiving federal funding are accessible to students with disabilities. This resource is from the U.S. Department of Labor regarding Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. 

: ADA prohibits discrimination while ensuring opportunity for people with disabilities. This resource is from the U.S. Department of Justice regarding ADA and its amendments.