Academic Accommodations
Academic accommodations are designed to provide equitable access to learning by reducing disability-related barriers in the classroom and academic environment. The information below explains common accommodation practices, implementation considerations, and expectations for students and instructors.
What Are Accommodations?
Disability accommodations are individualized adjustments, services, or supports designed to reduce disability-related barriers and provide equal access to university programs, services, and activities. Accommodations are determined through an interactive process that considers a student's unique circumstances, disability-related barriers, functional limitations, and access needs within the university environment. While information from a high school IEP, 504 Plan, or previous accommodations may help inform this discussion, accommodations do not automatically transfer from high school to college. Each request is reviewed individually to determine what accommodations are reasonable and appropriate within the university setting.
Accommodations are intended to provide equal access, not to alter the essential requirements, learning outcomes, or academic standards of a course or program. As a result, colleges and universities provide accommodations rather than modifications. Accommodations may change how a student accesses information, demonstrates knowledge, or participates in university activities, but they do not change what a student is expected to learn or achieve. Requests that would fundamentally alter essential course requirements, lower academic standards, remove critical skill expectations, or otherwise provide an unfair advantage may not be appropriate accommodations within the higher education environmentSome Accommodation Examples
Classroom
Testing
Communication
Practicum, Field Experience, and Study Abroad
Documentation Guidelines
Students are encouraged to begin the accommodation process even if they do not have documentation readily available or are concerned that they might not have the right kind of documentation. Disability-related barriers and accommodation needs will be discussed during the accommodation meeting and we can discuss what additional information is necessary throughout the interactive process.
Some form of documentation does help provide supporting context regarding a disability, functional limitations, treatment history, or previous accommodations.
Helpful documentation may include:
- information from healthcare providers
- educational evaluations, IEPs, or 504 Plans
- other relevant sources.
No single type of documentation is required. Because each student’s situation is different, ASC is available to meet with you, talk through what you are experiencing, and discuss what information may be helpful for understanding your individual access needs. Previous accommodations, such as an IEP, 504 Plan, or past accommodations at other institutions can be useful but are not required to have a meeting or to be approved for accommodations.
Step by Step Process to Request Accommodations
Step 1: Submit a Request
Complete the appropriate online accommodation request form through the ASC student accommodation portal. You will be asked to provide information about yourself, describe the disability-related barriers or challenges you are experiencing, and what accommodations you are requesting.
Step 2: Meet with ASC
Once we receive your application we will contact you to schedule a meeting. An Accessibility Coordinator will ask you to share your experiences, discuss disability-related barriers, and will explore potential accommodations.
While this is a critical part of the interactive process, it is not the only opportunity to share what you need. If you want to discuss additional accommodations you can always request to have a follow up meeting to share what you may have forgotten or additional needs that come up throughout your time at UNO.
Step 3: Provide Additional Documentation (If Needed)
Some requests can be evaluated based on the information shared during the application and accommodation meeting, while others may require additional supporting information.
If more information is needed for a specific request an Accessibility Coordinator will discuss what we might need when you have a meeting.
Step 4: Accommodation Plan Approval
The coordinator you meet with will determine which accommodations are reasonable, appropriate, and can be immediately approved during your meeting. In some cases, a requested accommodation may be approved as requested, modified, or an alternative accommodation may be identified that provides effective access.
Many accommodations can be approved during your meeting and will be available to send to instructors that same day. If additional review is required for a complex accommodation, your coordinator will approval the parts of your plan that they can, and explain any additional steps.
Step 5: Accommodation Review (If Needed)
Some accommodation requests require additional review. When this happens, our team will review all of the information you give us, including your conversation with a coordinator and any supporting documentation provided. You will receive a written outcome of this review with an email from the coordinator you met with within 3 business days. That outcome will share whether the accommodation was approved or not. If an accommodation is denied, the notification will include an short explanation of why and inclue information about the appeal process.
Step 6: Sending Notification Letters
Once accommodations are approved, you can log in to your accommodation page and send your accommodation letters to your faculty. Once faculty receive those letters you are encouraged to discuss how the accommodations will work in that specific class with your faculty.
If either you or your faculty have questions or concerns about using any of your accommodations in a class, you should contact ASC and we will help guide either or both of you through that discussion.
Step 7: Ongoing Support
The accommodation process can be continued at any point. You should contact ASC if your needs change, you have faculty or program concerns, want to request additional accommodations, or have questions about how your approved accommodations might work in any situation.
We are always happy to help!