Process for Registration
Registering with the Office of Disability Resources (ODR) is an interactive process that involves student self-report, review of supporting documentation, and a Disability Resources Specialist’s observation and interaction. To begin the process, complete and submit the ODR Registration Form through Accommodate and submit any disability/accommodation documentation that you have that you believe is appropriate. All forms of documentation are meaningful and will be reviewed; documentation is an important part of the process of determining appropriate and reasonable accommodations.
Please note that requesting accommodations as soon as possible is imperative for two reasons: (1) if sufficient lead time is not provided, ODR may be limited in its ability to secure certain types of accommodations when needed; and (2) the University is not required to provide retroactive academic accommodations, i.e., accommodations for coursework, quizzes, exams, assignments, etc. that the student already completed before requesting accommodations through ODR.
Complete the Registration Form
- This form can only be completed once and is only for students who are new to ODR.
- ODR collaborates with students to provide reasonable accommodations based on current functioning, which often requires current documentation from an appropriate provider to be eligible for services.
- We recommend uploading documentation with the Registration Form.
- Be aware of your file size and know that you can split documentation into multiple uploads as needed.
Intake/Initial Appointment
- Once we have received your Registration Form and documentation, it will be reviewed.
- Please note: During busy weeks in the summer or beginning of academic terms, please allow up to 4 weeks for the review process.
- You will be contacted through your UMW email address and asked to schedule an appointment through Accommodate. The student should schedule this appointment with the specialist who connected with the student via UMW email to request a meeting. Please be sure to monitor your UMW email account. At the intake appointment, we will engage in an interactive process to determine appropriate accommodations and answer any questions you may have.
- Please note that the interactive process may be necessary even when the student has previously received accommodations, as accommodations that are appropriate in one course or environment may not be in another.
If a student is eligible for classroom accommodations, they will receive access to their Accommodation Letter, which identifies the approved accommodations. This letter is available through the student’s Accommodate portal, and additional copies can be accessed through the Accommodate portal by the student at any time. The ODR specialist will work with the student to develop a plan for providing their Accommodation Letter to all of their faculty from whom they wish to receive accommodations.