University of Arizona

 

How do I get set up to use Disability Resources?

Go to DRC's "Get Connected" page to complete the DRC form.  After you’ve completed the form and uploaded the disability documentation that you have, you will be contacted by an Access Consultant.  If you are an incoming freshman or transfer student, you will be asked to complete a consent form and tutorials online before meeting with an Access Consultant.  If you are already a student at the University, you will be invited to meet with a Consultant right away.  Of course, you may call us at 520-621-3268 anytime with specific questions.  You can affiliate with Disability Resources at any time during your college career.

What is the difference between DRC and SALT?

The DRC is the office designated by the University to lead the campus in creating access for individuals with disabilities.   We determine and facilitate the implementation of reasonable accommodations.  Accommodations and services are free of charge and intended to provide access to University programs and activities for disabled individuals. 

SALT is a fee-for-service office available to students with academic challenges and intended to maximize student success.  You can learn more about SALT at http://salt.arizona.edu/

How do I request accommodations?

The DRC online participation form asks about your previous educational experiences, your previous use of accommodations and what accommodations you are requesting at the University.  With that information, the connection between your disability and the requested accommodation may be clear immediately.  When that is the case, an Access Consultant can let you know which accommodations will be available to you at the University during your first conversation.  If we need additional information in order to understand how your request will remove a barrier, the Access Consultant will contact you to discuss your request in more detail.   

You can request additional accommodations or make a change in an existing accommodation at any time.  Stop by DRC to see an Access Consultant or make an appointment. 

You should expect clear communication whenever you request an accommodation.  Accommodations you’ve requested will either be available to you or you will be informed if an accommodation is determined to not be reasonable.  For some accommodations, DRC may request more information than you have provided; when that happens, the accommodation may not be available until you submit additional information.  You can also log into the DRC online system at any time to check the accommodations that are available to you. 

How do I set up and use accommodations?

Registering to use an accommodation is different than requesting that it be available to you.  For example, you may request and be approved to use extended test time, but to ensure that arrangements are in place, you will need to communicate your intent to use the accommodation for each exam.  In most cases, you can register to use accommodations for a particular class online.  You may want to review the video tutorial for setting up testing accommodations.

The DRC works closely with faculty to encourage inclusive teaching that minimizes the need for accommodations.  Therefore, you may find that you don’t need to use some of the accommodations that you’ve requested.  For example, your instructor may distribute notes to all students online so you won’t need to make individual arrangements for note-taking accommodations in that class.  Likewise, some instructors design take-home or computer-based tests that don’t require extended time accommodations.  DRC staff may contact you with information about how accommodations will be handled in a course or you may decide on your own whether you will use accommodation in a given class.  Of course, you should always let DRC know if you feel an accommodation is necessary or experience disability-related barriers.

How will my instructors know that I may use accommodations?

The University has an on-line process for informing faculty that students may use accommodations.  The DRC sets up the system to automatically identify you to each of your instructors at the beginning of the semester without you needing to do anything.  This allows you to use accommodations right away and gives your instructors the opportunity to touch base with you if they want to share information about access or accommodations.  However, if you would prefer to not be identified to all your instructors, you may log into the system to remove your name from the instructor’s list.  In either case, you will not need to hand-carry letters of identification to your instructors, and instructors will not receive an email from the DRC.  Please talk with a Consultant if you have questions or concerns.

Your instructor can view this information from the University’s secure instructor database at any time to see the accommodations that you may use.  If they tell you they don’t know how to use the system, refer them to the DRC.

Even though the identification process is online, we recommend that you talk with your instructors if you plan to use accommodations in their classes.  We try to ensure that you don’t have to go to a lot of extra work to use accommodations, but all students benefit from touching base with their instructors.  Most faculty members really appreciate the opportunity to meet their students and are interested in knowing what would work best for you. 

What do I do if my accommodations are ineffective or I experience other problems?

Unlike high school, at the University we only know there is a problem if you tell us.  Therefore, if you are unable to get notes for a course, find that your tests don’t accurately measure what you’ve learned or encounter an instructor who doesn’t understand the barriers you are experiencing, let the DRC know!

You can make an appointment with the Access Consultant who you met with when you registered with the DRC or walk-in to see the on-call Consultant. 

How do I request a course substitution? 

If learning math or a foreign language is negatively impacted by your disability, you may request a course substitution.  The first step in that process is to declare a major.  Once you have chosen your major, speak with your academic advisor who can tell you whether you can successfully pursue that major with a course substitution.  For some majors, a course may provide knowledge that is essential to the field of study and so cannot be substituted.  For example, an accountant must know basic math concepts so a substitution of a math requirement would be inappropriate. 

If your advisor determines that your major would not be compromised with a course substitution, the next step is to complete the online course substitution form.  An Access Consultant will review your request to identify the connection between your disability and the course.  You may be contacted to provide additional information.  If a significant connection is identified, DRC will recommend the course substitution to your advisor.  Your advisor will work with you to find a substitute course. 

What should I do if I think I may miss a lot of classes because of my disability? 

While your absences may be unavoidable due to disability or the effects of medication, each situation must be handled individually.  This is because attendance requirements vary widely and class activities impact the importance of being in class.  For example, missing a class in which there is a lot of discussion or one that includes hands-on activities is very different than missing a lecture.  Therefore, DRC cannot provide a blanket approval for “attendance accommodations.” However, we will work with you and your instructor to explore options.

If you believe you will miss class often due to your disability, you’ll first want to review the course attendance policy.  If attendance is described as mandatory or there is a strict limit to the number of times students can miss class before the grade drops, you may want to consider taking a different course or waiting until a later semester to take the course.  If you need to take the course that semester and are comfortable talking with your instructor about the attendance requirement and how you can make up missed work, that conversation is a good second step.  The arrangements you make should not be considered an “accommodation”. 

If you’d like to request the DRC consider whether an alteration in the attendance requirement could be a reasonable accommodation, talk with an Access Consultant.  DRC will address your request individually and work with you and each of your instructors to determine whether an accommodation is reasonable and to clearly define the boundaries of that flexibility. 

How can I get a copy of my disability documentation?

To request a copy of documentation that DRC has on file for you, please go to the form for Requesting a Copy of Documentation and complete the form.  Fax, email or mail your request to the DRC.