Academic Accommodations

Coordinating academic accommodations for students with disabilities and suspected disabilities.

Click to see this content

Requesting academic accommodations through Disability Resources (DR) is a simple two-step process.

If you are requesting accommodations for the very first time the steps will be slightly different than if you are already registered with DR for other accommodations.


Is this your first time registering with Disability Resources and requesting accommodations?

Step 1. Submit a Public Request

In order to receive accommodations, students must submit a formal request for accommodations to Disability Resources (DR). Students who have not requested accommodations from DR in the past should submit the Public Accommodation Request Form and upload documentation of disability with this form.

If you do not have access to your documentation at the time that you submit the form we can also accept documentation through mail, email or fax. If you choose to submit documentation through one of these alternate means please keep in mind that your request will not be considered complete until we receive both your form submission and documentation. If you have questions about the type of information we look for in documentation please see Documentation Guidelines.

For first year/transfer students: we are not able to fully process accommodation requests until after the student has been assigned a student ID number. Please keep this in mind before submitting your request. Student ID numbers are always assigned well in advance of the coming semester so the timing of ID assignment will not impact students’ ability to have accommodations in place before classes begin.

Step 2. Meet with DR Staff

Once we receive a student’s complete request we will review the materials provided and contact the student via their WashU email account to schedule a meeting. We prefer to meet with students in person but if that is not possible we are happy to meet over the phone. During this meeting we will discuss the request and documentation in more detail and answer any questions about using the requested accommodations. Students should leave this meeting with an understanding of what accommodations will be approved, but a formal letter of approval or denial will be sent via email in the days following the meeting.

Parents/family are welcome to join in these meetings as valuable partners in supporting their students. However, please keep in mind that in the college environment students are expected to act as their own primary advocate. Our staff are sensitive to the fact that this may represent a change in roles for many families.


Have you previously registered with Disability Resources for any type of accommodation request (academic, housing, transportation, or temporary injury)?

Step 1. Submit the Supplemental Request form

Students who have requested accommodations of any type in the past must log in to CornerstoneConnect Accommodate and submit a supplemental request in order to request a change or addition to their current accommodations. Step-by-step directions to complete the supplemental request are below.

  1. Navigate to CornerstoneConnect.
  2. Log in with your WUSTL Key.
  3. Scroll over the “Accommodation” tab on the green menu bar at the top of the page.
  4. From the drop-down options click on the second option “Supplemental”.
  5. Fill out all form fields and click “Submit”.

Documentation of disability can be uploaded through the supplemental request. Disability Resources will try to use the documentation already on file to support a change to accommodations. However, if the documentation on file does not support the request we may ask for additional documentation, particularly if the documentation on file doesn’t directly address accommodations in the academic environment. If you have questions about the type of information we look for in documentation please see the Documentation Guidelines page of our website.

Step 2. Meet with DR Staff

Once we have received a student’s supplemental request we will reach out to them to set up a meeting to discuss the requested changes in more detail. Students should leave this meeting with an understanding of what changes will be approved, but a formal letter of approval and updated VISA letter will be sent via email in the days following the meeting.

TIMELINE FOR PROCESSING REQUESTS FOR ACADEMIC ACCOMMODATIONS

Academic accommodation requests are accepted on a rolling basis; there is no deadline for submission. However, in order to receive prompt accommodations and services, students are advised to submit a request with documentation at least two weeks in advance of when they would like accommodations to be implemented.

Please note, requests for accommodations that are submitted after the last day of classes cannot be implemented in that same semester. For example, a student who submits a request for testing accommodations during reading week will not be able to use testing accommodations during finals. Such requests will be implemented beginning the following semester.

UNSURE WHAT ACCOMMODATIONS TO REQUEST?

If you have been recently diagnosed or haven’t used formal accommodations in the past you may be unsure of what accommodations to request. This is an excellent question to ask of your documentation provider as they can give recommendations and include those recommendations in your documentation. Additionally, each student’s request and documentation is reviewed on a case-by-case basis and our meetings are designed to be an interactive discussion. Therefore, feel free to request anything that you feel is necessary to provide you with equal access to learning activities or environments here at Washington University. If you are still unsure what to request, feel free to indicate that on your request form and we will brainstorm possible accommodations when we meet.

QUESTIONS?

Contact us at 314-935-5970 or disabilityresources@wustl.edu 
Location: Ground floor of Gregg House, South 40
Office hours: Monday – Friday: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.