Eligibility

Though all individuals who self-disclose a disability or disabling health condition are eligible to request accommodations, not all of those individuals may actually receive accommodations at SMCM. Accommodations are offered when it is apparent that the student’s disability has a “material effect” on their functioning (U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights, 2015) in a way that “substantially limits” their functioning in one or more of the major life activities (28 C.R.F. SS 12102[1][C]).

In order for SMCM to decide whether to grant accommodations to a student, we need a combination of information: a self-report of how the disability impacts your life, a conversation with personnel in Accessibility Services about your experiences, and third-party documentation of your diagnosis/needs. That thread of information needs to help us understand the limitations resulting from your disability/health condition.

SMCM acknowledges that once a person is diagnosed as having a disability or disabling medical condition, the impact on their lives is often permanent. SMCM’s interest in substantiating documentation is based on the following goals:

• To develop an awareness of an individual’s unique situation
• To understand how an individual’s disability/health need intersects with the structure and expectations of our campus and educational environment
• To allow for an informed decision about which accommodations will provide the student with access to the SMCM academic/campus experience given their unique needs.