Students: Requesting Accommodations

The Campus Disability Resource Center (CDRC) provides services in support of the educational experience of students with disabilities.  The interactive process begins when a student discloses a disability and/or condition and requests accommodation. An accommodation may be interim (situation-specific, time limited) or may extend throughout the student's tenure at the University.  Each student's need is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Accommodation(s) are applied each term on a course-by-course basis.  Students benefit from ongoing case management contact with their Accessibility Advisor throughout their tenure at the University.

STEP 1: Disclose and Request an Appointment

A student may disclose a disability and not seek accommodations; however, most students disclose and request accommodations.  Disclosure alone does not start the accommodation process.  Students who wish to begin the accommodation process may complete the Student Accommodation Registration Form and meet with an Accessibility Advisor for an Information Session.  Should you need assistance completing this form, contact the Campus Disability Resource Center at (707) 826-4678, email CDRC, or request assistance from your Accessibility Advisor.

Consultation Session

If a student is seeking information, or if they are unsure if they wish to proceed with a formal request for accommodations, they may schedule a meeting with an Accessibility Advisor to review ADA and Section 504 as both apply to postsecondary education as well as their current accommodation needs.  They may request a " Consultation Session".  This meeting can be held in person or via Zoom and usually lasts 30 minutes.  The student may wish to bring a support person (partner, spouse, parent, friend) to this meeting.

At any time during this meeting, the student may make a formal request for accommodation.  At this point, the Consultation Session becomes an "Information Session", and the student will be asked to complete the Student Accommodation Registration Form.

Schedule a Consultation Session

Information Session

If a student has decided that they wish to proceed with a formal request for accommodation, they should schedule a meeting with an Accessibility Advisor called an “Information Session.” This meeting is usually about sixty minutes and can be held in person or via Zoom. The student may wish to bring a support person (partner, spouse, parent, friend) to this meeting. During the Information Session, the Accessibility Advisor may cover the following information:

• Review the University's protocol for documentation and/or review submitted documentation from the student;
• Begin the interactive discussion regarding the student's lived experience, functional abilities, and how each may affect participation in course-related activities;
• Develop a list of possible accommodations and/or reasonable alternatives;
• Discuss what learning support services may be appropriate and beneficial;
• Finalize reasonable accommodations based on information shared; and,
• Review other support services on campus.
• Schedule an Intake Session

Schedule an Information Session

STEP 2: Submit Documentation to CDRC 

If a student wishes to seek accommodation, proactive action to obtain a copy of any disability documentation from your doctor, practitioner, or other qualified individual is encouraged. The University will review the information that the student has and may accept it, ask for further information or clarification, or suggest the student obtain more detailed or specific documentation by using the Disability Verification form.

If a student does not have documentation, or if the student is unsure about what type of documentation may be needed, a Consultation Session is recommended.  The Accessibility Advisor will assist in this process on a case-by-case basis. Students with newly acquired disabilities or conditions, who do not have a history of care under a qualified provider, may be eligible for interim accommodations while they seek care and documentation. Interim accommodation(s) are time limited, meaning in effect for up to one (1) semester and generally will not be renewed without further information acceptable to the University. The University requests that students use the correct form for their request. This form must be completed and signed by a qualified provider. Those forms are listed below:

• Disability Verification Form
• Emotional Support Animal Verification Form

A student may submit documentation to the CDRC or bring documentation to a scheduled intake session.  Documentation may be delivered directly to the CDRC, Lower Library, Suite 5, or faxed to (707) 826-5397.  A student may email documentation to CDRC.  Please note that email is not considered a secure way to send confidential information.  Confidential ways to send information are: in person, fax, or mail.

STEP 3: Implement Approved Accommodations

CDRC encourages each student who has completed the accommodation process  to meet with their Academic Advisor and course instructor at the beginning of each term.  CDRC will provide each student with a copy of their agreed upon accommodation(s) in a document called an "Accommodation Memo."  The student will be responsible for forwarding the Accommodation Memo to their faculty members each semester.

Should either the student or the professor have questions about the listed accommodations, each are encouraged to immediately contact their Accessibility Advisor at CDRC for clarification.  In most instances, this proactive approach can resolve concerns and lead to timely and effective implementation of accommodations supporting a student's equitable access to programs and activities.

Step 4: Ongoing Case Management

Vital to the interactive process is continued interaction with the student. The CDRC assigned Accessibility Advisor will reach out during the term as needed to the student to ensure that the accommodation(s) are in place and that the student is moving forward successfully in their program of study.  CDRC also encourages students to contact CDRC when the need arises for consultation and guidance in the accommodation process.

Re-engaging Accommodations After Withdrawal or Taking a Leave from the University

The University recognizes that circumstances may lead a student to withdraw or take some type of approved leave (e.g., Withdrawal, Medical Leave, Leave of Absence-LOA, etc.) for a semester or more.  If a student has been receiving accommodations, those accommodations are not automatically activated when the student returns and registers for classes.

Upon re-entry to the University, and if the student believes academic accommodation is necessary, the student must re-engage in the accommodation process. This allows the University to enter the interactive process with the student and assess both the current disability or condition and the type of accommodation that may provide equitable access to its programs and activities.

The process to re-engage a student's request for accommodation is simple: 

1. Attend a scheduled a case management meeting (about 30-60 minutes) with an Accessibility Advisor; and,
2. Affirm the agreed upon accommodation(s).

This process will then lead to an Accommodation Memo that will be sent to the student who will then be responsible for forwarding them to their faculty members. Failure to re-engage and to have a current Accommodation Memo will remove the student from the accommodation process under a case closure status, whether or not previous accommodations had been given by the University.