Guide
Why you should get a disability services file
Why students with disabilities and chronic illness should get a disability services file in college, and how they are helpful to have.
A blog reader who is planning on attending the same college as me reached out asking if they really needed to get a Disability Services file for college, because they didn’t want to go through the intake process or go to a bunch of meetings when they would primarily be taking online classes. I can understand why they didn’t want to deal with filing for accommodations, but having a Disability Services file in college is essential for students with vision loss and other disabilities that require modifications or adaptations such as large print, extended time on tests, and using assistive technology. Here are the reasons why you should get a Disability Services file for college, and why they are helpful.
There are specific accommodations listed
On my first day of a graphic design class, my professor panicked when they noticed I use a blindness cane and asked me how I was going to be able to complete assignments for class if I can’t see well. This was an opportunity to educate them on how blindness is a spectrum and not a binary, and I also shared my Disability Services file with them to show the specific accommodations I would need to be successful in their class. Once I learned how to use keyboard shortcuts with the design program for the class, I was able to fully participate in all class activities and assignments as long as my professor followed my accommodation sheet- I even got an A in the class!
Related links
- Common Classroom Accommodations For Low Vision
- How To Make Virtual Museums Accessible For Visual Impairments
- What To Bring To The Disability Services Testing Center
- Eight Things You Need To Know About Your Disability Accommodations
It provides documentation for your disability
When I first started college, I had a then-undiagnosed neurological condition in addition to low vision. At the two high schools I attended previously, I often had teachers ask if I really had a disability or if I was just exaggerating having poor eyesight and other symptoms, and I didn’t want to repeat this experience in college. In order to qualify for a Disability Services file, students must provide documentation of their disability, and having a Disability Services file is enough “proof” or documentation for professors to implement accommodations or modifications in the classroom as needed.
Related links
- How To Create A Disability Services File
- How To Get Disability Accommodations In Community College
- Having An Undiagnosed Chronic Illness In High School
- College Scheduling Hacks For Students With Chronic Illness
No need to disclose medical information unless necessary
Disability Services files do not list a specific diagnosis or medical condition, so my professors would not know the name of my eye or brain condition unless I tell them. One of my best friends is autistic and prefers that professors not know about their diagnosis, and their professor is not allowed to ask them further questions about their disability beyond asking how to best implement accommodations.
Since I run a public website about low vision and assistive technology, I am fine with my professors knowing the names of medical conditions that I have talked about on my website. Since Chiari Malformation is considered an uncommon diagnosis, I am happy to provide insight on how my professors can help create an inclusive and accessible classroom environment.
Related links
- Managing Chronic Migraines in College
- Disability and Classroom Accommodations For POTS
- How I Talk To Professors About Photosensitivity
- How I Explain Chiari Malformation
Professors have to follow the accommodations
Professors are required to follow accommodations that have been approved by Disability Services, starting from the day the student shares an accommodations letter or similar documentation. Without this additional documentation, professors are not supposed to adapt or modify assignments, exams, or other class policies for individual students.
One semester, I didn’t realize that my math professor had never received my Disability Services accommodation letter and tried to send it to them a few hours before our first exam so I could utilize my previously approved accommodations for extended time, a large print calculator, and related items. The professor told me that they could not accommodate this on such short notice and reminded me of how unprofessional this was, and I earned a 13 on the exam. I was able to improve my grade through other extra credit opportunities, but this was a valuable lesson in remembering to submit documentation.
Related links
- How To Explain Disability Accommodations To Professors
- Computer Lab Accommodations For Low Vision Students
- Math Test Accommodations For Low Vision
Students can take a proactive approach, not a reactive approach to accessibility issues
In college, I don’t have to wait to start failing classes or receiving assignments in inaccessible formats to get approved for disability accommodations- I set up my accommodations before my first day of classes, which gave my professors and I time to address any accessibility barriers that might come up before the first day of classes, as well as track down accessible books. Students can apply for disability accommodations at any point in the semester, but they cannot be applied retroactively to classes- in the previous story with my math exam, I couldn’t go back and retake the exam after sharing my accommodations letter, but I could make sure that I could take my other exams with my approved disability accommodations.
Related links
Connect students with other campus resources
Disability Services maintains an email list, campus website, and several other listings for campus resources that are available for students registered with their office. This can include:
- Scholarships and paid opportunities
- Events hosted across various departments
- Information from local, state, and national organizations, i.e state unit for visual impairment
- Invitations to meetings with campus visitors and faculty/staff
- Free tutoring and study resources
- Links to helpful websites or other campus departments
Related links
- Services Provided By State Department/State Unit for Visual Impairment
- Vocational Rehabilitation for College Students
- US Government Programs For Blind/Low Vision Residents
- How I Organize Emails In College
Get access to the testing center and priority registration
Instead of professors having to figure out how to implement my disability accommodations in the general classroom, Disability Services offers a testing center where students can use approved accommodations such as extended time, video magnifiers, and stretch breaks on timed assignments such as timed exams, assignments, quizzes, and similar items. Disability Services can take care of everything, including picking up and returning the completed assessment to the professor.
Another benefit of registering with Disability Services is the ability to receive priority registration for classes, which can make it easier for students to plan out their schedule.
Related links
- What To Bring To The Disability Services Testing Center
- College Scheduling Hacks For Students With Chronic Illness
- How To Schedule College Classes
Assistance with on-campus housing
Living with a neurological condition and chronic migraines qualified me for on-campus disability housing accommodations, which make it possible for me to live in a dorm room that is accessible for me. This was especially helpful when registering for freshman housing, as my doctor had determined I needed to live in a single room with no roommate, which can be difficult to request as a new freshman student. Having disability housing accommodations also meant that I had guaranteed housing for the entirety of undergraduate, and I wasn’t charged extra for a single dorm either.
Related links
- How To Choose A Dorm And Pick College Housing
- Seven Things I Tell My College Suitemates About My Disability
- How I Decorate My Dorm Room With Low Vision
My favorite: Using assistive technology resources!
I spent a lot of time with the assistive technology specialists at my college, who taught me a lot about how to implement my disability accommodations in the classroom and served as a resource for my professors. Students are required to have a Disability Services file to receive assistance from the assistive technology specialist(s), but this alone is an invaluable reason to have a Disability Services file.
Some of my favorite assistive technology resources at the college level include:
- Requesting accessible copies of textbooks and other course materials – I would get digital versions of all my textbooks
- Technical support for accessing course websites and assignments
- Free or discounted licenses for assistive technology programs, such as dictation programs and simplified displays
- Opportunities to learn how to use specialty software, such as screen magnification
- Use of video magnifiers and other on-campus specialty technologies
Related links
- How To Request Accessible Textbooks In College
- What To Know About College Assistive Technology Specialists
- How I Find Research Sources In Accessible Formats
- How To Use Dictation As Assistive Technology With Mainstream Devices
- My Favorite Web Browser Extensions For Virtual Learning
- Ten Tech Skills Every College Student Needs
More resources on college disability accommodations
- Thinking of transitioning from an IEP to a 504 Plan for college? I did this, and it wasn’t worth it for me- learn more in my post Transitioning to a 504 Plan Before College
- Some of my disability accommodations had to be changed to accommodate virtual learning- read more in Seven Unexpected Disability Accommodations For Virtual Learning
- Not sure what to ask for from Disability Services? Read How To Come Up With Sample Accommodations
By Veronica Lewis/Veronica With Four Eyes, www.veroniiiica.com
Updated May 2024; original post published June 2020.
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