Disabilities Services
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PROCEDURES FOR REQUESTING ACCOMMODATIONS

  1. Submit documentation of your disability to Disabilities Services. Documentation must be current and must indicate both the nature of the disability and the way in which your disability impacts specific educational activities. Documentation should be submitted directly to: Cynthia Burch Simonds, Psy.D., Director of Disabilities Services.

    • Only Disabilities Services' counselors will have access to these confidential documents. You will need to submit complete documentation of your disability to Disabilities Services before the request for accommodation can be evaluated.

    • Information describing the type of documentation that is required can be obtained at the office of Disabilities Services (520 E. 14th St., Chester, PA 19013) or by clicking the links to the right.

  2. Complete the Request for Accommodation form. You can obtain this form from the office of Disabilities Services, or click here

  3. Schedule a meeting with the Director of Disabilities Services to discuss your needs and accommodation requests. The purpose of this meeting is to gather additional information from you about your specific academic strengths, areas of need, coping strategies, and previous learning experiences.

    • The Director of Disabilities Services may recommend that you request alternate or additional accommodations that may be more appropriate based on your history and documentation.

  4. If necessary, the Director of Disabilities Services will consult with academic departments on campus to be sure that a requested accommodation will not compromise the essential nature, function, or elements of a course or academic requirement.

  5. You will receive, in writing, a response to your accommodation request that includes information explaining why specific requests were approved or denied. If you have any questions or concerns about the response to your request, you are encouraged to meet with the Director of Disabilities Services to explore and discuss your concerns.

    • If you and the director are unable to reach a satisfactory resolution, you are encouraged to meet with the provost to discuss possibilities for resolving your concerns or filing a grievance.

  6. If accommodations are granted, you will receive letters that you can submit to each of your professors that state the accommodations to which you are entitled. The letters will not provide any specific information about the nature of your disability.

    • If accommodations are ongoing, you will need to obtain letters from Disabilities Services at the beginning of each semester for each of your classes in which you will be using accommodations.

    • Professors are not required to provide accommodations unless you present, in a timely manner, a letter from Disabilities Services authorizing the requested accommodation.

  7. Please note that accommodation requests may be submitted at any time; however, you are strongly encouraged to submit your request well in advance of the semester(s) for which accommodations are requested, in order to allow sufficient time for the Accommodation Request Form and supporting documentation to be reviewed and evaluated.