Registering for Services

Registering with the Office of SDS may entitle the student to be considered for reasonable accommodation and related support services. The following procedures for requesting accommodations will help you with that process.

Any student requesting accommodation must first identify themselves to the Office of SDS by submitting the appropriate documentation from their medical provider. The documentation should substantiate the disability and the request for an accommodation related to the disability. Documentation provided to our office should be on letterhead, typed and signed (including the license number) by the treating medical or healthcare provider.

The nature and extent of the student’s disability must be documented by a physician or healthcare professional. The presence of a specific learning disability must be documented by a psycho-educational evaluation. Documentation will be retained in confidential files in the Office of SDS. This documentation never becomes a part of the student’s permanent educational record.

Students will meet with the Director of the Office of SDS or the Disability Support Specialist to discuss the need for reasonable accommodation for the current semester. Students will be requested to sign a release form allowing appropriate faculty and staff to be notified that accommodations have been granted for a particular course. If a student has not provided documentation of their disability to the office, the student will not be eligible to receive accommodation. Additionally, if the student has not consented to the limited sharing of information regarding granting of reasonable accommodation, the student will not be eligible to receive accommodation.

When the Office of SDS is in possession of the documentation and signed a release form, a confidential letter describing the accommodation will be forwarded to appropriate college personnel. Strict confidentiality is required and must be maintained by all persons receiving such private information.

Saint Joseph’s University is not required by law to provide retroactive accommodations to any student. Services are initiated with the opening of a confidential file based on eligible documentation.