Step One
Complete the Application to Initiate Services. You may submit this in person or via e-mail.
Step Two
Provide appropriate documentation of your disability to the Department of Accessibility & Learning Excellence. You can submit this in person or via email to [email protected] .
Please review our documentation requirements to ensure the information you provide to the office meets our standards.
There are different forms depending on the type of accommodation requested: academic, dietary, residential, or animal assistance. See our Forms page for access to these forms.
Required Documentation:
n order to evaluate how the College of Idaho can best meet a student’s need for academic accommodations, the College requires current documentation from a licensed clinical professional or health care provider that complies with the Education Testing Service (ETS) documentation criteria.
The College of Idaho has adopted the Educational Testing Service’s standards for documentation of a disability and appropriate accommodations. These standards are national standards from a well-respected national organization, and many of our students will deal with Educational Testing Services when they take Praxis exams or graduate school exams (GRE, MAT…).
This adoption of standards means The College of Idaho will require that Educational Testing Services standards for students with disabilities documentation be met by students seeking academic accommodations. In addition, The College of Idaho will exercise the same discretion as Educational Testing Services when reviewing documentation. We adopt these standards in order to make the process of planning and preparing for college study easier for students who require academic accommodations.
For more detailed information, including Educational Testing Service’s policy statements and guidelines, please visit the ETS Policy Statements for Specific Disabilities: https://www.ets.org/disabilities/documentation/
It is the responsibility of the student to provide appropriate documentation to the Director of Accessibility & Learning Excellence in order to review accommodation requests. A prior high school 504 plan or IEP should not be used, as more current and accurate information may need to be compiled.
Documentation for the applicant must:
1. Clearly state the diagnosed disability or disabilities.
2. Describe the functional limitations resulting from the disabilities.
3. Describe the specific accommodation requested.
4. Be typed or printed on official letterhead and signed by an evaluator qualified to make the diagnosis (include information about license or certification and area of specialization).
5. Include complete educational, developmental, and medical history relevant to the disability for which testing accommodations are being requested.
6. Be current:
- Last 5 years for Learning Disabilities
- Last 6 months for Psychiatric Disabilities
- Last 3 years for ADHD and all other
7. Include a list of all test instruments used in the evaluation report and relevant subject scores used to document the disability.
*Note: Requirements 6 and 7 do not apply to physical or sensory disabilities of a permanent or unchanging nature
Step Three
Meet with DALE staff. Students should email [email protected] to arrange a meeting in the first two weeks of the semester.
The student and DALE staff will determine appropriate accommodations for each class based on the student's self-report and documentation of disability.
The student and DALE staff will compose faculty letters to prepare the student to communicate their needs to course professors.
Step Four
Students will meet individually and privately with course professors.
Students and professors will go over faculty letters and accommodations needed for the course. Students are not required to disclose their disability diagnosis or symptoms to professors but instead are encouraged to communicate how the professor can facilitate their success in the course this semester. This gives the professor an opportunity to ensure the accommodations are a good fit for their course requirements, as well as add their own ideas or suggestions.
DALE staff are available to help the student through the interactive process to arrange accommodations. Need tips on how to communicate with your professors? Click here (PDF).
Step Five
Students will obtain their professors' signatures, sign the document themselves, and return it to the DALE staff to sign before all parties receive a copy and the accommodations are officially active for the semester.