How to Request Accommodations

Shippensburg University is committed to serving all students, including those with disabilities. The Office of Accessibility Resources (OAR) coordinates accommodations and services for students with documented disabilities in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008. The ADA defines a disability as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.

Examples of disabilities include, but are not limited to:

• Specific Learning Disability (e.g., reading, writing, math, language)
• Medical conditions (e.g., diabetes, seizure disorders, autoimmune disorders, arthritis, cancer, POTS, Crohn’s, etc.)
• ADHD
• Physical mobility/motor impairments (use of assistive devices, wheelchair, adaptive furniture)
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Mental health diagnoses (e.g., Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, PTSD, Bipolar, etc.)
• Vision impairment/blindness
• Traumatic brain injury/post-concussion syndrome
• Hard of Hearing/Deafness
• Temporary disabilities- disabilities existing only for a short period of time (6-months or less) as a result of injuries, surgery, or short-term medical conditions.

Step 1: Complete an Accommodation Request

The first step in requesting accommodations is to self-identify as a student with a disability. To request accommodations, please complete the Accommodation Request Form. 

Step 2: Provide Documentation

To evaluate accommodation requests, the Office of Accessibility Resources will need information about how the disability is likely to impact the student while they are completing course work at Shippensburg University. Disability related documentation should provide information on the functional impact of the disability so that effective accommodations can be identified.

The documentation required varies according to the type of disability. Documentation can include, but is not limited to a psychological evaluation, an IEP or 504 Plan from high school, or a summary letter from a treating medical professional.

If you will be providing a summary letter, it should include as much of the following information as possible and be typed on professional letterhead.

1. Diagnosis
2. History of the condition
3. Impact of the disability on the individual in the higher education environment
4. Recommended accommodations

If you have any questions about documentation and what to provide, please contact the office so we can guide you through this step of the process.

Documentation can be submitted to the office through the following ways:

1. It can be attached to the Accommodation Request Form (preferred method)
2. Sent as an email attachment to oar@ship.edu
3. Faxed to the Director’s attention at 717-477-4094

Step 3: Intake Meeting

After the request and documentation are submitted and reviewed by our professional staff, the student will receive an email (student's Ship email address) with instructions on scheduling an Intake Meeting in our office.

The purpose of the intake meeting is to learn first-hand, from the student, what functional limitations the student experiences and what accommodations the student will need. This interactive process allows both the student and either the OAR Director or Assistant Director to work together to determine the most appropriate accommodations for the student. Accommodations will not be approved until this meeting has been completed.

Accommodations are approved on a case-by-case basis. This may include, but is not limited to:

1. Extended time for tests
2. Alternate testing sites
3. Note-taking services
4. Audio Recording of Lecture
5. Reader/scribe/laptop for exams
6. Housing accommodations