Accommodations at Notre Dame

How to Register for Accessibility Support

Students interested in exploring accommodations first need to complete an initial request form linked below. If deemed necessary, a Sara Bea staff member will reach out to the student to schedule an accommodations intake appointment to discuss the student’s diagnoses, related barriers, reasonable accommodations and next steps. 

Students will also need to provide supporting documentation, the provision of this documentation is intended to identify the condition, duration, and manner of a students disclosed disability to properly identify accommodations that will best suit their unique needs. 

In order to renew accommodations each semester, students need to complete a semester request at the start of each semester to identify which accommodations and classes they wish to utilize accommodations in. 

 Initial Accommodations Request FormSBAS Policies and Procedures

Student Testimony

Student testimony comprises a significant part of the accommodations process and, when required, a conversation must be had in order to determine reasonable accommodations. Sara Bea staff may rescind a request for an accommodations intake appointment if the student does not respond within a two week time period. If a request has been rescinded, accommodations may be re-requested by contacting the Sara Bea office or by submitting a Supplemental Request form found in AccessND.

Acknowledgment of Privacy 

Neither context of a student’s conversation with a Sara Bea staff member nor information shared via medical documentation will be shared external to the Center for Student Support and Care without a student’s consent.

Interactive Process 

Depending upon the nature of a requested or approved accommodations, SBAS staff may need to converse with a students faculty, DUS or DGS, or Dean of their College. This process allows SBAS staff, faculty, and deans to complete the interactive process to determine how accommodations apply to the intended learning outcomes of a specific course. Who is typically involved in the interactive process depends on whether there is a disagreement or a risk of fundamentally altering or lowering an essential academic requirement or standard.

For Previously Registered Students

Students who are already registered with SBAS who wish to explore further accommodations, renew previously approved accommodations, or schedule exams with the Testing Center. If you have any additional questions, please reach out to your assigned Access Consultant or contact our office at 574-631-7833.

AccessND LoginResource Library for Supplemental & Semester Requests

What is a Disability?

An individual with a disability is defined by the ADA as someone with a physical or mental impairment which impacts one or more life activities. Disabilities are both visible and invisible. Examples include Anxiety, PTSD, ADHD, Crohn’s Disease, Cancer, Spinal Cord Injuries, Depression, Addiction, Asthma, Allergies, Auto-Immune Conditions, and Chronic Illness.

Required Documentation

SBAS staff only request information from a qualified health professional to verify whether the student has a disability and, if so, to evaluate whether the requested accommodation is necessary to provide the student an equal opportunity to the University. Sara Bea staff reserve the right to request updated or more robust documentation at their discretion. For additional questions related to documentation please visit our policies and procedures page linked above, or email sarabeacenter@nd.edu.

To better facilitate the process for students requesting documentation, the linked forms below can be shared directly with their off-campus medical or mental health provider. If you currently have a relationship established with a mental health professional or doctor in either the UCC or UHS, then please ensure you have a current release of information form on file.

Academic Outside Provider FormHousing Outside Provider Form

UCC Release of InformationUHS Release of Information

What is a Reasonable Accommodation?

A reasonable accommodation is defined as modifications of programs, policies, practices, and procedures that enable students with disabilities to have an equal opportunity to benefit from and have access to college programs and services. Reasonable accommodations aren’t special treatment or advantages, nor do they lessen rigor or expectations. Instead, they seek to remove barriers caused by one’s clinical diagnoses.

Types of Accommodations

Accommodations are generally alterations to an environment, curriculum format, or equipment that allow an individual with a disability to have access to content or to complete an assigned task. They are designed to remove barriers in order to provide students equal access to learning and living. Accommodations are available to students with both visible and invisible disabilities. Accommodations at Notre Dame generally fall into the following categories: