Disability Support Services

Types of Accommodations

Our Disability Support Services Office approves...

• Academic

  Academic accommodations are adjustments or supports to course-related requirements, according to disability-related needs. Some of our academic accommodations include deadline extensions for assignments and conversion of textbooks and course materials into electronic format for use with technology.

• Testing

  Testing accommodations are adjustments to exams and quizzes to make the testing environment accessible, based on the nature of the disability. Examples include extended time for exams, a distraction-free environment, reader, scribe, or large print.

• Classroom

  Classroom accommodations are adjustments to the classroom experience to make it accessible for students, according to their disability-related needs. Examples are special chairs, seating in a specific part of the classroom, note-taking services, and approved use of technology, such as a computer or Smartpen.

• Housing

  Housing accommodations provide students with access needs for living on campus.

• Meal

  Students living on campus may have a food-related disability that limits their ability to participate in our meal program, such as food allergies or an autoimmune disease like Celiac disease. These students may need a modification to the university's mandatory meal plan.

How to Request Classroom, Academic, Testing, or Meal Accommodations

Students should follow these 4 steps to request disability-related accommodations.

• 1. Contact Disability Support Services in advance of each semester.

  Some accommodations can take up to several weeks to arrange, so it’s important that you make your formal requests early so that we can obtain the required services.

• 2. Submit the relevant documentation.

  You’ll need to provide documentation of your disability from an appropriate healthcare provider who is treating you for the condition for which the accommodation is requested. Once we’ve determined that your documentation is appropriate, we’ll work with you to provide reasonable and timely accommodations.

  • Attention Deficit Disorders Documentation Guidelines (PDF)
  • Learning Disabilities and Autism Documentation Guidelines (PDF)
  • Blind or Legally Blind Form (PDF)
  • Hearing Loss Disability Form (PDF)
  • Physical Mobility Disability Form (PDF)
  • Psychiatric Disability Form (PDF)
  • Traumatic Brain Injury Form (PDF)
  • Medical Disability Form (PDF)
  • Food-Related Disability Form (PDF)
  • Chronic or Degenerative Disability Form (PDF)
• 3. Work with Disability Support Services to determine reasonable accommodations.

  We provide accommodations on a case-by-case basis. We’ll meet with you to discuss your documentation, your eligibility for accommodations, any potential accommodations, and next steps.

  If you’re eligible, we’ll work with you to determine which reasonable accommodations will be provided, and we'll prepare accommodation letters for faculty.

  You're under no obligation to disclose the nature of your disability to anyone; however, if you're requesting accommodations, you'll need to provide documentation of your disability to Disability Support Services and share your accommodation letter with faculty.

• 4. Give the disability accommodation letter to your instructors to sign.

  You’ll then return it to Disability Support Services and also keep a copy for your own records.

Denied Accommodation Requests

Lesley engages with each student in response to the student’s request for accommodations and determines whether it will be granted. The university may propose alternative reasonable accommodations for a student request.

If an accommodation is denied, you may appeal the decision to the ADA/504 Coordinator, Valerie Yeakel (vyeakel@lesley.edu), using the Accommodation Appeal Form (PDF). You may reapply for the accommodation for the next semester.

Circumstances in which academic, classroom, meal, or testing accommodations will be denied include, but are not limited to:

• Student Does Not Provide Required Documentation

  If you don’t submit documentation of your disability and other required documentation regarding the request to Disability Support Services, the university will not provide any disability accommodation.

  However, you may use other support services, such as tutoring, which is available to all students. Contact the Center for Student Success and Advising about student support services at tutoring@lesley.edu.

• Fundamental Alteration

  If an accommodation fundamentally alters the academic standards of the university, its schools, departments, or courses, such a request will be denied.

• Undue Burden

  If the university determines that providing an accommodation would present an undue burden, the university does not need to provide the accommodation. If a request can’t be accommodated, the university will seek to work with you to identify whether there are alternative accommodations that don’t present an undue burden.

• Personal Service

  Personal services are those that a person with a disability must use regardless of attendance at the university. Personal services may include independent living or personal care attendants, transportation other than shuttle services, diagnostic testing, and rehabilitation, among others. If a request for an accommodation falls under the definition of a personal service, the university denies the request because it is unreasonable. The university won't provide individually prescribed devices.

• Direct Threat to Health or Safety of Others

  If a requested accommodation would cause a significant risk to the health or safety of others, the university will deny the accommodation.