MySLC

At the college level, if you have a disability, it is your responsibility to self-disclose and to request accommodations.  You can initiate the process by contacting the Office of Access and Disability Services, who can advise you as to what forms and documentation you will need to submit.  To ensure  that accommodations are provided in a timely manner, documentation should be submitted in the semester (or summer for new students) prior to enrollment. The documentation establishing eligibility for accommodations will be reviewed and you will be notified if the documentation is acceptable and complete, or if further information is required. Once eligibility is established, you meet with Assistant Dean to discuss accommodations. 

If you are a student with a disability and you believe that at some point in your career at the College you might seek accommodations, we advise that you submit the documentation now. It is generally easier to procure documentation now, than at some later date. Also, since nothing is acted upon until you speak further with the Director of Access and Disability Services, there is no harm in having the materials on file. Please note that while a request for accommodations can be initiated at any point in the semester, accommodations cannot be applied retroactively.

Documentation is considered confidential information and does not become part of your permanent record. It is not normally shared with other campus offices without your written consent. All documentation is kept by the Assistant Dean of the Office of Access and Disability Services.

In the beginning of each semester, if you are registered with the Office of Access and Disability Services (have submitted acceptable supporting documentation) you will meet with the Assistant Dean and discuss what reasonable accommodations you may need. When necessary, the Assistant Dean will work with other departments of the College to coordinate these accommodations.  Neither previously received accommodations nor recommendations made by the diagnosing professional are automatically provided. Accommodations are determined by the current or anticipated impact of your disability in the Sarah Lawrence educational setting. There are no cookie cutter accommodations; they are determined on a case-by-case basis. It is your responsibility to request modifications if the provided accommodations are not effective.

This accommodation process is meant to aid the individual student and the College alike. Good documentation provides a framework for establishing the services or aids that qualified students with disabilities need to access the College’s academic and residential offerings. Additionally, the process assists the College in making consistent, informed decisions with regard to student accommodations.

The Assistant Dean of Access and Disability Services will prepare a letter verifying that you are eligible to receive accommodations and identify the appropriate accommodations. It is the student's responsibility to share the Letter of Accommodation to their instructors. This letter is meant to serve as a starting point in your discussions with your teachers and does not identify the specific disability. Rather, it discusses the functional impact of your disability in an academic setting and notes what types of accommodations you are eligible to receive.

Accommodations often include, but are not limited to:

• extended time on tests and/or quiet testing location
• assistance during course registration
• note-taking assistance
• provision of readers, scribes, or sign language interpreters
• written materials provided in alternate format, e.g., Kurzweil, audio from Learning Ally
• housing modifications and assistance with dietary concerns
• on-campus medical transport

The College does not provide services of a personal nature such as attendants, homework assistance or tutors, typing services or prescriptive aids such as eyeglasses or hearing aids, nor does it provide diagnostic evaluations of disabilities.