What is the procedure for applying for an accommodation?

Any student with a disability wishing to request an accommodation should begin the process as early as possible.  

1. Contact Whitney Mittons, Director of Student Experience and Accessibility by email to arrange a meeting at wmittons@erikson.edu.
2. The student should complete the Accommodation Request Form (see attached file) for requesting accommodations.
   • New students should initiate the process before the beginning of classes or early in the semester. Remember that it may take several weeks to process a request for accommodation. 
   • Requests for accommodation will be considered on a case-by-case basis. What constitutes a “disability” or a “reasonable accommodation” may vary from individual to individual.
3. Submit required documentation.
   • The Institute requires appropriate documentation of the disability and of the need for the requested accommodation, described in the Disability Documentation Guidelines (see attached file). In most cases, such documentation and/or assessments should be no more than three years old. In rare cases, additional documentation or second opinions may be requested. 
   • Students who already have documentation should send it to the Director of Student Experience and Accessibility at the time they make the accommodations request. The documentation should be original, signed, and on official letterhead from a certifying professional in the area of the student’s disability. The documentation must address:

• Identification of the specific disability and functional limitation(s);
• Prognosis (permanent or temporary and, if temporary, the anticipated duration); and
• Recommendations for specific accommodations

4. Once the appropriate documentation is received, the Director of Student Experience and Accessibility in confidential consultation with consultants or faculty as appropriate, will review the documentation to clarify the existence and extent of the disability and the reasonableness of the requested accommodation. A student who does not have the documentation outlined in this section but who thinks that they may be eligible for accommodations under ADA, should contact the Director of Student Experience and Accessibility to discuss the matter. 
5. The Director of Student Experience and Accessibility will then meet and work together to determine appropriate accommodations. If modifications to the curriculum or academic matters are at issue, faculty may also become involved in the discussions. 
6. Students who receive an accommodation for Erikson courses will be provided with a letter explaining all approved accommodations. It is the responsibility of the student to forward the letter to each instructor as soon as possible after receiving it. The letter does not disclose any information about the nature of the student’s disability. That information is kept confidential. The student and the Director of Disability Services will maintain contact as appropriate for ongoing efforts to accommodation the student.