Connecting With Disability Resources

Disability Resources would like to welcome you back to campus & let you know how to get your accommodations set up for the Spring 2024 semester. Our office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am - 4:30 pm. 

New Students 

If you are a new student and wish to get connected with Disability Resources, please start by submitting our online Request for Accommodations Form

You can learn more about the accommodations process by visiting our Get Connected page.

DR accommodation request process

Returning Students 

**Important Reminder** Accommodation letters are sent course by course, so you must renew accommodations each semester, even summer term. You can do this in the DR Student Portal one week before your classes begin, or by contacting your Disability Specialist. You will NOT have accommodations until this is complete and your accommodation letters have been sent to instructors. 

  • If you've already received accommodations from Disability Resources in the past, then you can use the DR Student Portal to update & request your accommodations.
  • Within the DR Student Portal, you will find helpful resources such as step by step guides on "How to Submit an Accommodation Request." The Student Portal also has other guides that may apply to your accommodations and will guide your requests.
  • Using the Student Portal is the quickest and easiest method to update your semester accommodations, but we are also still available to meet over Zoom, email, phone, or in-person. 

Please contact our front office if you have any questions or want to schedule a meeting; we can be reached by phone at 218-726-6130 or email at [email protected]

Student Resources

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New Students - Requesting Disability Accommodations

Submit the Request for Accommodations Form

  • Complete the Request for Accommodations Form online and provide any available documentation that indicates a history of a disability diagnosis. These steps will save you time later.
  • IMPORTANT: Please note that you should not delay meeting with us out of concern for not having the right paperwork. Each specialist will discuss specific third party documentation needs during the Welcome Meeting and steps you can take after the meeting. Our first priority is meeting with you, not reviewing the paperwork.

Schedule a Welcome Meeting

  • Call or Email us at [email protected] to schedule an appointment. Appointments last approximately 45 – 60 minutes.

Explore Options

  • During the Welcome Meeting, a Disability Specialist will chat with you about the barriers you are experiencing, reasonable accommodations to address the barriers and your next steps. Our goal is to keep the meeting relaxed & comfortable.

Common Accommodations Available

Listed below are the most commonly requested accommodations.

Specific barriers to academic inclusion are discussed with students, and other accommodations may be provided on a case-by-case basis.

  • Test Accommodations
  • Reading Accommodations
  • Note Taking
  • Interpreting
  • Accessible Technology
  • Housing & Dining Accommodations

Returning Students - Updating Semester Accommodations

Here’s how you can connect with Disability Resources to update your semester accommodations:

Using Your Disability Resources Student Portal

How to Request Accommodations through your Student Portal

Click Here to Access your Student Portal

Email

You can email your Disability Specialist to request a one-on-one meeting or to request updated semester Accommodation Letters. Use the Student Portal to get contact info for your Disability Specialist and review your currently approved accommodations.

If you are emailing to request a one-on-one meeting, be sure to include 3 or 4 options of days & times that you are available to meet.

If you are emailing to request updated accommodation letters be sure to:

  • Attend each class at least one time
  • Review the course syllabus so you’re familiar with the requirements 
  • Make sure your email includes a list of each class and what accommodations need to be in place.
  • Include any other concerns or questions you might have. Make sure to mention these concerns so we can explore reasonable accommodations.

If you need to access a copy of your Accommodation Letters, you can search your email or download a copy online through your Student Portal.

Student Portal

Did you know our office now has a Student Portal available to you to assist with your access and accommodation needs?! Here is a brief list of items you can do online through your student portal:

  • View assigned Disability Specialist & contact information
  • View approved accommodations
  • Request accommodations for new semester
  • Schedule upcoming exams with our testing center
  • See semester courses, schedules, & any exams you have scheduled with our office
  • View & download Accommodation Letters to have on hand and to share with your faculty member again if needed
  • Ability to view and sign a release of information to speak with parents/guardians
  • Ability to request e-textbooks & other accommodations.
  • Test Schedules: Our official testing schedule is now accessed via the Student Portal.
  • Please check your Student Portal to confirm or adjust testing times. If you arrive at the incorrect time, we may no longer be able to proctor your exam and will refer you to work with your instructor to request exam proctoring with them

 

Drop In Hours

Drop In Hours

Did you know we have drop in hours?! For help with questions about the student portal, accommodations, or general support. No appointment needed!

Monday through Thursday: 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Location: KSC 256

 

Faculty Resources

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Access & Inclusion in the Classroom

Ensuring Access

  • Students using accommodations will be issued an Accommodation Letter that indicates the accommodations necessary for equal access. A copy of this letter is also shared with faculty.
  • Students are advised to follow up with their faculty to ensure that the accommodation letter has been received.
  • Students are encouraged to connect with instructors during office hours to discuss their accommodations & implementation of them confidentially. 
  • You may receive an Accommodation Letter from a student who does not follow-up with you. This could happen for several reasons, but please feel empowered to connect with the student via email or in a private setting to discuss implementing accommodations in your course. 
  • When you receive an Accommodation Letter, please take action to begin implementing the accommodations.
  • In some cases, Disability Resources will connect with faculty to discuss specific information regarding accommodations.
  • Consider checking in with all students about their access needs in the learning environment.
  • Periodically checking in with students to ensure they have what they need to access the course is a best practice.
  • Remember that Disability Resources is your partner in ensuring access. Please consult with us on disability and access related needs.

Universal design:  To make online courses more accessible to all students, consider implementing these simple strategies:

 

Faculty Portal

Disability Resources is excited to introduce the Faculty Portal 

Here is what you can find within the Faculty Portal:

  • Allows faculty to view - by class - all students requesting accommodations and their associated accommodation letters.
  • Review, approve exam requests and upload exams to be proctored
  • Accommodation letters - Next Steps
  • How to make your courses more accessible & resources around this
  • Take a moment to login & explore, and let us know if you have questions about how to navigate the portal.  
  • Don’t forget to bookmark the faculty portal link so you can easily access it throughout the year!

Disability Resources continues to be your partner in ensuring access.  Please connect with the Office of Disability Resources for support and consultation around any student access concerns that may arise.

Faculty Responsibilities around Exam Accommodations

  1. Exam Delivery to DR: As indicated in our Instructor Responsibilities resources, in order for us to provide the service of proctoring exams in our office, we need exams uploaded to the Faculty Portal at least 24 hours prior to the exam time. Our staff needs time to set up accommodations (this may include scanning, altering text size, setting up adaptive technology, etc.) and prepare for many exam takers at once. Instructor cooperation in this matter is crucial to our ability to continue proctoring the instructor’s exams. If you are unable to meet this deadline, instructors will be asked to proctor exams independent of our office.
  2. Notification/Reminders: Instructors receive LOAs as soon as students request accommodations in our office. They have access to the Faculty Portal, which indicates all requested accommodations, including exam times, 3-4 days ahead of the scheduled exam time, instructors will receive a reminder to upload the exam to the Faculty Portal.
  3. Returning Exams to Faculty: Completed exams will now be returned to instructors via scanned documents sent to email or uploaded to the Faculty Portal.

Disability Accommodations for UMD Employees

Disability accommodations are available to UMD employees through UReturn. Please contact Nancy Erickson ([email protected]) via email to request a confidential consultation.

UMD offers all students, staff, and faculty a free copy of a program called Read and Write Gold. This program allows text to be read back across a variety of venues, including Office products, PDFs, email, and websites. Learn about its full range of capabilities, and access a download link (program is available for both Windows and Mac users) here: https://itss.d.umn.edu/services/software/rwg

Recognizing Access at UMD

Click the button below to nominate a staff or faculty member who has gone above & beyond with creating meaningful access at UMD!

Recognizing Access Award