Frequently Asked Questions
Documentation and Accommodations
Do I need to tell anyone else about my diagnosis?
How do I know if I’m eligible for accommodations?
What types of documentation are accepted?
We accept many different forms of documentation which includes but is not limited to:
- An Individualized Education program (IEP) - please note we may ask for supplemental documentation if the IEP indicates you were ineligable for services under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act).
- a 504 Plan - A document describing services or accommodations provided pursuant to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation act of 1973
- A plan or record of service from a private school, local education agency, state educational agency or other institution of higher education provided in accordance with the ADA.
- A plan or record of disability from another institution of higher education.
- A record or evaluation from a relevant licensed professional finding that an individual has a disability
- Documentation of disability due to military service in the uniformed services.
The most useful documentation not only specifies a diagnosis, but also provides scored testing done to establish the diagnosis and functional impacts on higher education. This not only gives you as the individual a better understanding of what functional impacts you are mitigating, but enables us as an office to craft the most comprehensive accommodation package possible.
Do you have a list of accommodations?
Who has access to my documentation once it’s provided?
When do my accommodations officially start?
What is a "Semester Request"?
After registering with ACCESS, you'll need to submit a Semester Request for every semester going forward in order to let us know which classes you are taking and what instructors need to be notified. You access the Semester Request page by logging into the Accommodate platform using your university eID and password the same way that you would log in to CougarNet or Blackboard. Please note, upon approval for certain accommodations you may be asked to sign additional paperwork indicating your understanding of our policies.
Semester Requests can be submitted for each semester on the following dates:
- August 1st - Fall
- December 1st - Spring
- May 1st - Summer
Do you provide housing accommodations?
Do you provide interpreters for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals?
Through ACCESS, SIUE provides qualified ASL interpreters to help students in class by interpreting what their faculty and fellow students say. Deaf students are strongly urged to register early and submit their semester requests to ACCESS as soon as possible to start the process for receiving services for each semester.
Interpreters also are available for faculty conferences, advising sessions, and at faculty-student conferences. Most major campus events have interpreters, generally at one corner of the stage, or captioning equipment. For smaller events such as a club meeting, students need to contact ACCESS for information about how such meetings can be covered. The SIUE graduation ceremony also features interpreters or captionists. But other events may not automatically plan for interpreters, so students need to contact ACCESS or the organization sponsoring an event to ensure that interpreters or captioning equipment will be available.
Do you provide accommodations for English Language Learners?
International students with disabilities are provided equal educational opportunities under the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act as (ADAAA), which is the law that defines disabilities and the general principles that guide accommodations. Under the ADAAA, international students who have disabilities are entitled to general accommodations in school, such as wheelchair access to school facilities, service and support animals and personal devices (e.g., hearing aids) to help overcome a disability.
For testing accommodations, this is also true. There are many diagnoses for which extended time may be approved or assistance such as a reader or scribe may be warranted. However, language proficiency is not sufficient rationale for accommodations to be extended through ACCESS. ADAAA Accommodations are not to lower expectations but to level the playing field for students with disabilities. If you are an international student and have appropriate documentation justifying the need for accommodation under the ADAAA, please proceed through the intake and accommodation process.
International students who have questions or concerns about academic issues may review resources on the Office of International Affairs website. International students may also request an appointment with the International Student Program Advisor for additional academic and campus resources by contacting: isss@siue.edu.What if I add or drop a class?
How do I apply for accommodations?
Emotional Support Animals (ESA)
What is an Emotional Support Animal (ESA)?
According to the ADAAA, Emotional Support Animals are often used as part of a medical treatment plan as therapy animals, but they are not considered service animals. ESAs provide companionship, relieve loneliness, and sometimes help with depression, anxiety, and certain phobias, but do not have special training to perform tasks that assist people with disabilities. Emotional support animals are usually dogs and cats, but they can be any animal that provides comfort during times of sadness, anxiety, or emotional stress.
What are ESA Registration Letter Scams?
Under the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Fair Housing Act, a housing provider may request reliable documentation when an individual requesting a reasonable accommodation has a disability and disability-related need for an accommodation that are not obvious or otherwise known. Some websites sell certificates, registrations, and licensing documents for assistance animals to one who answers certain questions or participates in a short interview and pays a fee. In accordance with HUD, such documentation from the internet is not, by itself, sufficient to reliably establish that an individual has a non-observable disability or disability-related need for an assistance animal.
By contrast, many legitimate, licensed health care professionals deliver services remotely, including over the internet. One reliable form of documentation is a note from a person’s health care professional that confirms a person’s disability and/or need for an animal when the provider has personal knowledge of the individual. If you already have a professional looking after your mental health, that is the best person to talk to regarding your interest in an emotional support animal. Our Emotional Support Animal (ESA) form will allow your physician to answer all necessary questions regarding your accommodation request. If you have additional questions regarding this form, please arrange to speak to an ACCESS staff member.
How do I Know if an ESA Letter Provider is Legitimate?
A legitimate ESA letter can only come from a licensed healthcare professional, such as a therapist, counselor, social worker, psychiatrist, psychologist, nurse, physician’s assistant, or doctor. If you didn’t talk to a board-certified doctor or licensed mental health professional, you are being sold an unenforceable document.
Beware of sites that:
- Approve you for an ESA letter after only asking a few questions online.
- Have you message or talk with a mental healthcare professional who is not located in your state (often overseas).
- Register your emotional support animal and tell you registration is sufficient for protecting your rights. Registration is NOT the same as getting an ESA letter.
If you have additional questions, comments or concerns about an ESA accommodation, please register with ACCESS and schedule an appointment to speak with an ACCESS staff member to provide more information.
Testing Accommodations
How do I register/signup/submit a request to take a test/quiz/exam in the ACCESS Testing Office?
How do I get my extended time on a test/quiz/exam?
Where is the ACCESS Testing Office located?
Who determines how much time I get on a test/quiz/exam?
What do I do if I miss the 48 hour time frame to schedule my test/quiz/exam?
How late is the ACCESS Testing Office open?
Please keep in mind that proctors are scheduled by demand beyond regular business hours. Therefore, we would appreciate being notified of any cancellations as far in advance as possible. Any additional questions, comments or concerns related to evening test scheduling or conflicts with other courses, contact accesstesting@siue.edu.
Can I schedule to take my exam at a different time than my class?
Textbook Accommodations
How do I get my textbooks in an alternate format?
What formats are available to students?
If you are eligible to receive your textbooks in an alternative format as an accommodation, you must complete the Alternative Format Textbook Agreement. Select the appropriate format based on the approved accommodation to access your assigned readings. The following digital formats are available: e-book, PDF, doc, RTF, txt, Daisy and mp3*. These files may be placed on your personal e-reader, tablet, or computer or you may receive a Kindle on loan from ACCESS for the semester.
The form also includes an agreement which must be signed stating that you understand that these are copyrighted works and cannot be shared with other parties under any circumstances.
* File type is determined based upon the device utilized.
How long will it take to convert my textbooks?
How will I know when the alternative textbook process is complete?
How often do I need to fill out the Textbook Agreement form?
What is RedShelf?
Pregnancy Related Accommodations
Employee Pregnancy Related Accommodations
The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) was recently signed into law and takes effect on June 27, 2023. The new federal law aims to protect the rights of pregnant employees by requiring employers to treat known limitations resulting from pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions as conditions essentially equivalent to a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Similar to the ADA, the PWFA requires the university to engage in the interactive process to identify reasonable accommodations. Under the PWFA, reasonable accommodations are intended to enable an employee to remain in active work status.
It is also important to note that unlike the ADA, no disability is required for reasonable accommodations under the PWFA. The PWFA requires only that there be a known limitation related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical condition.
What are some examples of accommodation requests under the PWFA?
- Ability to sit
- Ability to drink water while working
- Flexible work hours
- Appropriately sized uniforms and safety apparel
- Additional break time to eat, rest, or use the restroom
How do I request an accommodation under the PWFA?
Please contact your local human resources representative or supervisor to discuss your need for a workplace accommodation under the PWFA.
Once you’ve communicated a need for an accommodation to your human resources representative or supervisor, your HR representative or supervisor will notify Accessible Campus Community & Equitable Student Support (ACCESS).
An assigned case manager will work with you to obtain medical documentation to identify and verify the known limitation(s).
Once medical documentation is obtained, ACCESS will coordinate the interactive process.
The interactive process is intended to identify reasonable accommodations that will enable you to continue working with the known limitation.
Where can I found more information about the PWFA?
Graduate Student Accommodations
Graduate Student Accommodations
Your accommodations as a Graduate Student will still be facilitated through the ACCESS office, however they may look very different than at the undergraduate level. Depending on the program, instead of testing or exam accommodations, there may be a need for more discussion around accommodation in a practicum or clinical environment. Please plan to discuss with an ACCESS representative what program you’ll be entering and what sort of support you may need prior to the start of your graduate program to develop effective and reasonable accommodations.
For students with a Graduate Assistantship needing work related accommodations, please contact Dominic Dorsey, Director of ACCESS at dodorse@siue.edu or by phone at 618-650-3726.