Accommodations Provide Access
Academic accommodations give students with disabilities the opportunity to learn and to demonstrate their learning without undue limitation by factors related to barriers in the academic environment and the disability. Academic accommodations are intended to provide access and they are no guarantee of success. As a college student, you must carefully manage your time and devote substantial effort to your studies to succeed academically.
Housing accommodations are considered as part of the campus residency requirement. Lawrence University believes the learning experience in a community living model is essential to student growth. Students are required to live on-campus for four years as part of this commitment to holistic learning; this includes students with disabilities to live with others in shared living spaces as an integral part of the Lawrence community.
Requests for accommodations are considered case-by-case, evaluated by disability and any impacts of functional limitations, the reasonableness of the accommodation, and space availability (with regard to housing accommodations).
Accommodations Must Be Reasonable
An accommodation is not considered reasonable if it (a) poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others; (b) substantially alters an essential element of a course, curriculum, or program; (c) substantially alters the manner in which a service is provided; or (d) causes an undue financial or administrative hardship to the university. Reasonable academic accommodations include things like:
- Modified materials or procedures – such as braille-formatted texts, additional time to complete exams, or a reduced-distraction setting for testing.
- Auxiliary aids and services – such as CART and ASL interpreting services, Read&Write text-to-speech application, or note-taking services.
- Environmental adjustments – such as a classroom location, housing configuration, or alternative furniture.
All these have the purpose of removing barriers and facilitating equal access to the university’s programs and opportunities. Accommodations do not include non-attendance or non-completion of course and/or program requirements, although the ways of how students satisfy requirements may differ.
Accommodations Are Proactive (Not Retroactive)
Accommodations are proactive, not retroactive. You have the right not to disclose a disability or not to request or use accommodations, but you may not request accommodations for work or courses already completed, even if the quality of your work was affected by the disability. Accommodations are available after you complete the 3-step eligibility process, and you are expected to follow any applicable deadlines, such as housing deadlines.
Accommodations Are for Lawrence Only
Accommodations are available to enrolled students at Lawrence and do not extend to standardized tests, other undergraduate or graduate or professional schools, or work environments. Though all may offer accommodations, each has its own requirements and procedures. If you apply for testing accommodations for the GRE, LSAT, or MCAT, you may not qualify for the same testing accommodations you receive at Lawrence. Check the websites of the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and other testing agencies well in advance to see what is required.
Disability Testing
Lawrence can share contact information for local providers and resources that provide evaluations for learning disabilities and ADHD and can seek possible grant funding for qualified students where insurance does not cover the testing.
Contact Accessibility Services for details: accessibility@lawrence.edu or 920.832.6672.