Collect your documentation

Students registering with SAS must provide verification of disability from a registered health professional. The Verification of Disability Form (PDF) or other medical documentation should include the following information.

• A clinical diagnosis of your relevant medical condition(s)
• The name of the person who made the diagnosis and their credential(s)
• The date of the testing
• Indicators of how your condition(s) affect you day to day
• Recommendations for suggested accommodations
• Duration of your condition(s) (temporary or permanent), and length of time you’ll need accommodations

Note: Students with documented learning disabilities are required to provide a copy of their most recent psycho-educational assessment.

Please contact our office directly if you or your registered health professional are unsure about the type of information required.

Role of medical documentation in decision making

Documentation of disability or diagnosis does not guarantee that a student will receive their preferred or requested accommodations. Accommodations are implemented to address a specific barrier to equal access and without reasonable accommodation the student will experience a disadvantage compared to their nondisabled peers.

• Medical documentation helps show that a student has a disability, however, it is only one part of the accommodation decision making process.
• Recommendations by a registered health professional are not final when determining academic accommodations. SAS has the authority to decide whether the accommodation is reasonable in a university setting.
• When reviewing medical documentation SAS considers multiple factors:
  • What specific barrier is being addressed by the requested accommodation;
  • Whether the accommodation fits within the academic requirements;
  • Whether it changes essential parts of a course or program;
  • What is feasible for the university;
  • What are the legal guidelines under disability law.
• Final accommodation decisions are made by Student Accessibility Services, not by medical providers.

Are you waiting on documentation?

Please fill out the online intake form if you are still waiting on documentation from your registered health professional. An accessibility coordinator will meet with you for a consultation to discuss your needs, but accommodations will not be implemented until documentation is received.

Complete the Online Intake form

Once you have all your documentation gathered, you must complete the online intake form.

Alternate format versions of the form and registration options for prospective students with no UM student email are available by contacting our office.

Using the Online Intake form

1. Select the Online intake link on the right of this page.
2. Log-in with your UMNetID and multi-factor authentication.
3. If you arrive at a menu screen, select the "Online Intake" module link which is third down on the left-hand side.
4. Please read through the initial information on the form and verify your First Name, Last Name, Student Number and Email address as provided by Aurora.
5. Proceed to provide the information requested in the form, paying specific attention to the Current Concerns section.

6. We encourage you to upload the SAS Confidentiality and Exchange of Information form and the Verification of Disability (or other medical documentation) when submitting. Please consolidate photo files into one document (.doc, .pdf) as there are limits to the number of files you may upload.

   If you do not have documentation yet available or if your medical professional is sending a copy to our office, you may indicate this on the form.

7. Submit the form and the intake team will be in touch to schedule an appointment.

Meet with an accessibility coordinator

After completing your online intake form, an initial appointment with an accessibility coordinator will be scheduled. During this meeting you will be invited to discuss your educational goals and program details, any barriers to equal access you are experiencing, and potential accommodations. 

Following this meeting you will receive a summary email outlining your accommodation plan and providing additional details about processes, deadlines, and your responsibilities. Save this email as it will contain important information you may need to refer to later.

Keep your accessibility coordinator informed of any health updates or program changes to ensure your accommodation plan remains current. If you have questions or encounter challenges while implementing your accommodations, please reach out. Notifying your accessibility coordinator of any issues increases the likelihood of a smooth resolution.

SAS staff aim to respond to emails and phone messages as quickly as possible. During peak times, please allow 2-3 business days for a response. Staff do not check messages outside of regular business hours. We ask that you avoid sending multiple emails regarding the same issue as this may further delay response times.

Support fellow learners reach their academic goals. Join our team of volunteer notetakers! Participation is simple: 

1. Sign up to be a volunteer notetaker
2. Write your class notes in the format you are most comfortable (e.g. typed or handwritten)
3. Upload them to the SAS Notetaker Portal.

Benefits of note sharing reported by past notetakers:

• Improved quality of notes
• Increased attention to detail
• Increased motivation to participate in course

Volunteers receive credit on their Experience Record in late May for regularly uploading notes each term.

Uploading notes in the student portal