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Get Started Working with Disability Services 

Disability Services (DS) maintains confidentiality of your health and disability information. It will not show up on any academic records that you have registered with our office, and faculty are not aware that you receive accommodations unless you decide to send accommodation letters. We only share information about accommodations and access measures with instructors and University staff on a need-to-know basis. We do not share diagnostic information, and if students need us to share information with a support person or health provider, we will ask them to complete a release of information form. 

DS employees are mandated reporters. When students report sexual assault/misconduct, relationship violence, stalking, or harm to themselves/others, DS staff has an obligation to report those incidents to the University’s Equal Opportunity and Access (EOA) office. If a report is made, EOA will follow up with students to provide resources/additional support. If students want a confidential place to discuss, DS employees can share campus resources. 

How to Register 

Registration establishes a relationship with our office to start exploring accommodations. Before accommodations can be assigned, all accommodation requests must go through an interactive review process, meaning that the student’s own voice and engagement is necessary and fundamental in this process. 

The majority of accommodation requests will require a student to meet with an Access Coordinator (AC) to provide a self-report of their lived experience as a student with a disability. After this initial meeting, these requests are processed by a review committee, which could take 2-3 weeks to complete.  

There may be some more basic accommodation requests that are submitted with sufficient supporting documentation that do not require an initial meeting. In these select few cases, the request can be reviewed more quickly. All incoming requests will be screened to determine if the request requires a meeting with an AC.  

Please note that more nuanced requests, such as flexibility with attendance and deadlines or single room requests, will require a meeting regardless of any supporting documentation. Additionally, accommodations from high school IEPs or 504 plans or from prior institutions do not automatically transfer to UMass. Each request is reviewed and considered on an individualized case-by-case basis. 

Although accommodation requests can be made at any point in a student’s academic journey, we strongly encourage students to start the process of requesting accommodations early (i.e., during the summer before the start of their first semester) if possible. This allows the necessary time for ACs to review requests and ensures accommodations are already in place before academic challenges arise. Accommodations cannot be applied retroactively and will only take effect once officially approved.  
 
Step 1: Fill out the online registration form 

  • It helps to move the review process along more quickly if you upload any supporting documentation you have at the same time that you register online (see Step 2 below for more information about documentation), but students without documentation are still encouraged to register and begin the process. 
      

Step 2: Upload documentation to the online registration form; review the guidelines before submitting to ensure your documentation meets the requirements.  

  • You may use our optional Disability Disclosure Form and upload it directly to Clockwork by clicking the “Upload Documentation” button, or have your provider fax the completed form to DS at 413-577-0122. 

    • NOTE: Insufficient documentation will not delay the initial meeting, but it may delay the consideration of possible approval for certain accommodations and likely require that the student meets with an AC to discuss the request. To learn more about the role that documentation plays in our accommodation decision-making process, please review these FAQs here.   

Step 3: Review period 

  • Upon submitting your online registration form, you will receive an initial confirmation email from Clockwork. Next, our Registration Specialist will screen your accommodation request and documentation and will respond within 3-5 business days.  

  • If the accommodation request requires a meeting with an AC, you will receive an email inviting you to schedule a Welcome Meeting using Clockwork’s Online Booking Portal.  

    • Please be aware that you may need to check 2-4 weeks out on the availability calendar to find the first available appointment. We cannot offer any sooner availability than what is shown online. 

  • If we need more information to determine the next steps in our review process, we may reach out to you by email to ask some clarifying questions. Please be actively checking your UMass email for any communication from our office. 

  • All accommodation requests are processed by a review committee to ensure equity and fairness in the decision-making process. This review process could take 2-3 weeks from the point that we gather all the necessary information, so we strongly encourage students to get started with DS early in their academic journey.  

Step 4: Accommodation Approval 

  • If accommodations are deemed reasonable, your AC will email you an Approved Accommodation Letter (AAL) with instructions and next steps. The AC who issues your letter will be your main point of contact moving forward - if anything comes up, please reach out to this person directly. 

Please be sure to read your AAL carefully to understand your responsibilities in accessing your approved accommodations. There may be some accommodations that require students to take additional actions to set up the accommodation, which is explained in the AAL.

  • All students who receive an AAL will be invited to schedule an Accommodation Review meeting with their assigned AC if they have questions about their approved accommodations or would like support setting up their approved accommodations. 

Step 5: Notifying Faculty

 

Registration FAQs 

Q: I have concerns about wait time. What should I do? 

A: During periods of high volume, particularly in the Fall semester, wait times may be 4-5 weeks. Unfortunately, we are not able to offer sooner appointments than the availability shown in our Online Booking Portal. After you have booked the soonest available appointment, you can request to be placed on our Wait List and be notified if a cancelation opens a sooner appointment slot; please call 413-545-0892. 

Q: What should my documentation include? 

A: Please see our documentation page for more information. 

Q: Why are some accommodation requests able to be processed without meeting with an AC? 

A: Some types of accommodations are less likely to compromise course learning objectives or lower academic expectations. Other accommodations are more nuanced, and often require an AC to have a deeper understanding of your access needs, which we achieve through gathering your self-report in the initial Welcome Meeting. All accommodation requests are processed by a review committee and determinations are made on a case-by-case basis. 

Q: Can I change my accommodations or add more accommodations later if I identify new access needs?  

A: Yes! If you would like to request additional accommodations beyond what you are already approved for, please use Clockwork’s Online Booking Portal to schedule a Check-In meeting with your assigned AC. 

Q: I have time-sensitive accommodation requests. Can I have them reviewed without meeting with an AC? 

A: Our Registration Specialist screens all incoming requests and determines if an initial meeting with an AC is necessary. If you have received an email inviting you to schedule a Welcome Meeting, this means that, unfortunately, your request likely cannot be reviewed without a meeting. You are welcome to call 413-545-0892 or email disability@umass.edu to let us know about your concerns. We are happy to look at your request and see if some of your requests can be processed before your initial meeting, but this would likely only apply to only a few of the requests you are making, assuming there is sufficient supporting documentation.  

Q: Do I have to renew my registration each semester? 

A: No. You do not have to renew your registration, but you do need to send your accommodation letters to faculty each semester. Letters are sent through Clockwork by clicking on the “Review and Request Accommodations (Submit Letters)” button. 

Q: I am previously registered but haven’t worked with the DS in a while. Do I need to re-register? 

A: No, you do not need to re-register unless you request new or additional accommodations. You can email disability@umass.edu and ask them who your assigned AC is if you have any other questions.  

Q: I started the registration process, but I never heard back. What should I do? 

A: Make sure you have fully submitted your Online Registration Form in Clockwork. Additionally, please make sure to check your UMass email for communication from our office regarding next steps. If you have fully submitted your form and have not received any email response within five business days, please email disability@umass.edu.  We also recommend checking your spam folder, as the response email may have been delivered in error.  

Q: I’m not sure if I want to or should register. Is there anyone I can talk to before registering? 

A: We encourage you to register with our office, even if you are unsure if you have a need for accommodations or will qualify for accommodations. It is better to get the process started early and have support in place before you start to face challenges, keeping in mind that our review process can take 2-3 weeks to complete. You are not required to send out your faculty letters or utilize accommodations if you don’t want to. If you have any additional questions or concerns, feel free to call 413-545-0892 or email disability@umass.edu to be connected with an AC.