Craft & Material Studies at UArts student working at project space

Registering with OEA

Students who have a diagnosed medical, physical, psychological, and/or learning disability, may qualify for reasonable accommodations at University of the Arts.  While self-disclosure of a disability is voluntary, students are encouraged to make an appointment to learn about the resources available to support a positive transition to college and promote academic success through the provision of accommodations. 

Registering with the Office of Educational Accessibility

1) Complete a Pre-Intake Form.

2) Schedule an intake meeting. Students can make an appointment online at uartsaccess.youcanbook.me.    

3) Provide documentation.  Students can upload documentation to the Pre-Intake Form or send to access@uarts.edu. 

Accommodations

Accommodations are provided on an individualized basis.  Depending on the type of accommodations requested, varying levels of documentation may be required. Reasonable accommodations are provided unless doing so will fundamentally alter the nature of the academic program or pose an undue financial or administrative burden.   For academic accommodations, students are required to meet course expectations and department technical standards, with or without accommodations, in order to receive full academic credit for their work.  

Once documentation is reviewed and the student has met with OEA, accommodations will be determined and a Course Access Memo (accommodation letter) will be sent to the student's instructors. 

Note: Students must request a Course Access Memo to be sent to their instructors each semester that they are enrolled.

Documentation Guidelines

OEA considers each student’s history, experiences, and requests as part of the review process. While each individual student's case is different, general documentation requirements include: 1) diagnosis; 2) functional limitations (impact of disability in the academic environment); and 3) recommendations for accommodations and support. Documentation must show a direct link between the accommodation recommended and the functional limitations of the disability.  Documentation must be in the form of a letter or report from a therapist, psychologist, or provider who is qualified to make the diagnosis.   Please note that as a post-secondary institution, the University of the Arts may not accept IEPs or 504 Plans alone as sufficient documentation, but will consider the information in the review process.

OEA considers each student’s history, experiences, and requests as part of the review process. 

Documentation often provides detailed information that assists OEA in understanding how a disability impacts the student in an academic setting, and the current impact of the disability in relation to the accommodations requested.  

Types of Documentation

Some examples of acceptable disability documentation include:

  • Full evaluation/diagnostic report

  • IEP/504 plan

  • Medical records/patient portal diagnostic summary

  • Letter from a healthcare professional, psychologist, therapist etc. on letterhead

  • Accommodation letter from previous post secondary institution

Professionals and health care providers who are providing documentation, conducting assessments, and making recommendations for accommodations must be qualified to do so.

What to Include

The following information is helpful in order to determine the best possible accommodations and support:

  • History of the disability–relevant information from the student’s past experiences as related to their disability or condition

  • Severity of the disability or condition

  • Description of current symptoms or functional limitations and how they will impact the student in a post-secondary institution

  • Description of current and/or past treatment and/or medication

  • Recommended accommodations that shows a link to the functional limitations. (Please note that recommendations are helpful in considering options, but not all accommodations that a student received in high school are applicable to post-secondary education.)