Registration for Disability Services

Student Application for Registration with Disability Services

Establish eligibility for disability services.

Accommodation Requests

Accommodations Waiver Form

Students should complete this form if they decide to take their exams in the classroom.

Alternate Format Textbook Request Form

Complete this form to request alternate media formats of your textbooks.  The process typically takes 1-3 weeks. It is best to submit your requests prior to the beginning of each semester to ensure your books are ordered and received in a timely manner. 

Exam Proctoring Form

If you have testing accommodations that cannot be handled within your classroom, exams can be proctored by Disability Services staff.

To schedule an exam, contact either Sandra Robinson by phone at 803-643-6816 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Dana Cullum by phone at 803-641-3609 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

• The professor must first have your Accommodation Form.  These are provided to you by the Disability Services Coordinator once you have completed the registration process and orientation appointment.
  
• Coordinate accommodations with your professor, especially if you must take the exam at a different time from the class. (This can become an issue if your extended test-taking time interferes with another class or exam.)
• Schedule exam with Disability Services staff at 803-643-6815 at least ONE (1) WEEK in advance.
  
• Arrive in the office at least 10 minutes prior to your exam time. Turn off cell phones. Leave personal items outside of testing area.
• If you arrive 15 minutes or later after your exam time, you must reschedule your exam appointment.
• Bring the supplies allowed/required by your professor, e.g., scratch paper, Scantron, calculator, pencils, exam book. We do not supply Scantrons!
• You are not to leave the ATC for any reason other than an emergency once you begin your exam. Remember there might be other students who are taking exams at the same time as you. Taking an exam in the ATC is just like being in your classroom; the same rules apply.
• Arrange with your professor ahead of time the method of handling any questions you may have since they will most likely be administering the exam to the rest of the class at the same time.

Requests and Documentation for Emotional Support Animals

University of South Carolina Aiken recognizes the tremendous benefit an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) can provide. In accordance with federal and state law, when approved as a housing accommodation, ESAs may be permitted to reside in the residence halls. Students must follow the same request process as they would for any other housing accommodation. The student must complete the student application for registration and submit verification of a disability with documentation to support an ESA. Upon receipt of the required documentation, the Coordinator of Disability Services will review and make a determination as to whether there is sufficient documentation to support a request to have an ESA.

Please be aware, there is a great deal of misinformation available about what constitutes legitimate medical or otherwise supportive documentation for an ESA. Many licensed therapists across the country are willing to write letters supporting an ESA based on a single conversation either in person, over the phone, or on a tele-meeting platform (i.e., zoom). These brief conversations often do not establish an appropriate treatment relationship between a student and the provider, so the documentation may not be considered applicable. Additionally, to date, the university is not aware of any official national or state accreditation or certification for ESAs, despite there being many online organizations claiming as such. Please contact the Office of Disability Services to discuss whether or not a certain source of documentation would be deemed legitimate and valid.

Documentation Guidelines

In order for documentation to be considered, it must come from an appropriately licensed professional with whom the student has an established treatment relationship related to the accommodation being requested. The treatment provider must submit the necessary information on their professional letterhead, typed or written and clearly legible, and must date and sign the document. 

In order to determine if a particular housing accommodation is necessary, the documentation provided should include the following:

1. Description of disability or impairment.
2. Information about the current functional impact of the condition or disability as it relates to the housing modification or accommodation requested.
3. Recommendation from the professional explaining the need for the accommodation as it relates to a disability/impairment.
4. If requesting an Emotional Support Animal (EAS), information about how the ESA is part of a student’s ongoing treatment and necessary to reduce the impact of a specific set of symptoms or functional impairment should be included. 

The approved ESA accommodation request form for your therapist/medical service provider is located below:

Emotional Support Animal Request Form

Examples of chronic health conditions include cystic fibrosis, diabetes, lupus, sickle cell anemia, Crohn's disease, cancer, AIDS, and hemophilia. These conditions may require specialized treatments, hospitalization, or bed rest during acute phases. In addition, chronic health conditions can affect cognitive functions, motor function, and energy levels. Accommodations for these types of conditions vary greatly depending on specific needs.

The diagnosis should be made by a physician, surgeon, or other licensed medical professional with experience and expertise in the area of the student's medical condition. The following guidelines will assist the professional in addressing the information the DS needs to provide the student with appropriate accommodations. 

1. Prepare documentation on professional letterhead, with the dates of assessment, signatures, and license numbers or credentials of the diagnosing professional.
2. Provide a comprehensive diagnostic report and description of the illness or condition, including the appropriate ICD-9 code. State any functional limitations on learning or other major life activities.
3. Recommend accommodations for a postsecondary setting and include the rationale
4. Submit information relating to treatment and its impact on the student's ability to meet the demands of the postsecondary environment. Relevant information regarding any medication that may impact an individual's academic performance should also be included.
5. Specify a relevant prognosis which may include a schedule of future treatments, procedures, hospitalizations, or likely absences.

Any temporary condition is considered to be in the medical domain and requires the expertise of a physician, including a neurologist, psychiatrist or other medical specialist with experience and expertise in the area for which accommodations are being requested.

Documentation must include:

1. A clear statement of the medical diagnosis of the temporary condition.
2. The results of the most recent evaluation regarding the condition. Documentation for eligibility should be current, within the last three months (the age of acceptable documentation is dependent upon the temporary condition, the current status of the student and the student’s request for accommodations).
3. A summary of assessment procedures and evaluation instruments used to make the diagnosis, including evaluation results and standardized scores if applicable.
4. A description of present symptoms that meet the criteria for diagnosis.
5. Medical information relating to the student’s needs to include the impact of medication on the student’s ability to meet the demands of the postsecondary environment.
6. The printed name, signature, title, professional credentials, address, phone number and fax number of each medical specialist involved as well as the date(s) of testing/evaluation, all on official letterhead (The following are not acceptable: physician’s note on a prescription pad, lab results, clinical file notes).

Suggestions of reasonable accommodations that might be appropriate at the postsecondary level are encouraged. These recommendations must be supported by the diagnosis and current symptoms. In the case of obvious temporary physical conditions (i.e. a broken leg or arm), provisional accommodations may be granted with the agreement that supporting documentation be submitted to our office within a reasonable time (3 to 5 days).

A visual disorder is the result of a functional loss of vision. Some of the eye disorders seen among college students include albinism, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, macular degeneration, muscular problems, retinal degeneration, and retinitis pigmentosa. The terms partially sighted, low vision, legally blind, and totally blind are used in the educational context to describe students with visual impairments.

Documentation of a visual disorder should come from an individual qualified to diagnose and/or treat these disorders, such as an optometrists or ophthalmologists. The following guidelines were developed to assist the professional in providing the information necessary to support reasonable accommodations.

1. Prepare documentation on professional letterhead, with the dates of assessment, signatures, and license numbers or credentials of the diagnosing professional.
2. State the diagnosis, date of the assessment and date of the original diagnosis.
3. Provide a summary of present symptoms and severity, prognosis of condition, and current level of functional limitations (i.e., visual acuity with and without corrected vision, visual field, if condition is progressive).
4. Describe medication prescribed and their effects on academic functioning, if applicable.
5. Recommend academic accommodations and the rationale (i.e., treatments, assistive devices, and accommodations needed for learning).