This group of students comprises a large proportion of the population of students served by Student Access Services. Psychological disabilities include, but are not limited to, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, and schizophrenia. Some students undergoing treatment take prescription medication to help control symptoms. SAS understands that this medication may have side effects such as drowsiness or disorientation, so it is important to consider this when talking about accommodations that are needed.

This group of students comprises a large proportion of the population of students served by Student Access Services. These disabilities affect the manner in which individuals acquire, integrate, and/or express knowledge. Learning disabilities may affect a student’s performance in reading, writing, spelling, mathematics, auditory processing, or orientation to space and time. People with ADHD may have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors (may act without thinking about what the result will be), or be overly active.

If the student has had a psychoeducational, psychological, or neuropsychological evaluation done, it can be very helpful if the student can provide a copy of the evaluation to SAS. These evaluations are usually comprehensive and detailed, and they can assist SAS in helping the student determine which accommodations may be most effective for them. A student's 504 Plan or IEP may also be helpful for reviewing accommodations that have been effective in the past and may be available in the university setting.

There are a number of chronic health conditions that may impact a student’s energy level, pain level, concentration, and attendance. Examples of these conditions include but are not limited to Diabetes, heart conditions, Crohn’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, chronic pain, Fibromyalgia, and cancer. Some students may be taking medication with varying side effects such as drowsiness or slowed response. Chronic health conditions are often unpredictable, so students may be affected at any time without warning.

The age of onset of a hearing disability will have a great impact upon the student’s English ability, both spoken and written. Generally, English is considered a second language for deaf and hard of hearing students when signed language is the dominant mode of communication. Typical accommodations include use of a Signed Language interpreter, real-time captioning, note taking, providing all directions in writing, and closed-captioned videos.

Visual disabilities can vary from total blindness to low vision. Students with low vision may not have an apparent “visible” disability. Students with visual disabilities may experience eyestrain, light sensitivity, and an inability to read printed material or to distinguish certain colors. Students who have been blind from birth have no visual memories. Their concepts of objects, space, and distance may be different from those persons who develop visual disabilities later in life.

These students may encounter various types of environmental barriers in the college setting such as inaccessible readings, unannounced quizzes, open book tests, locating lecture information, completing scantron answer sheets, or viewing lecture notes during class.

Physical access is one of the major concerns for students with physical disabilities. Students may encounter unavoidable delays during inclement weather, times of heavy foot traffic, and periods of construction. If a classroom is inaccessible, Student Access Services will work with the department to relocate the class to an accessible location. When a course requires travel to alternative locations, those locations and transportation must be accessible.

There are many different types of disabilities that can affect a person. Some examples of disabilities include, but are not limited to the following:

• Arthritis
• Autism
• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
• Blindness/Low Vision
• Cerebal Palsy
• Communication disorders
• Deafness/Hard of Hearing
• Emotional/Psychological Disabilities
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Muscular Dystrophy
• Seizure disorders
• Specific learning disabilities
• Spinal cord injuries
• Brain injuries
• Other health impariments

The disability documentation provided by the student must include a diagnosis. If the student is submitting documentation that is not an IEP or a 504 plan, then the documentation should also meet the following two additional requirements:

• Be signed by the medical or mental health professional, diagnostician, or vocational rehabilitation councelor.
• Be typed/written on professional letterhead
• The documentation policy for SAS can be found here

This is a list of the types of documents that students often submit to establish the presence of a disability:

• Letter from a medical or mental health provider
• SAS provider form
• Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
• 504 Plan
• Letter from a councelor at the NM Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, NM Commision for the Blind, or the Department of Veterans Affairs
• Psychological evaluation
• Copy of records available from a health portal

A student may have reason to believe that they might have a disability, but perhaps the disability has never been documented. Alternatively, a student may have had disability documentation from many years ago (e.g. an IEP from elementary school) that can no longer be found or obtained due to its age. In either case, the student has several options.

A student can complete the Student Request for Accommodation Form and meet with the SAS to determine what next steps may be viable for them. The student can seek an evaluation from community diagnosticians or health care providers. The cost of the evaluation is the responsibility of the student, so please check with your health insurance provider to see if any of the cost would be covered through them.

Some programs of study may require students to take licensing or certification exams prior to graduation. For such exams, it is the national licensing or certification body, not Student Access Services, which determines whether the student is allowed to receive reasonable accommodations for the exam. This is significant because national licensing and certification bodies have different requirements for disability documentation, and their criteria are typically much stricter than the criteria that ARC uses.

Consequently, it is important to research documentation requirements early in your program, as it may be necessary to seek a reevaluation (at your expense) before you request accommodations from the national testing body.