For Students: Getting Started with Accommodations at Trinity

If you are a student with a disability taking classes at Trinity, Disability Support Services (DSS) is here to ensure that you receive support on an individualized basis that contribute to an accessible, inclusive, and equitable educational environment during your time at Trinity.

DSS Registration Procedures

In order to be considered for and receive accommodations, you must register with Disability Support Services. This can take place once you have enrolled for the upcoming semester and/or at any time throughout the semester.

  • Students returning to Trinity to pursue a new degree program, or returning after two or more consecutive semesters of non-enrollment, are required to re-register with DSS.

  • Consortium Students: Students taking courses at Trinity through the consortium who are seeking accommodations must complete Trinity’s accommodation process, even if accommodations are already assigned at their home institution. If you have an accommodation letter from your home institution, we encourage you to upload it as part of your request, along with other supportive documentation.

DSS registration is a three-step process:

  1. Submit an Accommodation Registration Intake Form
  2. Submit Supportive Documentation
  3. Participate in an Intake Meeting with DSS

 

After Accommodations are Assigned

If you are approved for accommodations through the DSS Accommodation Registration Process, DSS will create your accommodation letter. The letter will list your approved accommodations and any related DSS services you are eligible to receive.

To protect your privacy, the letter will not identify your disability or diagnosis. DSS staff will sign the letter and distribute it to you and your instructors based on your current course schedule.

Your Responsibilities

Once your accommodation letter is issued, you should:

  • Review the letter carefully.
  • Meet with each instructor to discuss your approved accommodations and how they will be implemented in that course.
  • Use the letter as a starting point for these conversations.
  • Contact DSS if you need assistance discussing or implementing your accommodations.

Important: Accommodations cannot be applied retroactively. You should discuss your accommodations with your instructors as early as possible, ideally at the beginning of the semester. Instructors may contact DSS if they have questions about implementing approved accommodations.

Important Information About Accommodations

Accommodations Are Individualized

Reasonable accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis through an individualized review of a student’s disability-related needs and supporting documentation.

Accommodation Letters Must Be Renewed Each Semester

Accommodation letters do not automatically carry over from one semester to the next. Students must request a new accommodation letter each semester in order for accommodations to be implemented for that term.

Communication Is Essential

Students are responsible for communicating with their instructors about approved accommodations and working collaboratively to implement them. This is particularly important for accommodations that require ongoing coordination, such as assignment extensions or flexibility arrangements.

Report Problems Promptly

If approved accommodations are not being provided, or if new disability-related needs arise during the semester, students should contact DSS immediately. Do not wait until the end of the semester to report accommodation concerns.

Course Schedule Changes

If you add, drop, or change courses after your accommodation letters have been issued, you must notify DSS as soon as possible so that updated accommodation letters can be sent to the appropriate instructors.

Please note:

  • DSS is not automatically notified when students change their course schedules.
  • If a course does not have an assigned instructor when accommodation letters are initially distributed, DSS cannot send a letter for that course. Once an instructor is assigned, contact DSS so the letter can be sent.

Accommodation Letter Integrity

DSS accommodation letters are official university documents. Only DSS may modify the content of an accommodation letter.

Students and instructors may discuss how approved accommodations will be implemented in a particular course, but these discussions do not alter the accommodations listed in the letter.

Any suspected alteration of a DSS accommodation letter may be referred to the Academic Honesty Review Board as a potential violation of university academic integrity policies.

 

Please note that all information received from the student is confidential and is stored in a confidential location. The college adheres to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). For more information, see the college’s policy on FERPA.

If you would like to be contacted by DSS to discuss services, please email dss@trinitydc.edu with your inquiry.