FAQ: Disabilities Services and Support
Brandeis University is committed to creating a diverse community that includes students with documented disabilities - including mobility, visual, hearing, medical, psychological, or learning disabilities. Below you will find information about the kinds of accommodations and support that are available at Brandeis and how to provide documentation in support of a request for accommodation. You can also contact us for more specific information; we would are happy to address individual questions and concerns.
What academic and residential accommodations and support are available at Brandeis University for students with disabilities?
Academic accommodations for each student are determined on a case-by-case basis. In general, students attending Brandeis access a range of accommodations that include extended testing time, use of a peer notetaker, books on CD, and use of adaptive technology. Students with disabilities have access to the range of academic services and support that is available to all undergraduates, such as the Brandeis Tutorial Service, the Writing Center, and the academic advising network that includes faculty advisors, class advisors, and trained peer academic advisors. Beth Rodgers-Kay, Director of Disabilities Services and Support, can meet individually with students to advise and support them. Specifically, she promotes the use of academic strategies, development of the student's self-knowledge, and good communication with faculty.
Students request a disability-related housing accommodation by following the process described in the Need-based Housing Brochure, available on-line at the Office of Residential Life website. Reasonable accommodations for housing are determined on a case-by-case basis, through consultation between personnel from the Office of Residential Life, Health Services, Psychological Counseling Center, and Disabilities Services and Support.
If I have documentation of a disability do I send it with my application?
No. Documentation of a disability should be sent to Brandeis if and when you decide to matriculate here. While we would be happy to talk with you about the scope of accommodations and support provided at Brandeis, documentation is not reviewed, and individual accommodations are not determined, until a student has been accepted and enrolled at Brandeis.
What kind of documentation will I need to submit in the event that I attend Brandeis and want to request accommodations?
Documentation submitted in support of a request for accommodations must:
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Be current (no more than 3 years old) and specific;
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Be submitted by a qualified professional (who is not a family member or relative);
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Substantiate the disability; and substantiate the need for accommodations.
IEPs or 504 plans from a student's high school may be included, but are not sufficient documentation as a stand-alone - a comprehensive evaluation that includes testing instruments, scores, and a specific diagnosis must be included.
Guidelines for documenting learning disabilities, Attention Deficit Disorder, and psychological disabilities at the college level can be found at the Educational Testing Services website at www.ets.org, or at the Association of Disabilities in Higher Education website at www.ahead.org. A medical doctor or specialist must provide the documentation that is appropriate to a student's physical or medical condition.
How are accommodations determined at Brandeis and how are they implemented?
Specific accommodations are based on the receipt and review of documentation once you matriculate at Brandeis. Documentation submitted early can be reviewed over the summer before first year students arrive on campus, preparing the way for timely launching of advising and accommodations in the fall. Soon after arriving on campus the student should meet with Beth Rodgers-Kay, Director of Disabilities Services and Support, to discuss the types of support s/he anticipates needing and the accommodations that may be appropriate. Once the accommodations have been determined, confidential letters are prepared for the student to share with his or her instructors.
Who can I contact for more information?
Beth Rodgers-Kay, Director of Disabilities Services and Support
Office of Academic Services
781.736.3470
brodgers@brandeis.edu