Student Resources

To register with the Disability Services Office, you must first complete our application form. This form asks for basic demographic information, as well as information about the nature of a student’s disability and any previously utilized accommodations, if applicable. Whenever possible, this form should be completed directly by the student in their own words.

In order to establish that a student has a disability and to best understand which accommodations are most appropriate, we ask for documentation of disability from a licensed professional not employed by RIT or NTID. 

The Disability Services Office requires both an application form (step 1) and documentation before specific accommodations can be approved. Our office will contact you if the documentation submitted does not meet our needs. Documentation should reflect your current situation.

Disability documentation should contain the following:

• Diagnostic statement identifying the disability
• Description of current functional limitations
• Expected progression or stability of the disability
• Description of current and past accommodations, services, and/or medications, if applicable
• Recommendations for reasonable accommodations

Many forms of documentation are acceptable and helpful to us, including:

• Medical records
• Educational records (e.g. an IEP or 504 Plan)
• Neuropsychological evaluations
• Diagnostic information from health, mental health, or other service providers
• Vocational assessments
• Military documentation (for those with service-related disabilities)
• Proof of accommodations used on standardized exams (e.g. SAT or ACT)
• Accommodation letters from previous higher education institutions (Please note that the Disability Services Office has no obligation to honor accommodations provided by other educational institutions)

Note: Disability documentation in support of Disability Services Office requests cannot come from an internal RIT office, including the Student Health Center, Counseling and Psychological Services (CaPS), or NTID Audiology Clinic. The only exception to this policy is in case of temporary disabilities for which the need for accommodations is expected to be less than one term. In these short-term situations, the Student Health Center may provide documentation. If you are struggling to obtain documentation in support of your application for accommodations, contact us at dso@rit.edu.

Once we have received and thoroughly reviewed your application form and relevant documentation, we will contact you to schedule an initial meeting with a member of the Disability Services Office team. This process can take up to three weeks.

Prepare for your meeting with the Disability Services Office
When you meet with a member of the Disability Services Office staff for the first time, we will have reviewed your application and disability documentation in advance. Our goal during initial meetings is to determine the most appropriate accommodations with you and discuss how to use any approved accommodations at RIT. To help prepare for your meeting with Disability Services, consider these questions:

• What is your disability and its impact in your life? What is your history with disability? Has disability been present throughout your life, or is it a newer experience? In your daily life, when do you feel most impacted/challenged by your disability?
• What barriers are you facing at RIT? Considering the full RIT experience (including academics, co-curricular involvement, and residential life), where do you expect to face challenges? In what settings do you feel at your best? What are you most concerned/worried about in the context of your RIT experience? What led you to reach out to the DSO?
• What accommodations will mitigate disability-related barriers? Have you used accommodations in the past? If so, what worked well? What didn’t work as well? Do you have in mind any specific accommodations that would eliminate disability-related barriers?
   

Accommodations are determined and approved
Taking into account all sources of information and documentation, including the student’s self-report, Disability Services Office staff then determine and approve reasonable accommodations for students. Depending on the situation, accommodations may be approved and communicated during a student’s first meeting with the Disability Services Office, or may be communicated at a later point.

Review approved accommodations with the Disability Services Office
Once accommodations have been approved, DSO staff will meet with you to discuss the following:

• Student rights and responsibilities regarding accommodations
• How to request accommodations each term (for academic accommodations only)
• When and how to approach instructors
• Any relevant or procedures for accessing accommodations
• What to do if any issues ever arise with accommodations
• How to stay connected with the Disability Services Office, including how to request changes to accommodations, if needed
• Additional campus resources that may be helpful

RIT students are responsible for logging into the MyDSO Student Portal and requesting academic accommodations in each class every term.  Once a student requests their academic accommodations in MyDSO, the Disability Services Office will email a formal Accommodation Notification Letter to the instructor. Only those accommodations a student has specifically requested to use in a given course will be communicated in the Faculty Accommodation Notification Letter. It is important to note that, if a student does not request their academic accommodations via MyDSO, they will not be communicated to instructors. Students are able to modify their requests for each class at any point via the MyDSO portal. Learn how to request accommodations in the MyDSO Portal

The Disability Services Office provides a proctored test center that is available to accommodate for extended test time and/or other approved testing related adjustments due to logistics and/or the student’s disability related needs. Common accommodations for testing include accessing the Test Center, extended time on tests, and computer use for tests.
Learn more about testing accommodations and the Test Center

The Disability Services Office offers a variety of classroom accommodations to support you in achieving academic success. While by no means a comprehensive list, selected common accommodations include:

• Permission to Audio Record Lectures: Allows students to audio record classroom lectures and labs. Students must sign the Audio Recording Agreement in MyDSO before use. More information on the Audio Recording Agreement

• Personal Laptop or Tablet (with stylus) Use Permitted During Class: Allows students to use a personal laptop or tablet in class to take notes, type assignments, or have access to approved software even if laptops are generally not allowed in a course.

• Access to Digital Textbook Files: Allows students to request accessible digital copies of textbook files as needed. Students are able to submit the request as soon as they know which books are needed for each class, however, Disability Services cannot release the PDF files without proof of purchase (or rental). Students must sign the Digital Textbook File Agreement before making specific book requests within the MyDSO student portal. More information on the Digital Textbook File Agreement

• Assignment Due Dates Extension: Allows students a specific amount of extended time (e.g. 2 days) to complete classroom assignments. Students must communicate to their instructor their intent to use their approved extended time in advance of each assignment. Extensions may not be possible in some circumstances. More information about the Assignment Due Dates

• Peer Note-Taking: Allows students to request the services of a peer note taker as needed. Students must sign the Note taking Assistance Agreement in MyDSO before use. More information on the Note taking Assistance Agreement

• Flexibility in Class Attendance Requirements: Allows flexibility with attendance requirements if a student is absent for class sessions due to an immediate disability-related need.

• Assignment Due Dates Extended - When Needed and Appropriate: Allows students more time to complete assignments due to an immediate disability-related need.

• Test Rescheduling Permitted if Needed Due to an Immediate Disability-Related Need: Allows students to make up a test if absent for test during the class session due to an immediate disability-related need.

More information on attendance-related accommodations

To align with the RIT housing selection and assignment process, housing-related accommodation requests should be submitted as early as possible. Please bear in mind that student housing is a finite resource, and assignments will depend on availability. 

Note: Students requesting housing accommodations with the Disability Services Office must also submit a housing contract to RIT Housing Operations.

Students who need dietary accommodations, which may include instructor awareness of serious allergies and/or a specialized residential environment, should register with the Disability Services Office and request accommodations. Students with allergies and other dietary needs may be connected to RIT's registered dietician to develop a plan for safe eating on campus.

More information on allergies and intolerances

Service animals are animals that have been trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability and are permitted to accompany students to classes and other RIT facilities. Emotional support animals, also known as assistance animals, provide support to a student with a disability within their residence and are not permitted in class or other RIT facilities. Service and assistance animals must be under their owner’s care and control, and their behavior must not be disruptive to surroundings or other members of the RIT community. Any concerns about service or assistance animals should be reported to Public Safety, Student Conduct, or the Disability Services Office. Students requesting an emotional support animal can complete the Documentation Form for Assistance Animal with their provider. For more information on the types of animals allowed in residential areas, please refer to Henrietta’s town code.

After you have met with staff from the Disability Services Office and have been approved for an assistance animal at RIT, follow these steps in the MyLife portal to complete the Assistance Animal Agreement & Notification process. 

For more information, please review the Service or Assistance Animal policy.

The Accessible Van Service (AVS) provides convenient, scheduled service to those who have disabilities or medical conditions that limit mobility. Students must be approved for the accommodation to use the Accessible Van Service by the Disability Services Office. It’s important to note that both students who use mobility devices and others with access needs who don’t use a mobility device are welcome to request the AVS as an accommodation. Academic requests (transportation to and from class) will take precedence over other transportation requests.
 
The AVS only provides transportation to and from locations on the RIT campus on days when classes are scheduled. The earliest reservation time is 7 a.m., and the latest drop off time is 9 p.m. Riders should be on time for their scheduled pick-ups and drop-offs, as drivers will wait no longer than 5 minutes before moving on to their next stop. Only those approved to ride the AVS may board the vehicle, with the exception of nurses or personal aides, who are always welcome to accompany the student they support. 
 
The AVS includes space and equipment to lock down mobility devices securely, which drivers can assist passengers with. 
 
To request this accommodation, students must first download the Tripshot app and create an account using their “@rit.edu” email address. It is recommended that students enable push notifications from Tripshot to receive alerts when their driver is on the way. Then, they should fill out the Accessible Van Schedule Form and indicate the days and times when pickup and drop-off are needed. The completed form should be emailed to Joel Mazeika, the RIT Transportation Services Manager, at jrmcps@rit.edu. If students need to change their scheduled pick-up and drop-off times, they should submit a new Accessible Van Schedule Form.

Students working with the RIT Disability Services Office have a right to “provide for prompt and equitable resolution of complaints alleging any action that would be prohibited” according to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. 

In other words, if a student does not agree with an accommodation that has been approved for them, or has been denied an accommodation that they requested and would like to appeal this decision, they may file an appeal with the Disability Services Office via the process outlined below. Please note that, if students are engaged in the Disability Services Office Accommodation Appeal Process, they remain responsible for meeting academic and other RIT requirements.

1. The student should begin by raising their concern(s) directly to their assigned Disability Services Office Access Coordinator. Students can request an appointment in person or via Zoom with their assigned Access Coordinator via the MyDSO Portal. 
2. If informal discussions with the student’s assigned Disability Services Office Access Coordinator have not resolved the grievance, the student shall submit a written or recorded appeal complaint to the Director of Disability Services (the “DSO Director”) or their designee no later than twenty (20) business days from notification of the accommodation (or its denial) upon which the appeal is based.
   • The appeal complaint must include: 
     • The reason for the grievance; and
     • Any additional information the individual would like to share with DSO regarding the disability-related need for the denied accommodation.
3. The DSO Director shall meet with the individual within seven (7) business days of the receipt of the appeal complaint. This meeting may be in person or via Zoom.
   • During the discussion with the DSO Director, or their designee, the individual should be prepared to explain why the denied accommodation is needed to address the current impacts of their disability at RIT. 
     • Please note that having received an accommodation from a previous higher education institution or workplace, or in the K-12 educational system is not, in itself, a sufficient justification for approval of that accommodation at RIT. 
     • If the individual is objecting to the approval of an accommodation, they should be prepared to explain the basis for this objection.
   • In undertaking a review of the grievance, the DSO Director may interview, consult with, and/or request a written response to the issues raised in the grievance from any individual they believe to have relevant information.
4. The DSO Director, or their designee, will make a decision regarding the individual’s grievance within seven (7) business days of meeting with the student. However, should additional time be necessary, the DSO Director will notify the individual in writing.
   • The DSO Director’s decision will be in writing and will be sent to the individual’s RIT email address. 
   • If, through the grievance process, an accommodation is granted, then it is applicable moving forward from the date of formal written notification. Disability Services Office accommodations cannot be applied retroactively.
   • Note that the Department of Access Services (DAS) is directly responsible for decisions regarding interpreting, captioning, or peer-notetaking accommodations for the RIT d/Deaf and hard of hearing population and are outside the purview of the DSO Director and this Appeal Process. Any concerns regarding these services should be directed to the Department of Access Services directly. 
5. If a student feels their grievance is not resolved at the conclusion of this process, they have the right to submit a complaint at any time to the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights or the New York State Division of Human Rights.

If a student requires an accommodation to participate in the Disability Services Office Appeal Process, they may request a reasonable accommodation by contacting the Disability Services Office directly. If ASL interpreting or live captioning is required for access, requests can be made directly by the student via the Department of Access Services (DAS) MyAccess Portal. Note that DAS requires ASL interpreting and captioning requests be made at least 72 hours in advance to ensure coverage.