Center for Disability & Accommodations Student Resources

Taylor Hall in the fall with the San Juan Mountains in the background.

Accommodation Process Guidance

Interactive Process
The interactive process is a collaborative conversation between you and the CDA. We consider your self-report, supporting documentation, and individual circumstances to determine reasonable accommodations that provide equitable access. Every request is reviewed on an individual basis.
Supporting Documentation
Supporting documentation helps the CDA understand how your disability may impact your access to university programs and services. Review the Documentation Guidelines below before submitting your documentation.
Info Session
During your Information Session, we’ll discuss your disability-related experiences, review any supporting documentation, and talk through potential accommodations and campus resources. This conversation helps us understand your needs and determine appropriate accommodations together.

Required Disability Accommodation Information

Disability

Types of documentation that may be required include:

Educational, psychological, or medical records
Reports and assessments from healthcare providers, psychologists, or the educational system (e.g., psychoeducational evaluations)

Types of documentation that may be helpful in securing your accommodation include:

Documents reflecting your education and accommodation history, such as an Individual Education Plan
Summary of Performance
504 Plans
Teacher observations

Please submit your documentation as early as possible, allowing us to obtain the resources necessary to provide you with the necessary support.

We understand that you may not have readily available supporting documentation. If that’s the case, please schedule a meeting with a member of our team to explore options and alternatives. We are here to support you every step of the way.

Please Note:

Documentation should be current and include the evaluator’s name, title, professional credentials, address, phone number, and signature, as well as the date of the report. The healthcare professional who is listed on the documentation should be licensed either in Colorado or in your home state.

We cannot accept handwritten or prescription pad notes, as these often lack sufficient information to make an informed determination regarding requested accommodations.

We cannot accept documentation from the campus counseling center to obtain an Emotional Support Animal for university housing due to potential conflicts of interest. We may request additional information if the submitted documentation is incomplete or does not fully support your accommodation requests.

Service Animal Requirements

To initiate a request for an ESA or Service Animal in Residence, please follow these steps:

Complete the Online Student Application
Upload the following required documentation:
a) Veterinary Bill of Health
b) Vaccination Records that include proof of spay/neuter of the proposed animal
c) City of Gunnison Pet License
d) A full color photo of your proposed ESA dated within the last 30 days
e) A letter from your healthcare provider that states the nature of your disability, how it impacts your activities of daily living, how an ESA will be a part of your treatment plan, and a clear connection between your disability and your ESA. This letter should be typed on official letterhead with your healthcare provider’s signature, professional credentials, and license number.
f) A Healthcare Provider Request for Information form that must be completed by your healthcare provider, in which they will need to answer some questions regarding the proposed ESA and your disability. If you need this form, contact Disability Services
Disability Services will review your request within 7-10 business days and will follow up with you as needed.

Keep in mind that your proposed ESA is not permitted on campus until you have received your formal Housing Letter of Accommodation. Students with unauthorized animals in residence will be charged a $300 fine for each animal and may face student conduct charges in accordance with the student handbook.

How do I...

Log in to AIM using your Western credentials.
AIM Student Portal
On the left-hand side, find the box titled My Accommodation
Within that box, find Alternative Testing
Click on Alternative Testing
On the pull-down menu, select the course you need to schedule an exam for
Click on Schedule an Exam
Read the text in the yellow box
In the Exam Detail Section, double-check that you have the correct class selected
Under request type, select the type of exam (quiz, regular exam, midterm, final)
Under Date, select the date that you need to take the exam
Under Time, select the time that you need to take the exam
Under Services Requested, select the accommodations that you need to access the exam
Under Required Technology, select any specific technology that is needed to take the exam, such as Canvas, if necessary
If there’s any additional information that the CDA needs to know to administer your exam, please type it in the Additional Note box
Click Add Exam Request.

Requesting an eBook or Alternative Format Textbook in AIM

If you have been approved for Alternative Format accommodations, you can request accessible versions of your course materials through the AIM Student Portal by following these steps:

Log in to AIM using your Western credentials.
AIM Student Portal
From the left-hand navigation menu, locate the My Accommodations section.
Select Alternative Formats.
Scroll to the Additional Book or Reading Materials for Current Term section.
Select the course for which you are requesting accessible course materials.
Enter the title of the textbook or reading material.
Enter the 13-digit ISBN (typically found near the barcode on the back cover and
beginning with 978).
Enter the publisher of the book (usually found on the copyright page or book spine).
Enter the author or editor of the book.
Enter the edition (for example, 17th Edition or New Classics Edition).
In the Notes field, include any additional information that may help us process your
request.
Review the information for accuracy, then submit your request.

Helpful Tips

Request your accessible materials as early as possible to allow adequate processing time.
Double-check that the ISBN and edition exactly match the textbook required for your course.
If you experience any issues submitting your request or cannot locate your course materials in AIM, please contact the Center for Disability & Accommodations for assistance.

How to Upload Supporting Documentation to AIM (For Students)

Log in to AIM using your Western credentials.
AIM Student Portal
Username: stu123456, and your Western password.
Complete any E-Form Agreements that you may have, if you have not already done so.
On the left-hand side of the screen, locate the Home box.
Within this box, find and click on the link Submit Supporting Documentation.
Click the grey button labeled Submit Supporting Documentation.
Answer the relevant questions and click the grey button titled Submit Application.
Under the File Upload section header, locate the File Information box.
In the File Title field, give your document a relevant name and include the date of the documentation.
Click the grey button labeled Choose File.
Select the file you wish to upload to the system.
Click the grey button labeled Upload Documentation.
The system will let you know whether the file upload was successful or if there was a problem. If you receive an error message, please carefully review the error message for why your file cannot be uploaded to the system, make any necessary corrections, and try again.

Current and former students may use this form to request copies of records maintained by the Center for Disability & Accommodations (CDA).To protect student privacy and ensure compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Western Colorado University policies, all requests are submitted directly to the Office of the Registrar for identity verification and processing. The Registrar will verify your identity before releasing any records and will coordinate with the CDA as needed. This process helps protect the confidentiality of your education records while ensuring requests are handled through the appropriate university office.

Request CDA Records

The Center for Disability & Accommodations (CDA) is committed to an individualized and interactive process when determining reasonable accommodations. If you believe your accommodation determination does not adequately address the functional impacts of your disability, you may request an informal internal review.

An informal review provides an opportunity for the CDA to reconsider an accommodation determination based on additional information, clarification, or concerns you would like the CDA to consider. Students are encouraged to submit any new or additional documentation that may be relevant. Requesting an informal review does not guarantee that an accommodation determination will be modified.

Request for an Informal Review

ESAs and Service Animals

Western Colorado University is committed to providing equitable access for students with disabilities. Students requesting to have an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) in university housing or who use a service animal on campus should review the ESA and Service Animal Policy to learn about eligibility, documentation requirements, and university procedures. The CDA is available to answer questions and guide students through the interactive process.

Other Information

Our text-to-speech software, which reads digital content out loud, is available to all students.

NOTE: You must have an active student email address to download and access this software.

Download Read&Write

Steps to download and install:

Select "I do not have product code", then "Continue".
In the list of products, only select "Read&Write". Then select the platform(s) on which you want to install Read&Write for your device and click "Continue". Compatible platforms include Google Chrome*, Mac, and Edge.
On the Licenses page, select "Single", then click "Continue".
On the Authentication page, select "Microsoft 365", then "Finish". Then click the link to download the product(s) to your computer.
Follow the instructions to download and install Read&Write. (See links below for specific how-to guides for download and installation on each platform.
Choose "Sign in with Microsoft" and sign in with your WCU username and password when prompted to ensure free and permanent access to all Read&Write software features.

Additional How-to guides for installing Read&Write:

Windows: Read&Write for Windows (Education, AtW and Workplace Legacy) v12.0.92 - Single License - Google Docs

Mac: Read&Write for Mac Single License Installation Guide - Google Docs

Tyler Yingling

Access Coordinator for the Center for Disability and Accommodations

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Accommodation Process Guidance

Tyler Yingling