Students

A student or prospective student who wishes to request disability accommodations or a formal review of disability documentation must submit a request for such services. A request from a parent, a legal guardian, a clinician, a school official, or another third party will not be accepted in lieu of a direct request from the student.

Requesting Accommodations

Incoming freshmen, enrolled students, and transfer students, can start the accommodation process by completing the new request steps below:

• Login to Accommodate (you will need your NetId and password)
• Complete the Student Intake
  • On the left-hand side, click Accommodation & Information Requests, then
  • Click Accommodation Requests.
  • For any Accommodate related questions, please refer to the Accommodate How-To Guide.
• Read Documentation Guidelines
• Provide Documentation
  • Documentation needs to be uploaded directly to Accommodate.
  • Documents need to be either in PDF format or DOCX format.
• You will receive an email with next steps:
  
  • If your documentation is sufficient, you will receive an email confirming your permanent or temporary eligibility and giving instructions to set up an in-person or remote intake appointment with your assigned specialist.
  • If your documentation is not sufficient, you will receive instructions and guidelines for necessary documentation.

There is no specified timeline for submitting an accommodation request; however, the interactive process may take time to complete, retroactive accommodations may not be implemented, and some accommodations (such as housing requests) may be limited in number.

Please note that for students who are not already enrolled, the review process will begin during the Winter (January-March) before you attend for housing accommodation requests, and Spring/Summer (May-August) for academic, campus, and assistive animal accommodation requests.

If you are having accessibility issues with the accommodation request process, need help filling out the request form, or if you would prefer a paper copy, please contact Disability Services for assistance at 406-994-2824 or by email at disabilityservices@montana.edu.

What to Expect

No Preparation Needed: The primary goal is to understand your needs after the specialist has reviewed your request. Just come as you are and be ready to share any concerns or preferences you might have.

During your meeting, you and your specialist will review the various accommodations available to you. This is an opportunity for you to learn about the different options and how they can support you effectively. We’ll walk through each accommodation, explaining how it works and how it will effectively support you during your time here at MSU.

Feel free to ask any questions or express any concerns during the meeting. We’re here to support you and make sure you have everything you need to succeed.

How soon will accommodations begin?

Once you have met with your specialist and established your accommodations plan, generally your accommodations will begin when you notify each instructor and will remain in place throughout your time at Montana State University Bozeman unless otherwise noted. Accommodations cannot be implemented retroactively.

Please Note: You must notify each of your faculty of your approved academic accommodations using your Accommodation Notification letter in order for them to be implemented. Please ensure that you are alerting your faculty at least one week ahead of your first exam, if you are approved for testing accommodations.

For students who are currently registered with our office, please see the information below on how to request new accommodations and find policies and procedures. If you are an enrolled student and have NOT yet registered in our office, please follow the steps listed in the ‘New Students’ section.

Additional Requests

Requests for additional accommodations or adjustments to an accommodation plan can be made by completing the additional request steps below:

• Login to Accommodate (you will need your NetId and password)
• Complete & Submit the Additional Accommodation Request
  • On the left-hand side, click Accommodation & Information Requests, then
  • Click on Additional Requests.
  • Select the Add New button to access the request form.
• Provide documentation.
  • Additional documentation may or may not be necessary depending on the nature of the additional request.
  • Documentation needs to be uploaded directly to Accommodate.
  • Documents need to be either in PDF format or DOCX format.
• You will receive an email with next steps:
  • If your documentation is sufficient, you will receive an email confirming your permanent or temporary eligibility and giving instructions to set up an in-person or remote intake appointment with your assigned specialist.
  • If your documentation is not sufficient, you will receive instructions and guidelines for necessary documentation.

Approved Accommodation Procedures

For current accommodation implementation procedures and student policies, please see the Policies & Procedures page.

Students requesting support services from the Disability Services office are required to submit documentation of a disability to verify their eligibility for accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and University policies. The ADA defines a disability as a substantial limitation of a major life function. 

The following guidelines are provided to assist students in identifying and providing the required information when requesting support services from ODS. The types of documentation supportive of a request for accommodations may include medical records, psycho-educational testing or evaluations, and school assessments, among others. ODS may request additional documentation or information from the student to support the request for accommodations.

Documentation Guidelines: 

1. Documentation must be provided that includes a clear statement of the disability with any appropriate supporting data or information.
2. Medical or diagnostic documentation submitted by the student must be obtained from a licensed medical or health professional who has experience and expertise in the assessment and diagnosis of the particular disability. Any medical documentation must be signed by the medical or health professional and should include the names, titles, professional credentials, license number, addresses, phone numbers, and date of the document or report.
3. Documentation for eligibility should be current, preferably withing the last five years, but older data will be considered on a case-by-case basis. 
4. While not required in all cases, a summary of present symptoms including medical information relating to the student's needs, the status of the student's disability (static or changing), and its impact on the demands of the academic program, is recommended to help the University evaluate potential accommodations.
5. Narrative or descriptive text may be helpful for understanding the student's profile and providing both quantitative and qualitative information about the student's abilities. This includes psycho-educational reports and the use of medication, therapy, medical devices or other treatments.
6. While not required, documentation may include a summary of cognitive and achievement measures used and evaluation results including standardized scores or percentiles used to make the diagnosis if applicable.
7. Documentation that includes suggestions of reasonable accommodation(s) which might be appropriate at the post-secondary level may assist the University in identifying appropriate accommodations. Any recommendations should be supported by the diagnosis and clearly articulate how the identified accommodations address any functional limitations of the student in the post-secondary academic setting. While any recommended accommodations are considered by the University, the University retains the sole discretion to determine what accommodations may be provided on a case-by-case basis. 
8. A history of receiving services, in and of itself, is not sufficient to approve accommodation. Submitting record of receiving accommodations in the past such as a, Individualized Education Plan, or other accommodation plan can be helpful in approving accommodations by giving the evaluator information on what has been helpful in the past. 

All accommodations are appointed on a case-by-case basis. The following list of accommodations
are NOT exhaustive, nor are they guaranteed. The University is not obligated to provide
accommodations that would fundamentally alter the nature of a service, program, or activity, or
that would result in an undue financial or administrative burden. The University is also not obligated
to provide personal devices or services or to provide retroactive accommodations. If you have
questions about accommodations, please contact Disability services at 406-994-2824 or by emailing disabilityservices@montana.edu.