1.  What does the process look like to get accommodations at TTUHSC?

   A student would first turn in two items: the application and documentation. The Student Disability Services application can be found on the SDS webpage, and documentation can be emailed to DisabilityServices@ttuhsc.edu . If you do not know what kind of documentation to provide, refer to the Documentation Guidelines.
   
   After receiving those items from the student, there would be a meeting set up between the student and SDS staff to discuss accommodations that would be appropriate for the student.  The student would receive a “Letter of Accommodation” (LOA) which would note that the student is registered with SDS, and the list of accommodations is considered reasonable for the student’s situation.
   
   It would be the student’s responsibility to give that Letter of Accommodation to their professors, the director of their department, and whoever else needs to see it at the student’s discretion.  After the student’s professor receives the Letter of Accommodation, and the student and the professor have discussed the accommodations, they will be implemented as soon as reasonably possible.
   
   

2. What is documentation? How do I get documentation?

   Documentation is the paperwork that documents a student’s disability, when it first was noticed, what was done to treat it if anything, and other related notes.  Documentation could include a note from the student’s doctor that they are treating this patient, they have the noted disability, and what the doctor believes would be reasonable to request as an accommodation for the student in their school setting. Also,  refer to the Documentation Guidelines for further information.
   
   

3. Can I get my previous institution to send my documentation to the SDS office at TTUSHC if I have received accommodations in the past?

   Your documentation is your confidential information.  We strive to keep this information confidential.  Therefore, it is the policy of TTUHSC Student Disability Services that a student must have their own copy or physically retrieve documentation from their previous school and deliver the documentation in person, or send by email, US mail, or fax.   
   
   

4. What would be considered a disability? What if I am not sure what I have would count as one? Does test anxiety count as a disability?

   A disability would be anything under the Americans with disabilities act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation act of 1973 amended.  An individual with a disability is defined as any person who “has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities (including walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, working, caring for oneself, or performing manual tasks), has a record of such an impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment."  While testing anxiety is not in itself a disability, anxiety is a disability, and it may be most apparent in exam settings, and if documented does count as a disability. To know whether one has a disability, a person would have been to a medical provider and received documentation from their doctor or psychiatrist that states that fact. 
   
   

5. Will this show up on my transcript? Will people know that I have a disability if I get accommodations from Student Disability Services?

   This will not show up on the student’s transcript, nor will a Letter of Accommodation tell the professor what disability the student has, though as previously stated, it is the student’s duty to show the professor the letter of accommodation if they would like accommodations in that classroom.
   
   

6. Will Student Disability Services send out my Letter of Accommodation for me?

   It is a student’s responsibility to send out their LOA to each of the professors of the classes they would like the accommodation in, as well as to their department’s head if necessary.
   
   

7. Can I get accommodations for my clinicals, or only for the in-class environment?

   Yes.  Accommodations may look different in traditional classroom setting than in a clinical experience, but if there is a need for an accommodation, it should be discussed with the Student Disability Services staff.
   
   

8. Can I get accommodations for the NCLEX, USMLE/NBME, or similar exams?

   Yes.  Student Disability Services staff will assist in completing paperwork required by testing agencies for ADA accommodation requests.  However, the accommodations provided by TTUHSC Student Disability Services may be different from accommodations granted by testing agencies. 
   
   

9. What if I have a disability that will not last all semester? Ex: broken arm, etc.

   There are temporary accommodations that one can get that cover only a short amount of time.  The student would go through the same application/documentation process (outlined in Q1).  The difference would be that on the Letter of Accommodation it would have the word ‘temporary’ and show the time frame in which the student would receive that accommodation. 
   
   

10. Once I have gone through the process and received my Letter of Accommodation, will I need to do anything else to continue having that accommodation for other semesters?

    In order to continue accommodations, a student is required to request a new Letter of Accommodation for each semester enrolled.  Letters of Accommodation are specific to each semester, so the student will request a Letter of Accommodation for their currently enrolled term.  At this time, students do so by sending an email to disabilityservices@ttuhsc.edu asking to renew their Letter of Accommodation. After the student receives it, they will share it with their professors for that semester.
    
    

11. What if I get an accommodation, but it does not work for me? Or later I think of another one that would be more helpful?

    A student can contact Student Disability Services and let them know that they would like to make an adjustment to their Letter of Accommodation.  Once the SDS staff have evaluated the request and determined appropriate steps, a new Letter of Accommodation would be sent out to the student to distribute to faculty.
    
    

12. What if I didn’t go through the process when the semester began, but want accommodations now, two months into the semester?

    A student can request accommodations based on a documented disability at almost any time during the semester.  (The one caveat is that instructors have up to 1 week/5 business days to process and implement accommodations, so the day before the final is too late for that semester.). Some people acquire conditions during this time in life, and some students simply want to try without accommodations, so an accommodation can be helpful at any point in the educational process.