Howarth 103
1500 N. Warner St. #1096
Tacoma, WA 98416-1096
The Office of Student Accessibility and Accommodation (SAA) supports students with disabilities in receiving equitable access to academics, housing, and campus life. Through an individualized and collaborative interactive process, we work to provide support and remove obstacles to a liberal arts education.
Disability support works differently in college than it does in K–12, and understanding those differences ahead of time makes the transition easier. This page is written for families and high school staff helping a student prepare for college. It is general information rather than legal advice — policies vary by institution, so check with the disability office at whichever school a student plans to attend.
Section 504 protections follow students into higher education, but an IEP or 504 plan does not carry over automatically.
Accommodations are one piece of a much larger set of resources. Tutoring, academic coaching, and faculty office hours are open to every student and are often exactly what helps.
College students are legally adults, and services are provided directly to them. That shift is real, and it is one of the biggest adjustments families describe.
Every college has a person or office responsible for determining reasonable accommodations. Names vary — Disability Services, Access Resources, and similar. At Puget Sound, it is Student Accessibility and Accommodation (SAA).
These are skills students keep developing throughout college — nobody arrives with all of them.
All students, including students with disabilities, are held to the same college policies — the student conduct code and academic progress requirements included.
Accommodations create access. They do not guarantee success, and they are not meant to. Students with disabilities have the same right as anyone else to take risks, and to grow from how those risks turn out.
Contact Student Accessibility and Accommodation at saa@pugetsound.edu or 253.879.3399.
Adapted with thanks from a resource developed by the Washington Association on Postsecondary Education and Disability (WAPED).
There are fundamental differences between services for students with disabilities in K12 and accommodations appropriate to the higher education environment. The following information is intended to provide students and families with a general understanding of the way accommodations are provided in higher education.
In higher education, students are considered to be adult learners. Colleges provide services to students. The interactive process for obtaining accommodations is student led. A parents' role in this process is one of support for their student in becoming strong self advocates. This could include teaching students how to engage in the process, acting as a check point for students monitoring their progress through the process and/or assisting students in identifying/obtaining necessary documentation. Parents should not attempt to initiate the process for receiving accommodations on their students behalf. Students are required to actively participate in the process. Our accommodations are trained and highly experienced in working with students with disabilities and will do all they can to ensure the student feels supported and heard throughout the process.
Accommodations in higher education are designed to provide equitable access for students with disabilities but do not guarantee success.
Disability:
Accommodations:
Accommodate:
To determine eligibility for disability-related accommodations, the Office of Student Accessibility and Accommodation (SAA) requires documentation that demonstrates how the diagnosis rises to the level of a disability that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Documentation should clearly articulate the student’s functional limitations within the University’s academic, housing, and broader campus environment.
Documentation requirements may vary across institutions and formal testing bodies. If you plan to seek accommodations on standardized tests (such as graduate school entrance exams or licensure exams), you should review the documentation policies of those testing agencies separately. The documentation guidelines outlined here apply only to the University of Puget Sound’s internal accommodation process.
SAA engages in a collaborative process that is responsive to the needs of each individual as advised by the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA). Third-party documentation assists SAA in understanding whether a student has a diagnosis that rises to the level of a disability, how that disability may impact a student in the academic, housing, or other campus related environment, and in making informed decisions about reasonable accommodations.
Please note that you can meet with an SAA Accommodation Specialist before submitting documentation. Accommodation Specialists can discuss any documentation needs during your Welcome Meeting.
Examples of different types of Disability-related Documentation that may contain relevant information:
This is not an exhaustive list and SAA may request additional documentation to understand the disability’s impact, the described obstacle, and the requested accommodation. If questions arise, SAA will work with students to determine next steps in obtaining necessary documentation.
Material has been adopted from the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD).
SAA’s goal is to provide access without creating obstacles. If you experience any trouble during this process, please reach out to SAA (saa@pugetsound.edu) for support.
Register
Register for Disability Accommodations via a Request for Accommodations Form.
Documentation
Submit any documentation you have such as a Documentation of Disability Form, 504 Plan, IEP and Medical Documents.
Meet with SAA
You will attend an Initial Meeting with an Accommodation Specialist to discuss potential accommodations. After your initial meeting and receipt of necessary documentation, students will be scheduled to attend a “How To” (access and use your accommodations) Meeting.
Implementation
This process generally takes two weeks from initial request to implementation of accommodations.
Student Accessibility and Accommodation (SAA) reviews requests for reasonable academic accommodations based on disability. Through an interactive process, SAA works with you to determine whether a requested accommodation is necessary to give you an equal opportunity to access your courses.
SAA is only involved in academic accommodation requests that are directly related to disability. Other academic matters, such as missed classes due to short term illness, bereavement leave, or medical leave of absence, should be directed to the Dean of Students office.
To be guaranteed full consideration, requests should be submitted as early as possible. Disability-related academic accommodations should be reviewed and approved by the third week of the semester. Requests received afterward will be reviewed and implemented for the remainder of the semester. Please note, accommodations cannot be applied retroactively.
Reasons for Requesting Housing Accommodations
Process for Requesting Housing Accommodations
Student Accessibility and Accommodation (SAA) reviews requests for reasonable housing accommodations based on disability. Through an interactive process, SAA works with you to determine whether a requested accommodation is necessary to give you an equal opportunity to use and enjoy campus housing.
SAA is only involved in housing requests that are directly related to disability. Other housing matters, such as roommate conflicts, general placement preferences, or financial concerns about living on campus, should be directed to Residence Life.
Deadlines for Requesting Housing Accommodations
To be guaranteed full consideration, requests should be submitted as early as possible. Disability-related housing accommodations must be reviewed and approved by July 1; requests received afterward will still be reviewed but may not be immediately available for implementation.
Because housing assignments depend on availability, submitting your request before room selection provides the best chance of a suitable placement. If an appropriate space is not available when an accommodation is approved, you'll be notified and given information about availability or waitlist status.
Contact SAA for more information on dining accommodation requests.
Information about Short-term Accommodations
At the University of Puget Sound, we are committed to the health and well-being of our students. For students who need academic support while recovering from a short-term condition, Student Accessibility and Accommodation (SAA) provides reasonable accommodations and adjustments throughout the recovery process.
Short-term accommodations are brief adjustments that ensure equal access during a recovery period of less than six months. Short-term disabilities are conditions that temporarily prevent a student from fully participating in academic activities and create a genuine need for accommodations or modifications so the student can continue their studies.
Reasons for Requesting Short-term Accommodations
The following are generally not considered short-term disabilities. In these cases, students should follow up with their professors and/or the Dean of Students:
There are three ways a student can get connected with Student Accessibility and Accommodation (SAA) for short-term accommodations:
To begin, email us at saa@pugetsound.edu or call us at extension 3399.