Student Accessibility and Support Services Accommodation Process

The Process

What is the process for requesting accommodations at Emporia State (ESU)?

Step 1: Contact Student Accessibility and Support Services (SASS) and tell us about your disability.

• The decision to share information about a disability (self-disclosing) with SASS is entirely up to the student. SASS welcomes all students and aims to provide support and assistance tailored to each individual's needs.
• Schedule a meeting with SASS as soon as possible. You can even meet with SASS while still in high school. You can stop in, call us, or email us to begin the process. All of our contact information is located at the bottom of this page.
• You can self-disclose any time during your academic career, although accommodations are not retroactive – this is, accommodations don’t apply to the past.
• Complete the SASS registration process.

Step 2: Provide appropriate and current documentation of your disability.

Each person and each disability are unique; though, there are general guidelines that SASS utilizes for disability documentation. High school 504 Plans or Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) do not transfer to post-secondary education but may serve as documentation of a disability. Documentation should be current, relevant, and from the appropriate licensed professional. Depending on your circumstances, documentation may look like the following:

• Official letterhead from a licensed professional stating that you are under their care and have a diagnosed disability
• A 504 Plan or IEP from high school
• Specific diagnosis information with accommodation recommendations

If you are unsure if your documentation will apply, reach out to us through email (sass@emporia.edu) or by phone (620-341-6637).

Step 3: Request accommodations for your disability.

Once you have completed the SASS registration form and provided your disability documentation, you will meet one-on-one with SASS. During the meeting, reasonable and appropriate accommodations to ensure your access to the programs and services of ESU will be agreed to. Accommodations do not modify the curriculum or fundamentally alter the nature of ESUs services, programs, or activities.

Accommodations are customized to the individual needs of each student, class, and situation. Examples of accommodations are:

• Extended time for exams.
• Alternate location for exams.
• Alternate format textbooks.
• Sign language interpreters.
• Readers and scribes for exams.

Step 4: Enjoy being a Hornet!

Once you have told us about your disability, provided documentation, and requested accommodations, all that’s left is to enjoy your time at ESU.