An intake appointment is the initial meeting students will have with an Access Coordinator to set up the accommodations they will use during their time at UT. Students must have submitted documentation that meets D&A Guidelines and must be currently enrolled at UT (incoming students can complete an intake appointment the summer before enrolling in classes) prior to setting up their intake appointment. The intake appointment will last about an hour.
Some students may want a family member or friend to attend the intake appointment with them. We respect students’ decisions about who to include in this process and we realize that family members or friends can be an important part of students’ support systems. Students should be prepared to provide information and answer questions themselves during the appointment. While family members may be able to provide some additional information, it is important for the student to be actively engaged and take the lead on answering questions and providing information about their experiences during the intake appointment.
*Currently, all student appointments are being conducted via Zoom or over the phone.*
General Overview
The first half of the appointment will involve asking general questions about your academic and disability history, including a brief history of your diagnosis/diagnoses, and how your disability may impact your academic access and functioning. In the second half of the appointment, we will discuss what accommodations D&A can provide, processes to use your accommodations and how to discuss those accommodations with instructors. Our office emphasizes the student’s responsibility in being proactive in the accommodation process, so we recommend keeping all documents given to you for future reference. Please keep reading to see a more detailed outline of what to expect!
Before your appointment…
Make sure you have a quiet confidential place to conduct your appointment and make sure you are available for the full hour. You may be asked to reschedule if you cannot stay for the whole appointment or are not in a location where you can focus and speak freely about your disability. Log in to Zoom at the time of your appointment (you will need to be signed into your Zoom account to gain access).
During your appointment…
- Your coordinator will review your Student Information Form to help guide the appointment. We will begin with a quick overview of questions we need for accommodation and data purposes, such as whether you are receiving financial aid and where you went to high school.
- You will be asked to provide a brief history of when you were first diagnosed and the circumstances leading to that diagnosis. We realize remembering the exact date you were diagnosed can be difficult, so a general timeline is fine (i.e., Spring 2020 semester, October 2018, 7th grade).
- Our focus will be on how things are going for you academically and what barriers you may be experiencing at UT. Key areas we focus on are in the classroom, during testing, and completing assignments. Our goal is to figure out the most appropriate accommodations for you based on the documentation we’ve received from your provider and your experiences.
- Note: If you have non-academic concerns related to your disability/disabilities, please let us know and we can refer you to the appropriate office(s).
- After discussing the barriers that are impacting your access to your academics, your coordinator will go over the options for accommodations, based on the accommodations you listed on your Student Information Form, the documentation you provided and the information you shared earlier in the appointment. You are welcome to decline any accommodation you feel won’t be useful for you. We know your needs could change during your time at UT, so please reach out to your coordinator if anything changes after your intake appointment and you feel there are other accommodations that could better serve your needs.
You’ve been approved! Now what…
- The second half of the appointment will focus on how to use the accommodations that have been put in place for you. The information you receive will vary based on the accommodations you’ve been approved for, but the following portions apply to all students:
- Using Accommodations at UT: Your coordinator will go over the process for requesting Accommodation Letters and delivering them to your professors.
*It is the student’s responsibility to request and discuss Accommodation Letters with instructors every semester you need to use your accommodations. - Connecting with D&A: Your coordinator will go over various ways to stay connected with D&A, including our monthly newsletter, student groups and committees.
- Using Accommodations at UT: Your coordinator will go over the process for requesting Accommodation Letters and delivering them to your professors.
- You will be asked to review and sign the following documents, after which your registration with D&A will be complete and you will be able to start using your accommodations:
- Rights and Responsibilities: This document is an overview of the student’s rights and responsibilities when receiving and using accommodations.
- Acceptance of Services: This document will list all accommodations and services you’ve been approved for through SSD. Your coordinator will also include referrals for you to contact, if you need them. There is a portion you will be asked to read with further explanation of accommodations and D&A’s role in helping to provide these accommodations.
- You may be provided with other instructions, depending on your approved accommodations. These could include
What Comes Next?
You’re all set! Your accommodations will be in place throughout your time at UT (unless otherwise discussed during your intake appointment). In order to use your accommodations, you will need to request, deliver, and discuss your Accommodation Letter with your instructors every semester. We recommend requesting Accommodation Letters at least a week before classes start because it can take 3-5 business days for us to process your requests and we want you to be able to access your accommodations from the beginning of the semester.
Your Access Coordinator will be a resource for you during your time at UT. Please contact them via phone, email, or come to Office Hours with any questions or concerns about your accommodations. Do not wait until the end of the semester if you are having difficulties. We want to make sure you have the access you deserve at UT!