Disability Services - Documentation and Accommodations

Dickinson College is committed to ensuring that the college’s programs and facilities are accessible to all qualified students on a nondiscriminatory basis. A student with a disability is not required to disclose a disability unless he or she is seeking accommodations.

The procedure for disclosing a disability and requesting accommodations is provided on the Disability Services Web site. Dickinson College acknowledges that each student’s circumstance is unique, and that a flexible approach should be taken in determining reasonable accommodations. To support eligibility for reasonable accommodations as an individual with a disability--covered under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)--a student must disclose his or her disability and provide documentation that meets the college’s guidelines to establish that the student has a physical or mental impairment substantially limiting one or more major life activities. Documentation should indicate each functional limitation and how it is related to an accommodation request.

The college does not provide assessment for disabilities. The student is responsible for obtaining the appropriate testing or evaluation report by referring to the Guidelines for Documenting a Disability. The Office of Disability Services will be happy to provide you with a list of psychologists in the area who perform psychoeducational and neuro-psychological testing.

If you have a physical, psychological, learning, or other type of disability and are in need of accommodations in either the academic or living environment, or if you have any questions regarding your options, please schedule a meeting with the Director of Learning Skills and Disability Services for a confidential consultation at 717-245-1734. Documentation can be sent by fax to disabilityservices@dickinson.edu, or via fax to 717-245-1611.

Academic Accommodations

Students requesting academic accommodations are required to register with Disability Services to verify their eligibility for reasonable and appropriate accommodations.  Once documentation has been reviewed, students are to schedule an accommodations meeting as early as possible in the semester with Marni Jones, Director of Learning Skills and Disability Services, to review any potential accommodations.  Eligible students will receive an accommodation letter to give to the professors of their choosing, informing them of the entitled accommodation(s). Students should schedule a meeting with each professor they are seeking accommodations from to discuss how each accommodation will be implemented for that class.Both the student and professor are to complete and sign a Confirmation of Accommodation Letter Discussion form, which the student will need to return to Disability Services within 3 days of the meeting.

A student seeking test-taking accommodations will need to take both his or her schedule and each professor’s schedule into consideration when determining whether or not a test proctor is needed. Requests for test proctoring are to be made at least one week prior to any scheduled exams. Students are not eligible to receive academic accommodations retroactively.

Housing Accommodations

Dickinson College is committed to making reasonable accommodations for students with specific health conditions, mental health conditions or disabilities. Disability Services works in cooperation with Campus Life and relevant professionals in the Wellness Center to evaluate documented conditions and determine eligibility for reasonable accommodations. Housing accommodations are made only in situations where the documentation clearly demonstrates that the accommodation is necessary to mitigate a functional limitation resulting from the disability. 

Students who wish to request a housing accommodation will need to complete and submit to Disability Services  all the forms outlined in the “Disability Housing Accommodations Procedures and Guidelines” (found on the Disability Services Web site) by the following dates:

Incoming first year Dickinson College students:

• June 1st for the Fall Semester
• November 30th for the Spring semester

All other Dickinson College students:

• March 30th for the Summer and Fall Semesters
• November 30th for the Spring Semester

Note that consideration of housing accommodation requests and possible subsequent assignments will begin two weeks prior to the above deadlines. While requests and documentation submitted after these dates will be accepted and considered, Dickinson College cannot guarantee that it will be able to meet late applicants’ accommodation needs, including any needs that develop during the semester.

Meal Plan Accommodations

Dickinson College is committed to the full participation of students with disabilities in all aspects of College life, including dining experiences. A major facet of living at a residential college is dining together, and the opportunity for developing a sense of community that arises in this setting. To this end, all students living on campus at are required to purchase a Meal Plan. Occasionally, however, students have special needs based on documented health conditions, such as those resulting in certain dietary needs, which may affect their ability to participate in the dining program. Dickinson College Dining Services can often accommodate these needs. Exemptions from participation in the Meal Plan are rare, however and are only considered when needs cannot be accommodated by Dickinson Dining Services, and where the documentation clearly demonstrates that an accommodation is necessary to mitigate a functional limitation resulting from the disability. 

Dickinson College offers many dining options capable of accommodating many different dietary needs, including but not limited to lactose-free meals, gluten-free breads and meals, vegetarian and vegan options, and kosher dining, in addition to a wide array of healthy eating choices. There are also a variety of atmospheres in which students can eat, ranging from a large Dining Hall to smaller venues, such as Union Station and the Quarry. Please visit the Dining Services Web site to learn more.  

Students who wish to request a meal plan accommodation will need to complete and submit to Disability Services  all the forms outlined in the “Disability Meal Plan Accommodations Procedures and Guidelines” (found on the Disability Services Web site) by the following dates:

• July 31st for the Fall semester
• December 31st for the Spring semester

While applications submitted after these dates will be accepted and considered, Dickinson College cannot guarantee that it will be able to meet late applicants’ accommodation needs, including any needs that develop during the semester.