Honoring Abilities with Equal Access and Opportunity

Ability Services is an office for students with medical, physical, sensory, or brain related issue that can substantially impact a college education. The impact could be related to their courses or ability to live on-campus. The goal is to arrange equal access and opportunity. A primary way of accomplishing that goal is through various kinds of "accommodations."

Accommodations are usually different ways of doing things (vs the regular ways). Often they are different ways to receive important information for courses. An example could be audio textbooks. They could also be different ways to do important things, such as having additional time to take tests. Examples for living on campus are: being assigned to live in a residential hall that has an elevator; having a room that's very close to a restroom. Other kinds of accommodations are also possible.

Students who want accommodations are initially expected to do the following two things: 

1. Voluntarily contact Ability Services to request this kind of attention; then,

2. Submit certain kinds of written information from an expert (often a doctor). It should adequately explain the nature of the student's medical, physical, sensory, or brain-related issue, and how it creates an important reason for specific kinds of accommodations.

Depending on individual circumstances, the process of setting up an ability to have accommodations can occur quickly or take considerable time. Typically any delays are related to the amount of time it takes students to do # 2, above. Ability Services can often explain ways to speed it up. Thus, students who are interested in having accommodations should contact Ability Services soon after being accepted to attend UWRF, or even before being accepted.  

Please use the "Getting Started" link on the left side to learn more about the process of arranging accommodations.

Mark R. Johnson
Office Coordinator 
mark.r.johnson@uwrf.edu