UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN River Falls
If you are unable to find the information you're looking for, please contact us by email at drc@uwrf.edu or by calling 715-425-0740, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Accessibility Checklist
If you are a recognized student organization or office on-campus looking to make your events, meetings, and materials more accessible, please check out the Event Accessibility Checklist.
Disability Resource Center
Disability Resource Center
Classroom Accommodations: The Disability Resource Center (DRC) is a collaborative office, working with students, faculty, and University staff to create an inclusive educational environment for students. The primary purposes of academic accommodations are to provide students with equal opportunity to access and benefit from all educational programs offered at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.
Housing Accommodations: Residence Life creates the communities in which students live, study and build friendships. UWRF recognizes that students with disabilities may require a housing accommodation to fully participate in the residential component of the university experience. The DRC actively works with UWRF Residence Life to provide reasonable housing accommodations within University-owned housing. Completed housing accommodation requests are reviewed by the Residence Life Accommodations Committee.
Dining and Meal Accommodations: Dining on Campus is an integral part of the student college experience. The DRC works colloaborativey with Dining Services and the Campus Registered Dietician to provide reasonable accommodations to students during their dining experience on-campus. Completed meal accommodation requests are reviewed by the Meal Accommodations Committee.
Please Note: Eligibility for any accommodation will be considered based on an individual's disability. Documentation is necessary for most disabilities. Supporting documentation from licensed clinicians provides our professional staff a medical understanding of how a student's diagnosis impacts them. This is an interactive process. All students applying for accommodations at UWRF follow the same process. Accommodations are not retroactive. Follow the steps below to connect with the Disability Resource Center.
Apply for Accommodations 1-2-3
1. Complete the New Student Application
Click on the box below to open. 'New' means new to our office.
NEW STUDENT APPLICATION
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Students, use your Falcon ID (w3xxxxxx) and password to access the online application.
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Please use your UWRF email on the application. A confirmation will be sent to the student's email within a few minutes of successfully submitting the application. If you do not receive this confirmation email, please resubmit the information. The process times out after approximately 10 minutes.
2. Submit documentation of your disability(-ies)
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We rely on documentation from licensed clinicians (medical / psychological / neuropsychological evaluation) to explain each disability. An IEP could be submitted if the diagnostic information and evaluation are included.
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For academic accommodations, we strongly encourage you to submit documentation prior to the Intake meeting. Doing this streamlines the process. If you do not have documentation immediately available, meet with our professional staff to determine what options may be available to you.
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For housing accommodations, documentation prior to an Intake meeting is necessary.
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If a student needs a form for the treating professional to fill out, our collaborative document form has proven helpful to obtain the appropriate information.
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For a printable copy of this form: Academic Accomodation form.
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To learn more about appropriate documentation, see Documenting a Disability.
3. Schedule an Appointment
Allow 24 business hours for your application to be processed before requesting an appointment.
Login to DRC CONNECT using your Falcon ID (w3xxxxxx) and password.
- Choose Request for Appointment tab, found in the left column of your DRC CONNECT dashboard.
- Select Type of Appointment which most closely represents your intention. We reserve 1 hour for most appointments.
Academic Accommodation Intake application & documentation submitted Housing Accommodation Intake application & documentation submitted Review Academic Plan review and/or change accommodations Other varied Existing UWRF Student Inquiry Informative meeting, not an intake - Specify if you prefer to meet In-Person or Virtually
- Select 6 or more available time slots which reflect your general availability.
- Click the Submit Request button.
Once scheduled, the DRC staff will send a meeting invite to your UWRF email. Details and location will be included in that email. Accept the meeting or request a new time once received. Most appointments are scheduled within 24 business hours.
For any questions on the above process, please call our office at 715-425-0740.
For students who have not committed to UWRF and have general questions, please make an inquiry appointment by calling us or sending us an email, drc@uwrf.edu.
The time needed to determine accommodation eligibility depends on documentation, appointment availability, and processing time. Intake appointments for same-semester accommodations stop approximately five weeks prior to the end of a term. After this time, eligibility is considered for the next term.
Accommodations are not retroactive and cannot be requested from an instructor until the student has completed the entire process. If approved, it is the student's responsibility to email their Faculty Notification Letter and follow up with each instructor. Accommodations may look different from course to course. Communication and collaboration between the student, instructor, and DRC staff are necessary.
Returning Students
Those who have been approved for accommodations and have used them previously on the UWRF campus.
Click on DRC CONNECT to email your Faculty Notification Letters at the beginning of a new term. More information is available on our UWRF Students with Approved Accommodations page, left column.
Requests for university housing accommodations start in the DRC by completing the 1-2-3 Accommodation Process. It is a similar process for both academic and housing accommodations, based on a disability need. UWRF will accept requests and consider documentation for accommodations at any time.
Documentation forms used to determine Housing Accommodations:
- Student/Campus Resident electronic form - student completes for disability-related housing accommodation; printable form - student/campus resident form
- Clinician electronic form - licensed medical professional completes to support student's need for disability-related housing accommodation; printable form - clinician form
All housing accommodation requests are determined by the Residence Life Accommodation Committee. The process is the same for all inquires. Once all steps are completed (application / documentation / intake meeting), it can take up to 30 days to determine eligibility. The committee will make every effort to provide reasonable accommodations in a timely fashion. If a request for accommodation is made fewer than sixty (60) days before the student intends to move into University housing, UWRF cannot guarantee that it will be able to meet the individual’s accommodation needs during the semester or term in which the request is received.
Accessibility Features of the Residence Halls
Reasonable ESA accommodation requests are determined by the Residential Life Accommodation Committee. The process is the same for all inquiries. Once all steps are completed (application / documentation / intake meeting), it can take up to 30 days to determine eligibility. Only one ESA per student, per campus-owned living unit.
Step 1: Review this document, University of Wisconsin-River Falls Disability-Related Housing Accommodation to better understand the logistics of the approval process.
Step 2: Watch ESA at UWRF video tutorial to learn more about basic eligibility requirements.
Step 3: Complete the New Student Application (the same one used for academic accommodation). In the "Additional Note" section of the application, please note "ESA Request".
Step 4: There are two important pieces of documentation which are required for all ESA requests.
Note: Submitting these completed forms does not guarantee approval, rather it means that you have fulfilled the necessary documentation for your housing accommodation request to be reviewed. Both forms are linked below.
1. Student Request Form for a Residence Life Disability-Related Accommodation (the student completes); printable form here
2. Clinician Form to support the Student's Emotional Support Animal Accommodation Request (the student's therapist or doctor completes); printable form here
Step 5: Make an Intake Appointment with the Disability Resource Center to discuss your request. Documentation must be received before we can move forward to this appointment.
The appointment is required of all students requesting an accommodation. You may choose in-person or virtual appointments. Please call the office at 715-425-0740, Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
If you request accommodations on a placement test under non-standard conditions due to a disability, do not register online. Instead, send a letter on high school letterhead from a teacher, counselor, or principal describing the appropriate accommodations you need.
With the letter, please include:
- Your address and telephone number
- Which site you would like to test at
- Which UW campus you plan to enroll
Email this information to tnoconno@wisc.edu, or mail to:
Tim O'Connor, 1025 West Johnson Street, Madison, WI 53706
The DRC is able to arrange a temporary disability parking permit for students who submit a disability parking application that has been signed by a doctor. This parking permit is only valid on campus and expires after 30 days. The permit cannot be renewed through any UWRF office. Students who may need disability parking for more than 30 days, or need to park somewhere other than campus, should attempt to acquire a disability parking permit directly from their state’s Department of Motor Vehicle office. See the state links below for the appropriate application found on the DMV's websites. Students should use the state where their vehicle is licensed.
Wisconsin:
http://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/formdocs/mv2933.pdf
Minnesota:
MN Disability Parking Certificate
Iowa:
https://forms.iowadot.gov/FormsMtg/External/411055.pdf
Illinois:
https://cyberdriveillinois.com/publications/pdf_publications/vsd62.pdf
South Dakota:
https://www.state.sd.us/eforms/secure/eforms/E0865V7-AppForDisabledParkingPermit.pdf
North Dakota:
https://www.dot.nd.gov/forms/sfn02886.pdf
For more information on disability parking at UW-River Falls - Please Visit The Parking Office.
Fall 2025 Housing Accommodation Review Begins:
- Monday, February 10th for currently enrolled UWRF Students
- Monday, March 17th for incoming first year and transfer students
Peer Notetaking Process
- Guide for Student Receiving Peer Notetaking Accommodation
- Guide for Instructors with Students With Peer Notetaking Accommodation
- Guide for Student Notetakers
Enrolled students at UWRF with a new diagnosis or an intent to request accommodations:
During Fall and Spring semesters, requests for accommodations need to be completed approximately 5 weeks before the end of the term. Whether accommodations can be offered past the deadline will be at the discretion of the DRC Director.
Person-First VS. Identity-First Language
Learn more about person-first vs. identity-first language in the disability community
ADAAA
The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) is a civil rights law that was originally passed by Congress in 1990 (as the Americans with Disabilities Act-ADA) and protects individuals with disabilities from discrimination in the workplace, as well as school and other settings. The ADA was amended in 2008 and became effective January 1, 2009.
