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.
Our office name has changed to Disability Resource Center (DRC). Formerly known as Ability Services, we continue to provide the same high quality services and supports you expect. During this semester of transition, recognize that both names will be synonymous with our office as we update links, forms, and web pages.
Classroom Accommodations: The Disability Resource Center (DRC) works collaboratively with students, faculty, and staff to create an inclusive educational environment for students. The purpose of academic accommodations is to provide equal access to all educational programs offered at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, and the opportunity for students to benefit from them.
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. Applications are reviewed by the Residence Life Accommodations Committee.
Please Note: Accommodation requests will be considered based on an individual's disability. Documentation from licensed clinicians, explaining how a student's diagnosis impacts them, is necessary for most disabilities. All students applying for accommodations at UWRF follow the same process. Accommodations are not retroactive. Follow the steps shown below to start the process.
You may call our office Monday-Friday, between 8:00 and 4:30 to schedule an appointment, or follow steps 1-6 below.
Academic Accommodation Intake | application and documentation submitted |
Faculty Notification Letter, FNL | final step after receiving letter of eligibility |
Housing Accommodation Intake | application and documentation submitted |
Review Academic Plan | review and/or change accommodations |
Other | varied |
Existing UWRF Student Inquiry | Informative meeting, not an intake |
The DRC Connect process will notify the Disability Resource Center of your request for an appointment. A DRC staff will look at your requested times and send a meeting invite to your UWRF email with the meeting details, format, and location. Appointment schedulers will usually confirm the appointment with you in 24 business hours of your request, Monday - Friday.
For students who have yet to commit to UWRF and have general questions, please call our office Monday - Friday, 8:00 to 4:30 to make an inquiry appointment.
Click on the Academic Accommodation Process below to learn more.
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 and instructor are important.
Those who have been approved for accommodations and have used them previously on the UWRF campus.
Click on the DRC Connect portal to email your Faculty Notification Letters at the beginning of a new term. The link is also available on our Current Students page.
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:
Email this information to tnoconno@wisc.edu, or mail to:
Tim O'Connor, 1025 West Johnson Street, Madison, WI 53706
Dietary Accommodations: At UWRF, we believe that the ability to dine safely on campus with peers is a significant part of the college experience. Students who need a dietary accommodation related to food allergies or other dietary related diagnoses should contact Dining Services at least two weeks prior to the start of a new semester by completing the Meal Accommodation Form. Click here to view an example of the form.
The Disability Resource Center does not provide these accommodations.
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 classroom accommodation, shown above). 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)
2. Clinician Form to support the Student's Emotional Support Animal Accommodation Request (the student's therapist or doctor completes)
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 are an incoming student and would like to be assigned a peer mentor for the 2022-23 academic year, please fill out the application listed below and we will match you with one of our fantastic peer mentors!
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. For more information on this deadline, please review the "Accommodation Deadline Request Policy" found on our Policies page.
Learn more about person-first vs. identity-first language in the disability community
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.