Access-Ability Services

A disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities of such individual.

Students seeking accommodations or services from The University of Hartford must submit documentation to verify eligibility under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Amendments Act of 2008.

Eligibility for accommodations is determined on a case-by–case basis upon review of the documentation and a collaborative intake interview appointment. The documentation must include a copy of the most recent evaluation, including testing results and a written summary. Documentation must provide an assessment of the current limitations of the disability on major life activities and recommendations for appropriate accommodations.

Please note that Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and 504 Plan are helpful, but are typically not considered as sufficient documentation to stand alone when determining eligibility.

Visit Documentation Requirements for more information.

Registering for accessibility services is voluntary and it is the student’s responsibility to initiate and maintain contact with our office. The student is also responsible for submitting any requested documentation to Access-Ability Services, separate from their admissions application.

• Documentation may be mailed, emailed, faxed, or dropped off at our office. If you need to obtain documentation and do not have a current provider, please review the Off Campus Referrals from Counseling and Psychological Services at the University of Hartford. Please note that the Access-Ability Services does not endorse the providers on this list and it is the student’s responsibility to verify that the providers can supply sufficient documentation.
• Once you have submitted your documentation, we will email you on your University of Hartford email account to schedule an Intake Interview appointment. If your documentation is not considered sufficient, you may be granted provisional accommodations for one semester while you continue to gather additional required documentation.
• Intake Interview appointments usually last between 45 minutes and one hour and consist of completing paperwork, discussing the nature and limitations of the disability, and accommodations. During this appointment, an Access-Ability Services staff member will determine which accommodations you will be approved for.
• After the Intake Interview appointment, Access-Ability Services will electronically mail an official Accommodation Letter to each faculty member requested by the student. The letter will indicate all approved accommodations, but by law, the nature and extent of the disability are not identified in this letter.
• It is the student’s responsibility to speak with their professor to use or waive specifically approved accommodations. It is also the student’s right to use or waive approved accommodations on a case-by-case or semester-by-semester basis.

New and Prospective Students Video

An Accommodation Letter is a University of Hartford document issued by Access-Ability Services to a student who has filed appropriate documentation verifying the presence of a disability and who is eligible to receive specific services and accommodations. At the postsecondary level, accommodations are not automatically provided to students, and professors are unable to provide accommodations without receipt of this letter.

It is the student's responsibility to contact Access-Ability Services at the start of semester to request a new Letter of Accommodation. This process must be repeated each semester for each professor and for each class you wish to receive accommodation support. Accommodation Letters are sent electronically to faculty and the student is copied. Accommodations are not provided retroactively.

More about Documentation Requirements

Accommodation Letters Video