Connect With Disability Services

Click on any of the 3 links below to skip to that section of the page:

Eligibility For Services

Disability Services ensures equal access to George Mason University’s programs and services for qualified students with disabilities.  A qualified student with a disability is a student with a disability who meets the academic and technical standards required for admission or participation in the university’s education program and services. As defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a person has a disability if they:

• have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities of such individual;
• have a record of such an impairment; or
• are regarded as having such an impairment.

In order to determine eligibility for services and fully evaluate requests for accommodations or auxiliary aids, Disability Services may request reasonable and current documentation of the reported impairment, condition, and/or disability. 

For more about eligibility you can view the Eligibility to Connect with Disability Services Policy.

The Registration Process

Initial Process of Requesting Accommodations

Disability Services collaborates with students with impairments, conditions and/or disabilities to provide reasonable accommodations, auxiliary aids, and support services that are individualized and based on a person-to-person meeting, an assessment of barriers, and documentation.

Once the Student Self-Identification Form and any available documentation are submitted, Disability Services will review these materials within 2-3 weeks. Following this review, Disability Services will contact the student via GMU email (when available) either to request additional information or to schedule the initial meeting.

Students can complete the registration process at any point in their academic career.

To request accommodations, students need to complete the following process:

1. Complete and submit a Disability Services Student Self-Identification Form. This form can be submitted in person or electronically.

2. Submit any impairment/condition/disability documentation you have and think is appropriate. In the event that you do not have documentation, contact Disability Services to discuss the next steps.

3. Visit Housing, Meal Plan, or ESA for additional information related to these accommodation requests.

4. Participate in the initial meeting. These meetings are scheduled for 1 hour and involve meeting with a Disability Services Specialist to discuss accommodations. The meeting will include: a discussion, establishment of reasonable accommodations, review and signing of policy forms, and provision of faculty contact sheets (if appropriate).

5. Distribute Academic Accommodation Letters (AAL) to instructors to activate academic accommodations.

Documentation Guidelines

Registering with Disability Services is an interactive process that involves student self-report and a Disability Services Specialist’s observation and interaction. Documentation may be requested from external sources (e.g., documentation from a healthcare provider). To begin the process, complete and submit the Disability Services Student Self-Identification Form and submit any current documentation related to the impairment, condition, and/or disability that you have and think is appropriate. In the event that you do not have documentation, contact Disability Services to discuss next steps.

Documentation – Disability Services works with students to determine reasonable accommodations. These are based on:

• Your current documentation,
• Your current functional limitations, and
• A conversation between you and Disability Services about your needs.

When you register, you can provide certain records as documentation of your disability, including:

1. An Individualized Education Program (IEP) from high school under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
   • We may ask for more documentation if:
     • Your IEP was not in effect right before you left or graduated high school, or
     • Your IEP does not show that you have a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
   • An IEP might not be enough if:
     • It does not include information about your physical or mental impairment.
     • It does not share a history of your impairment.
     • It does not clearly explain the substantial limitations you experience.
2. Documentation of a disability that resulted from service in the U.S. Armed Forces or the Commonwealth of Virginia.
3. Disability Determination Form: Disability Services created the Disability Determination Form in an effort to make the process of securing documentation from healthcare providers more efficient. The form includes guiding questions about a student’s impairment, condition, and/or disability and its impact on current functional limitations.
4. Any other documentation the University decides is appropriate.

Important: Disability Services may request additional documentation at any time if more information is needed to determine or adjust your accommodations.

---

Additional Documentation

The type and amount of extra documentation needed depends on your situation. We recommend reviewing our Documentation Guidelines for examples of helpful records and instructions for completing the Disability Determination Form.

Helpful documentation may include:

• Medical records,
• Psychological, psychoeducational, neuropsychological, or educational evaluations, or
• A detailed statement from a diagnosing/treating healthcare provider.

Documentation should:

• Be from a qualified professional in the field related to your diagnosis,
• Include the professional’s credentials,
• Be on official letterhead with contact information.

---

Note on Other Institutions

Accommodations established at other colleges or universities do not automatically transfer to George Mason. You will need to participate in our interactive process and follow our documentation guidelines to establish and access accommodations during your time here.

If you are requesting similar accommodations from other universities or testing organizations (e.g., ETS, GRE, LSAT), they may require more detailed documentation than George Mason does. Be sure to check their requirements early.

Renewing/Updating Accommodations

Students do not need to re-establish accommodations as the accommodations a student receives are in place for their entire academic career at George Mason University.

If the student does not need to change any of their accommodations:

1. If accommodations were previously established the student will only need to submit a Academic Accommodation Letter Request (AAL).

2. The Disability Services team will create these AAL and email them directly to the student.

3. Once the student receives their AAL it is their responsibility to distribute them to their instructors.

4. The instructors should follow the accommodations listed on the AAL.

5. If any issues arise the student should contact their Disability Services Specialist immediately.

If the student wants to discuss or change accommodations:

1. The student will need to email their Specialist directly to schedule an appointment to discuss changes.

2. The student and Specialist will meet and discuss changes to accommodations. Depending on the requested changes, the Specialist may request supporting documentation before implementing a change in accommodations.

3. The Specialist will either generate new AAL for the student or have the student submit a new AAL request form.

4. The student gives their new AAL to their instructors.

5. The instructors should follow the accommodations listed on the AAL.

6. If any issues arise the student should contact their Disability Services Specialist immediately.

If you have any questions about the accommodations process or would like to schedule an appointment with an accommodations Specialist contact Disability Services at 703.993.2474 or email the office at [email protected].