Student Identification Process
To receive services and obtain the protection of Section 504 and the ADA, each individual must show that he/she is an individual with a disability and request reasonable accommodations. Some students will choose not to identify themselves as a person with a disability because of embarrassment or disbelief about the legitimacy of their disability or because they believe they can be successful without special services. Legally, it is the student's right to self-identify or not to self-identify.
Students are eligible to receive accommodations only if they request accommodations with the DSS Office. VCU faculty are not obligated to provide accommodations for students with disabilities without proper notification from the DSS Office.
Students May Self-Identify on the:
Medical Campus and Monroe Park Campus
At any time during their enrollment at VCU by contacting the Coordinator of DSS Office on the appropriate campus. Students are strongly encouraged to request accommodations at least four weeks prior to the first day of classes.
Monroe Park Campus
During the admissions application process, students may complete and return the self-identification card found in the admissions acceptance packet. The DSS Coordinator will contact the student.
Medical Campus
Students may contact the DSS Coordinator before classes begin.
Receiving Accommodations from VCU
Visit the Office of Disability Support Services (DSS)
Once students have completed the admissions process, they should visit the DSS Office on their respective campus to obtain a packet of intake materials and meet with a DSS Coordinator.
Monroe Park Campus
907 Floyd Ave.
Room 102
Voice/TTY: (804) 828-2253
Fax: (804) 828-1944
MCV Campus
1000 East Marshall Street
Room 301
Voice: (804) 828-9782
TTY: (804) 828-4608
Fax: (804) 828-4609
Obtain Documentation of your Disability
Students need to secure documentation of their disability from an appropriate professional and bring this documentation with them to their intake interview.
For more information about documentation, please refer to the Documentation Requirements section of this handbook.
Intake Interview with the DSS Coordinator
During the intake interview, the student and DSS Coordinator will discuss the student's needs and review all documentation information.
Eligibility for services is based on a combination of the student's description of need and the information provided in the student's documentation. At the conclusion of the intake interview, the DSS Coordinator will make accommodation recommendations.
Receive Accommodation Letters
Upon completion of the intake process, accommodations are identified and recorded in the student's folder and a letter to faculty is developed.
The letter will only state that you are a student with a disability and the accommodations you are to receive. Your specific disability will not be noted on your letter. Your accommodation letter is confidential.
Give the Accommodation Letter to your Professors
This letter is used in communication with faculty and staff regarding accommodation requests. Students are urged to make an appointment with their professors and discuss the content of their accommodation letter. The type of disability you have will not be shared with your professors unless you share the information or grant permission for the DSS staff to do so.
If your professor has questions concerning your disability or the accommodations set by the Coordinator of the DSS Office, direct the professor to contact the DSS Office.
Although you can give your professors your accommodation letter at anytime during the semester, it is highly recommended that you share your letter as soon as you receive it. Accommodations begin at the point in time that you give the letter to your professors. Accommodations are not retroactive.
Contact the DSS Coordinator if you are having Academic Difficulty
Although the intake process is designed to identify all relevant accommodations, accommodation letters may be revised during the course of a student's enrollment due to changes in disability status, disability documentation, or program standards and requirements.