Step 1: Getting to the DSO

The first step in the process is Getting to the DSO. There are a variety of ways that students contact the Disability Service Office. Those who received accommodations in high school may be referred by their high school counselor or their parents. In these cases, getting to the DSO is fairly straightforward.

But sometimes students are not aware of the DSO. Some students do not even know they have a disability until they have been in college for a while. This puts you in a position to refer students to the DSO.

The easiest way to do this is to include a statement on your syllabus about your institution’s policies on students with disabilities and spend a little time in class at the beginning of the semester talking about how a student should go about getting disability-related accommodations. This lets the student know you are approachable and provides clear direction to the student on the steps to follow to receive accommodations. It also emphasizes that all disability-related accommodations have to be coordinated through the DSO.

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