Student Accommodation Process

Disability & Accessibility Resources works one-on-one with students to determine reasonable and appropriate accommodations. We value diverse identities and experiences, and we honor disability as an important aspect of human diversity. We consider students' access needs on an individualized basis. This interactive process takes requires collaboration and engagement amongst students, faculty and staff in other departments, and DAR staff.

How to request accommodations at Reed

Requesting accommodations at Reed takes three steps. Students, you are welcome at any point during the process if you're feeling stuck, you have questions, or you just want to talk through your individual situation. We are here to help!

1) Fill out an accommodation request form

We have different forms for and . If you’re requesting both types of accommodations, fill out both forms.

2) Provide disability documentation to DAR

Ask your doctor or mental health provider to fill out the student disability documentation form or write a letter that has all the information listed in our guidelines.
Most of the time, your provider will give the documentation to you, and you’ll give it to us. You can upload your documentation when you fill out your accommodation request form. Or, you can send documentation to us later via email (dar@reed.edu) or fax (503-517-5532).

3) Meet with a DAR staff member

Use our to schedule an intake appointment with us so we can talk about your request and your needs. Check out our FAQ section below if you want to know what happens during an intake meeting.

Frequently asked questions about the accommodation process

What happens during an intake meeting?

Intake meetings are a chance for us to have a conversation so we really understand your individual situation. The meeting is usually one hour long. Sometimes, we wrap up early. Sometimes we need more time and we’ll schedule a short follow-up meeting.

To make sure we have a good sense of your needs and your request, we’ll talk about things like…

What brings you to DAR?
For which disability or disabilities are you requesting accommodations?
How do your conditions impact your functioning? Often, this means talking about specific symptoms you experience.
How do these conditions affect you in the academic setting? (Or for housing accommodations, how do these affect your housing needs?)
What access issues have you encountered at Reed?
Which accommodations would you like to request here at Reed?
If you've used accommodatiosn in the past, which ones have been the most (and the least) helpful?

What if I don’t have documentation of my disability yet? Can I still meet with DAR?

Yes! We're always happy to meet for a general information meeting. We can answer all your questions about the accommodation process, or how to get disability documentation from a healthcare provider. We might not be able to make a decision about your accommodations, but we can help you figure out how to move forward in the process. We can probably also tell you about other great resources at Reed that you can use even without accommodations!

If I’m eligible for accommodations, how will my faculty know about them?

We’ll create a profile for you in the DAR student portal. At the start of each semester, you’ll log in and choose the accommodations you want to use in your current classes. From there, DAR will send an email to your professors, listing the accommodations you’re using in each course. You’ll get a copy of that email too.

After your professors have received notice of your accommodations, it’s super important that you speak with each of them, as most accommodations will require some logistical coordination between the two of you.