Requesting Services

How to Request Services:

Students MUST be admitted to UTSA and have a UTSA ID (abc123) before registering for services with SDS.

The key to obtaining appropriate accommodations at UTSA is providing the appropriate documentation. EVERY student who receives disability accommodations at UTSA must have a documented condition, which constitutes a disability under the guidelines of the ADAAA. (See information on specific disabilities to determine what documentation is required for any specific disability/ies.

Here are the steps you must take to initiate disability services at UTSA:

  1. Fill out the online application form, which will prompt students to upload documentation. The submission of this application and documentation does not automatically approve students for services and/or accommodations at UTSA.
  2. Once Student Disability Services (SDS) receives an application and documentation from a student, it will go before the Documentation Review Committee (DRC) where eligibility for services is determined. SDS must receive documentation before 5 p.m. on Thursdays in order to be evaluated during their weekly review process. NOTE: The committee meets weekly throughout the year (except holidays). Anything received after 5 p.m. on Thursdays will be reviewed the following week. 
  3. After documentation has been reviewed by the DRC, students will receive an email at their UTSA assigned student email address in order to schedule an intake appointment with a Disability Specialist. Please allow up to five (5) business days for an SDS representative to contact you. 
  4. An intake meeting between the student and a disability specialist must take place in order to have an interactive dialogue and determine proper accommodations.  Any additional documentation requirements will be assessed in order to proceed with the eligibility process. This interactive appointment is required.
  5. Once accommodations are approved, students must request that notification letters be sent to their instructor/s each semester. Students should follow the Accommodation Notification Procedures  in order to complete this process.   Note: Students must regularly monitor the SDS website and office postings for time sensitive guidelines on submitting accommodations requests to their instructors.  Students may be denied the implementation of their accommodation for the current semester if there is insufficient time to gather the appropriate documentation to implement the accommodation and/or to implement an alternative.
  6. Notification of accommodations are sent to both the student and the instructor via UTSA email. If an instructor has not been assigned to the course or an email address cannot be identified, students may forward the accommodation letter to their instructor/s directly.
  7. When students and their instructors receive accommodation notification, the instructor and the student must communicate and/or meet to make sure an accommodation “plan of action” has been put in place for each course and to ensure that student and instructor/s have agreed on how accommodations will be implemented.
  8. Repeat steps 5-7 at the beginning of each semester to request your accommodations while you are enrolled at UTSA.

Note: Student Disability Services is aware that there may be situations that require individual consideration and/or variation of above policies and procedures. As a result, each student's situation and documentation is considered on a case-by-case basis. Should a student require us to vary from these above mentioned policies, they will need to contact our office and/or their assigned disability counselor to make arrangements accordingly.