Columbia University Health Services

Columbia is deeply committed to the full participation of students with disabilities in all aspects of the University’s academic and co-curricular life. The Office of Disability Services (ODS) supports such rich participation by coordinating the provision of key reasonable accommodations and support services for students with disabilities.

Students seeking reasonable accommodations or support services from ODS are required to register with the office. This does not occur automatically upon enrollment at Columbia University. Services from high school or from previous colleges do not necessarily “follow the student” to Columbia.
The ODS registration process includes the following steps for undergraduate students:

1. Submit a completed Undergraduate Application for Accommodations and Services
   
2. Submit disability documentation verifying the need for accommodations and the student’s disability status. If eligibility for services is determined after a review of the documentation and application, ODS will make recommendations for reasonable accommodations. View all Documentation Guidelines.
   
3. Attend ODS Orientation Session. Students are required to meet with an ODS coordinator to review the policies and procedures regarding the provision of reasonable accommodations. This meeting will help to familiarize students with ODS and to facilitate the accommodations process.
   
4. Notify Professors. Each new semester, students are required to present ODS Accommodation Letters to each of their professors. These letters include ODS’ recommendations for reasonable accommodations for the student. Each professor will review ODS’ recommendations and either agree to implement the recommended accommodations or request consultation with ODS to determine alternative accommodations that are a better fit for the course. The professor signs the accommodation letter and the student returns the signed letter to ODS.

Please note that there are policies and procedures for the provision of specific accommodations, including note-taking services, testing accommodations, sign-language interpreting services, and speech-to-text services.

The ODS registration process includes the following steps for graduate students:

1. Submit a completed Graduate Application for Accommodations and Services
   
2. Submit disability documentation verifying the need for accommodations and the student’s disability status. If eligibility for services is determined after a review of the documentation and application, ODS will make recommendations for reasonable accommodations. ODS will inform the student’s disability services liaison of the recommended accommodations. View all Documentation Guidelines.
   
3. Attend ODS Orientation Session. Students are required to meet with an ODS coordinator to review the policies and procedures regarding the provision of reasonable accommodations. This meeting will help to familiarize students with ODS and to facilitate the accommodations process.
   
4. Meet with an ODS Liaison. ODS Liaisons are designated Columbia faculty or staff from each school or academic program who work with ODS to coordinate accommodations for students with disabilities. During the first meeting, the ODS liaison will review the protocols and procedures for receiving accommodations. Students are expected to adhere to the procedures at their respective school in order to remain eligible for receiving accommodations.

Columbia considers its faculty and academic program staff to be important partners in the University’s efforts to reasonably accommodate students with disabilities. With this in mind, Columbia has established a network of disability services liaisons to facilitate equal access to all University programs for students with disabilities. These liaisons are representatives from students’ respective schools who assist ODS in coordinating the provision of reasonable accommodations. These individuals help to determine the most appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities and serve as an important link between ODS and Columbia’s schools. View a list of the ODS Liaisons.

General Rule:
The Family Educational Rights Privacy Act (FERPA) regulates disclosure of disability documentation and records maintained by the Office of Disability Services (ODS). Under this federal act, prior written consent by the student is required before ODS may release disability documentation or records.

Exception to the Rule:
Under FERPA, ODS is permitted to release information to any school official who has a “legitimate educational interest.” What does this mean?
Professors or other school officials, such as tutors, may request information about the impact of a student’s disability on his or her ability to learn. ODS will only share information with other school officials when appropriate and will carefully balance a student’s request for confidentiality and the request for additional, relevant information about the student. ODS seeks to preserve the student’s wish to keep their disability information and status confidential. ODS is extremely sensitive to this issue.