Register with Disability Services
Columbia Health provides Disability Accommodations for students registered with Disability Services (DS). If you’re interested in registering with DS due to a disability or temporary injury, begin by filling out the registration form or attending DS Drop-in Hours.
Register with Disability Services
Students seeking academic or campus accommodations and support services from Disability Services (DS) are required to register with the office. If you received services in high school or at other universities, they do not automatically transfer to Columbia.
You may register with DS throughout the year. However, if you’re new to Columbia, we encourage you to begin registration immediately, but no later than 3 weeks prior to the start of classes.
Who is eligible?
Any Columbia student with a disability or temporary injury on the Morningside, Manhattanville, and Medical campuses are eligible to submit requests for academic or campus accommodations from Disability Services.
How do I register with Disability Services?
To register, you can follow these step-by-step instructions to register for accommodations. To submit your materials, you may send them via email ([email protected]), fax (212-854-3448), or drop them off in person at Wien Hall Suite 108A.
As a brief overview, the steps consist of:
- Completing and submitting a registration form.
- Gathering and submitting disability documentation for all disabilities for which you’re seeking accommodations. We encourage you to review the documentation guidelines for each disability type to ensure you submit what is required.
- Disability Services review process occurs, for complete applications only. This review process will take about 3 weeks.
- Meeting with a Disability Services Case Manager to review your eligibility for accommodations and the policies and procedures for accessing any such accommodations.
Once you are fully registered, you will receive additional guidance on how to communicate with your professors about any academic accommodations. Undergraduate students will be provided information about the online Accommodation Letter Request Form, while graduate students will connect with the Disability Services liaison from their school.
How much will it cost?
You will pay no additional cost to receive accommodations from Disability Services.
If you’re required to attend healthcare appointments or participate in additional testing to determine eligibility or documentation, those costs are determined based on your insurance plan.
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What else do I need to know?
If you’re unsure if you should register for Disability Services, or you’d like specialized assistance with your application, please attend Virtual Drop-in Hours for a one-on-one, 15-minute discussion with a DS staff member.
All accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis.
Submissions of disability documentation does not guarantee eligibility for accommodations.
Accommodations are not retroactive.
DS is unable to implement accommodations that constitute a fundamental alteration to the requirements of a program or course.
Frequently Asked Questions
The registration form is intended for us to better understand your request for accommodations, as well as the specific accommodations you’re seeking at Columbia. We encourage you to download the form so you can save your progress as you go. There are no “right” answers when completing the registration form and in the Student Narrative section. Please focus on detailing your lived experience as a student with a disability as accurately as possible.
Disability Services adheres to the standards set forth through the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Only confirmation of your registration with DS and eligibility for accommodations is shared within the university on a "need to know" basis. To access any eligible accommodations in a course, the student’s professors must be aware of the student’s registration with DS and eligibility for accommodations. Please note your disability(ies) are not disclosed. Additionally, there is no asterisk or indicator of any kind on your transcript that you have registered with DS.
Contact us! Students seeking accommodations through DS are strongly encouraged to contact DS for additional guidance. Students may contact DS via email at [email protected], by calling 212-854-2388, or attending virtual drop-in hours.
You are encouraged to gather and submit historical documentation pertinent to your disability such as an IEP or 504 Plan, prior evaluation(s), letters confirming registration and approved accommodations at a previous institution or any entrance exams. Historical documentation and/or supporting information does not guarantee the same eligibility for accommodations at Columbia but is helpful nonetheless. Do refer to our disability documentation guidelines for more details about the required documentation for each disability type.