How to Apply for Disability Services

1. Provide the Special Populations office with written documentation of a specific disability signed by your physician, other licensed health care professional or rehabilitation counselor. These professional evaluations are used to verify the need for academic accommodations or auxiliary aids or assistive technology. They should provide enough information for you and your advisor to determine appropriate accommodations.
2. Documentation should be recent, relevant and comprehensive and, where appropriate, contain test scores and interpretations. If the original documentation is incomplete or inadequate to determine the extent of the disability or reasonable accommodations, Southwestern Michigan College has the discretion to require additional documentation. A high school plan such as an IEP or a 504 Plan may be utilized to determine appropriate accommodations. A psychological evaluation completed at a high school to determine disability eligibility is an effective form of documentation.
3. Complete a Release of Information Form if documentation is requested from a medical doctor, public school special education service or agency. A student should also sign a specific release of information form if they wish to give their parent(s) the right to discuss their needs with the Special Populations advisor.
4. Complete a Special Populations Application and an Education Development Plan.
5. Determine appropriate accommodations and support services required with the assistance of a Special Populations advisor.
6. Renew the request for specific accommodations each term, by contacting your Special Populations advisor. Students should complete a new EDP at least once each year.
7. Stay in touch with specific curriculum requirements by meeting with the appropriate faculty advisor for your curriculum area before meeting with Special Populations staff to register for classes.