Getting Started

New Student Checklist for DSS

In addition to registering for courses, incoming students who experience disabilities need to:

  • Contact Disability Support Services by emailing uaa_dss@alaska.edu to request a DSS Registration Form.
  • Set up registration meeting with DSS to discuss your completed Registration Form and disability. 
  • Provide documentation of disability.

It is the student's responsibility to arrange for certain services which are outside the scope of Disability Support Services. These services include attendant care, mobility training and sources of financial aid.

Documentation

The dimensions of good documentation discussed below are based on guidelines from the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD).  This best practices approach for defining complete documentation establishes the individual as a person with a disability and provides a rationale for reasonable accommodations.

Typically, documentation should be provided on letterhead signed by a healthcare provider or counselor.  While other forms of documentation may be considered, a one line letter or a verification of a diagnosis written on a prescription pad are not adequate documentation to support requests for accommodation.

  •   Who can provide documentation?
    The best quality documentation is provided by a licensed or otherwise properly qualified professional who has no personal relationship with the individual being evaluated. The professional should be qualified to make the diagnosis (e.g., an orthopedic limitation might be documented by a physician, but not licensed psychologist).
  • What should be included in the documentation? 

    Quality documentation includes a diagnosis and provides information on how it impacts the student and their ability to access courses, course materials and demonstrate their knowledge of the material.  

    While the Disability Services office is not obligated to approve recommendations made by outside entities, those determined to be reasonable and relevant to the programs, services, and benefits offered by the university may be considered. 

  • Can I use my IEP or 504 plan from high school as documentation?

    An individualized education program (IEP) or Section 504 plan may help identify services that have been effective for the student. However, this is generally not sufficient documentation because of the differences between postsecondary education and high school education. What the student may need to meet the new demands of postsecondary education may be different from what worked for them in high school. Also, in some cases, the nature of a disability may change.

    If the IEP or 504 plan includes a specific diagnosis or testing results on an adult scale from a school psychologist, clinical or educational psychologist, neuropsychologist, or other qualified professional who made the diagnosis, then it may meet the documentation requirements.

  • What other information would be helpful to be included in the documentation?

    Additional details provide useful information for both establishing a disability and identifying possible accommodations.  Examples include:

    • description of how the disabling condition(s) impacts the student;
    • information on expected changes in the functional impact of the disability over time and context; 
    • whether and how a major life activity is substantially limited by providing a clear sense of the severity, frequency and pervasiveness of the condition(s);
    • past and current accommodations, services and/or medications;
    • information on past medications (including side effects from current medications or services that may impact physical, perceptual, behavioral or cognitive performance);
    • past and current auxiliary aids and assistive devices; and/or
    • past and current support services and accommodations. 
  •  How recent does the documentation need to be?
     While recent documentation (within three to five years) is recommended in most circumstances, older documentation may be accepted when conditions are permanent or non-varying.  Likewise, changing conditions and/or changes in how the condition impacts the individual brought on by growth and development may warrant more frequent updates in order to provide an accurate picture.  
  • What if I need an evaluation or testing to document my disability?

    Neither the student鈥檚 high school nor postsecondary school is required to conduct or pay for a new evaluation to document a student鈥檚 disability and need for an academic adjustment. The student may, therefore, have to pay or find funding to pay an appropriate professional for an evaluation. If the student is eligible for services through their state vocational rehabilitation agency, they may qualify for an evaluation at no cost to the student. State vocational rehabilitation agencies can be located at .

    Please note: Screening tests, such as Slingerland and Scotopic Sensitivity screenings, are not accepted by DSS as documentation of a learning disability. While these screening tools may indicate a person has some learning difficulties and needs further testing, screening tests are not considered documentation of a learning disability.

    If students with a disability are not sure that their documentation meets the above requirements, please contact Disability Services to request a review of the documentation.  The staff will review the information provided and let the student know what else may be needed.

 For more information, visit:

High School Transition

Students transitioning from high school to UAA can contact DSS to register for services after they have registered with UAA.

  • Submit DSS Registration Form.
  • Request a registration meeting to discuss current diagnostic documentation and/or evaluative reports and reasonable university accommodations that are supported by documentation.

Reasonable accommodations include modifications and adjustments that do not fundamentally alter or lower the standards of an instructional program.

Students may receive reasonable accommodations to 鈥渓evel the playing field鈥� but these accommodations are meant to ensure equal access not to guarantee success.

It is the student's responsibility to arrange for certain services which are outside the scope of Disability Support Services. These services include attendant care, mobility training and sources of financial aid.

A university student needs to be their own advocate.

High School students may be used to having parents speak for them. DSS understands this and knows it can be hard to ask for help and to discuss a disability openly. To prepare for attending the university, students must learn to advocate for themselves.

UAA Resources 

Students are highly encouraged to attend New Student Orientation.Sessions are scheduled throughout the year. 

Students are also encouraged to  enroll in University Studies 150 (UNIV A150): Strategies for College. Both of these opportunities strengthen skills and connections to important resources.

CHecklist for All Incoming UAA Students

Checklist for All Incoming UAA Students

  • Complete and return admission application and all other required forms to Enrollment Services.
  • Complete and return financial aid forms to 
  • Take Placement Tests and get advice on which classes to sign up for (DSS can proctor a placement test if accommodations are necessary)
  • Attend orientation or schedule a campus visit to discuss the available programs, services, and opportunities (it's FREE!)
  • If planning to live on campus, submit necessary application materials to On-campus Housing
  • ADD Schedule an appointment with Academic Advising
  • Visit the Learning Commons located in the Consortium Library.
  • Get a Wolfcard Student ID
  • Riding the bus? Check the  schedule (Remember: Wolfcard Student ID is also a free bus pass)
  • Purchase a  if needed
  • Check the Shuttle Schedule for getting around campus
  •  for your classes and Buy your books
  • Familiarize yourself with Blackboard by accessing student blackboard help or the materials offered by IT and Distance Ed

Online Resources

  • This is a new website with video interviews of college students with disabilities. It is great for those who are gearing up or transitioning into life as a college student, especially for high school students who are getting ready to start college courses.

  • This is a link to the US Department of Justice Americans with Disabilities Act Home Page.

  • Information on eligibility for services as well as instructions for how to request materials
  • The 熊猫在线视频 Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, located in Anchorage, 熊猫在线视频, is a private nonprofit agency that offers a variety of ways to promote independence by residential as well as community-based persons who are blind or visually impaired.
  • - This 23 panel exhibit that can be seen hanging at UAA's Disability Support Services (DSS) office or at Access 熊猫在线视频 as the two entities share ownership of many panels. The electronic version was created by the UAA DSS office.
  • This is a guide with links to information on Assistive Technology, Financial Aid for the Disabled, Transportation, Famous people with disabilities, Sexuality, Educational Resources, Employment, and countless other topics that can be accessed either through an alphabetical list, a site search, or through a directory arranged by state. It is a massive site with hundreds of links.
  • This is the DO-IT site from the University of Washington. This site has a tremendous amount of information available. This page is dedicated to financial aid, but others pages within the site cover topics including ideas for accommodating specific disabilities and more.
  • The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation offers services to disabled 熊猫在线视频ns who are seeking employment, increased independence and access to the communities of which they are a part.
  • has a list of scholarships for students with disabilities. 
  • This is the site for the federal application for financial student aid. It is a necessary first step for almost all financial aid options including Pell grants. You can fill it out online, download the form, or pick up a paper copy at the financial aid office if you don鈥檛 want to file electronically.

  • This site offers free scholarship searches. The steps are pretty simple. First you create a personalized profile and enter your e-mail address. The search engine then compares your information to the information in thousands of online financial aid databases, with possible leads arriving as e-mail. The search is ongoing and so as new scholarships become available you are notified.

  • This is a great site for basic questions concerning financial aid.
  •  has information on Legal rights of students with disabilities, Services colleges can or need to make available, Required accommodations for students, and Technologies and helpful apps for students
  • Learning Ally offers alternatives to print for those who experience disabilities that affect access to print material. There are also Learning through Listening Scholarships that are awarded each year.

  • Students and Parents who have questions about the transition from High School to the University can find many questions answered at this Department of Education Site. The brochure can also be ordered for hardcopy viewing.
  • This is the online version of the student guide to financial aid that is put out by the U.S. department of education. It is also available in paper form here at the University鈥檚 Financial Aid Office.