How to Request Academic Accommodations

Fall 2008 - Welcome Freshman, Transfer, and New Graduate and Professional Students

Congratulations on your acceptance to UW-Madison!

We look forward to working with you to ensure your transition to campus goes well and that services are in place when you arrive on campus in the fall. Your first task is to provide the information we need to determine which services you will be eligible to receive. Complete Steps 1-4 below to do this. Once eligibility for services is determined, services generally take 4 to 6 weeks to set up.


We hope that most of your questions will be answered by reading through our website. Please pay special attention to the Prospective Student Information Page. It contains valuable information about other services on campus and in the community that you may need to arrange in advance. If you have additional questions, please discuss them with the accommodation specialist during your intake appointment.

Document Conversion (audio/electronic print materials), Sign-Language Interpreting, and Speech-to-Text Service (captioning) Users:

Documentation of disability needs to be submitted as soon as possible. These services require a great deal of advanced planning and coordination to be put into place by the beginning of the fall semester. If eligible, our office can assist you in registering for an early SOAR session (prior to June 30th) so your schedule can be finalized as quickly as possible and coordination of services begun. Please email your accommodations specialist for more information.

"To Do List" Calendar

NO LATER THAN MAY

1. Contact McBurney.

Call our office to provide McBurney with your student ID number and other contact information.





2. Complete Accommodation Request Form and return to McBurney.

   • Download the Accommodation Request Form in Microsoft Word Format.
   
   

3. Provide disability documentation:

• Read Documentation Guidelines. Forward these guidelines to the clinician providing your documentation.



• Have clinician complete Disability Assessment Form (link opens in Microsoft Word Format) and forward it to McBurney.
  
  NOTE: Students with learning disabilities do not need to provide this form. Please see Learning Disability Documentation Guidelines for Students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for LD documentation requirements.



• Send to McBurney any records of accommodations/services provided to you at any previous academic settings (e.g., IEP, Section 504 plan, college service plan, etc.) and any record of accommodations provided for any national standardized exams (e.g., ACT, SAT, GRE, LSAT, etc.).


NOTE: If you suspect you may have a disability but have never been diagnosed, see the assessment resources page.


4. Schedule your Intake Appointment:


Contact our front desk to schedule an intake appointment (in person or over the phone) with the appropriate Accommodations Specialist. Make sure your Accommodation Request Form and disability documentation arrive at least a week prior to this appointment. You can reach the front desk at (608)263-2741 - voice, (608)263-6393 - tty, or mcburney@odos.wisc.edu - email.

If you choose to schedule your intake appointment to coincide with your SOAR visit, plan to spend additional time on campus, as you will generally not have time to do both SOAR and the McBurney intake on the same day. Make sure to schedule the intake appointment before booking flights for SOAR since intake appointment times are subject to accommodation specialist availability.


5. Register for SOAR (Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration):


You can request accommodations during the online registration process: See http://www.newstudent.wisc.edu/soar/. For more information, please see the SOAR accommodation pages for freshmen, transfers, and international students.

JUNE/JULY

1. View Your VISA:


After you complete your Intake Appointment and are eligible for services you may view your VISA (Verified Individualized Services and Accommodations). This is your recommended accommodations plan.


2. Request McBurney Services:


After you attend SOAR, make your accommodation request(s) for Document Conversion, Notetaking, Interpreting, and Captioning services. For more detailed information about your recommended McBurney services, go to the McBurney Services section of the web site.


3. Make arrangements for any non-McBurney services
(e.g., Madison Metro Paratransit Service, accessible parking, housing accommodations, personal care attendants, etc.) you may require. Our Prospective Student Information page contains valuable information about how to arrange these services.

AUGUST

1. Wisconsin Welcome


Please plan your Wisconsin Welcome schedule to include the appropriate McBurney trainings and your interests. We recommend that you not sign up for multiple activities taking place at the same time. Make a note (in your calendar or planner) of the McBurney training sessions you have registered to attend.


2. McBurney Training Schedule:


Required McBurney training sessions generally take place during the week prior to classes, once residence halls open. Training sessions for next fall will be added to this web page this summer. You will receive authorization to use your accommodations and an official copy of your VISA after you have completed the trainings.