Understanding Disability Services

• Yes. However, you cannot initiate the accommodation request process until after you matriculate.
• While only matriculated students can request accommodations at the College, if you are a student who utilizes alternative formats, effective communication services, or mobility considerations, we especially encourage connecting with our office sooner than later. 
• We’re happy to talk about the physical campus, how we work with students, and how we’ve supported students in the past. Students who enroll at Mount Holyoke are officially matriculated mid-May for a Fall start and November for a Spring start.

No. Documentation cannot be submitted until a student has been added to all College systems, as it cannot be digitally filed under your name until this has occurred. With that in mind, we encourage you to request documentation from your provider early so you can submit it shortly after you’ve received your MHC login and are added to College systems.

Accommodations can be requested at any time of the calendar year and are not retroactive. Some accommodations cannot be implemented at time of request, depending on the time of year. As an example, students approved for early registration may not be able to use this until the next upcoming registration period. It’s recommended you get in touch with Disability Services sooner rather than later so they are available to be implemented.

• You do not have to have previously used accommodations in order to request accommodations at Mount Holyoke College. 
• If you do not currently have any documentation of your diagnoses or experiences, you can still self-disclose to Disability Services, and students are encouraged to book a “First Inquiry” appointment to learn more about how the process may look for them and next suggested steps.

• There are not currently any evaluative testing services provided by Mount Holyoke College.
• Counseling Services clinicians are able to connect with Disability Services regarding students they see at their discretion, and may require a release of information from the student before they can do so. If you would prefer to work with an off-campus provider, students can connect with the Student Care Coordinator at Counseling Services for support in finding an off-campus mental health provider. Please refer to the Counseling Services webpage for more information, including information on “Medication Services”. 
• Health Services clinicians are able to connect with Disability Services regarding students they see at their discretion, and may require a release of information from the student before they can do so. For physical health related concerns, students can connect with Health Services, though you may be referred off-campus. Health Services' webpage includes an overview of the services and resources. Specifically on the “Primary Care Services” page, there are more detailed drop-downs about medication management.

• The College’s menu offers flexibility and variety already accessible to many dietary restrictions and allergies. The dining menus are viewable online at any time. 
• We recommend students first look at Dining Service’s page about food allergies and medically restricted diets. Current and prospective students can connect with Dining Services staff to discuss safety navigating dining on campus. 
• We do recommend that students with less common allergies and/or specific dietary restrictions consider connecting with Disability Services after or concurrently with Dining Services.

• There is no indication that a student requested or used accommodations on their official transcript, diploma, financial records, or in the graduation program. 
• Information about a student’s access needs or connection with the Disability Services office is only shared with other staff or faculty on a limited as-needed basis, usually to implement accommodations or to coordinate support.
• Your information is protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which applies when a student has matriculated to a college or university regardless of age or minor status.
  • Disability Services has a form specific to our office, and other FERPA forms signed at the College do not automatically transfer between offices.
  • We cannot share any information to anyone, without the student being present, about the status of a student’s request, request status, student interactions with our office, without a signed FERPA release from the student. FERPA releases can be revoked at any time.

• All students are able to access the Speaking, Arguing, and Writing (SAW) Center for writing support.
• Students can check with academic department(s) to learn about any tutoring opportunities they offer. 
• The Academic Deans’ office offers ‘Academic Skills Advising and Workshops’, which includes Peer Academic Coaches (PACs), whom students can schedule to meet with for peer-to-peer mentoring in managing academic workloads. 
• There are several organizations in the area local to Mount Holyoke College that provide executive functioning coaching and/or learning support and work with a wide variety of ages, profiles, and backgrounds. We encourage you to search for and reach out to organizations proactively for support. 

Students may bring whomever they wish to accompany them to their appointments with our office. The focus of our appointments is for students to share their experiences and staff member(s) will mostly communicate directly with the student for the majority of the time.