The below FAQs are intended to provide graduate students with disabilities guidance in navigating resources for both academic and workplace accommodations.

Academic/Educational Accommodations: Disability Services in the Division of Student Affairs assesses accommodations in the educational environment for students to ensure students with disabilities have equitable access to the educational environment.

I am a student with a disability and would like to request academic accommodations. What is the process?

Students with disabilities must register with Disability Services and request accommodations by submitting an Application for Accommodations, scheduling an Access Meeting and submitting documentation as early as possible. The four step process can be found here. For additional questions about the registration process, academic support offered, or additional services provided by Disability Services, an Information Session may be scheduled by contacting 303-492-8671 or dsinfo@colorado.edu.

Do academic accommodations only apply to undergraduate students?

No, academic accommodations apply to all students at CU Boulder, including graduate students.

Will I receive the same academic accommodations as undergraduate students?

While that’s possible, academic accommodations are individualized for each student’s situation based on the demonstrated need that results from the impact of one’s disability.

What are some of the differences that may apply between academic accommodations for undergraduate students and graduate students?

Academic accommodations are individualized to each student and their academic responsibilities. Graduate students often participate in a wide variety of assistantships and professional opportunities outside of the traditional classroom that are often unavailable to undergraduate and non-degree seeking students. More specifically, because graduate study can include responsibilities such as teaching, research in labs or the field, or could be connected with grants, some accommodations, like a reduced course load or adjusting the pace of a program, require careful planning and communication to assess and determine what is reasonable and to avoid fundamental alteration to a student’s academic progress.

What services/resources are available to graduate students with disabilities?

A wide variety of services and resources are available to all students including academic resources, health and wellness support, diversity and inclusion, and many more. After registering with Disability Services, Disability Services assigns a student to an Access Coordinator who would be happy to address specific questions and concerns about available resources and accommodation support.

How do accommodations apply to comprehensive exams (comps), including oral presentation comps, written comps, exam comps?

Just like student needs, academic requirements can vary from class to class and instructor to instructor, therefore accommodation requests are assessed individually for need and reasonableness. While academic accommodations may be available for oral presentation, written, exam, and other types of comps, Access Coordinators will need to speak to registered students with disabilities about their specific needs, classes, comps, exams, and other academic requirements to determine what reasonable accommodations may be available.

Will future employers know that I had academic accommodations at CU Boulder?

Disability Services does not disclose disability accommodation information to future employers, unless the student or former student has specifically requested and consented to DS providing that information or DS becomes legally required to disclose it, such as in response to a court order or subpoena.

How do I talk to my advisor and committee about accommodations that I might need throughout my time at CU?

Working with and through the assigned Access Coordinator at Disability Services is the most appropriate and best first step in identifying potential accommodations needed for participation in any program. After an accommodation is approved, the Access Coordinators support students through the implementation process and address any questions or concerns students may have.

Workplace Accommodations: ADA Compliance in the Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance assesses workplace accommodations for employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their position. They also assess accommodation requests for individuals serving graduate assistantships, teaching assistantships, student employment, graduate part-time instructorships, and other types of graduate and student appointments (all referred to below as graduate appointment and for the purposes of this document collectively referred to along with employee context as the “workplace”). For more information on the below questions, please refer to the ADA Employee Accommodations Procedures or contact ADA Compliance directly via email at adacoordinator@colorado.edu or via phone at (303) 492-9725.