Register for Services

There are many factors that impact the time it takes to arrange accessibility measures (accommodations) on the IUB campus, including the time of year, how quickly the appropriate documentation is provided, types of accessibility measures to be implemented, and other factors. For example, an extended time accessibility measure can often be arranged within a week with the help of instructors. However, accessibility measures such as sign language interpreting, braille, tactile graphics, video descriptions and closed captioning, may take up to a month or more to put in place. In addition, after your instructors are notified, they have up to two weeks to put your accessibility measures in place. 

Prior to establishing accessibility measures (accommodations), AES will need the medical professional who is treating you to submit documentation regarding your qualifying medical condition, under the Americans with Disabilities Act.   

Documentation provides vital information about the functional limitations of your qualifying medical condition and its impact in a post-secondary academic environment. The intent of AES is not to exclude students from receiving services; rather it is to ensure that those with qualifying medical conditions receive appropriate accessibility measures.

Please know that getting a clinical diagnosis of a condition is not synonymous with a qualifying medical condition—evidence used to make a clinical diagnosis may not be sufficient to determine if you are substantially limited in a major life activity, and how that limitation may impact you in an academic setting.

Complete the online AES request for services form.

You will receive an email from an AES access coordinator within five business days of receipt of your Request for Services. The email, sent to your IU account, may indicate one of the following:

1. that you are eligible for services based on the documentation you provided;
2. that we need more information/additional documentation from you prior to determining your eligibility; or
3. that you should call to speak with your access coordinator.

Your access coordinator will be your point of contact with our office. Feel free to reach out to them at any time.

Once adequate documentation is received and your need for accessibility measures (accommodations) is established, an orientation meeting will be scheduled for you and your access coordinator. During this meeting, you will discuss your request for services and any barriers you experience in your academics, your approved accessibility measures and steps to implement them with your instructors, as well as other support services. This meeting is required to receive AES approved accessibility measures.

Each semester, all students with approved accessibility measures (accommodations) must submit a new Semester Request to renew their Accessibility Memorandum ('Memo'). To submit a new Semester Request, follow these steps:

• Log in to the AES Student Portal from a desktop or laptop computer using Firefox or Google Chrome.
• Under Home, click on Accommodation
  . More options will drop-down.
• Click on Semester Request.
• Click the Add New button.
• Your approved accessibility measures will display at the top of the page. Review for accuracy.
• At the Semester drop-down, select the current semester.
• Click on the Submit for All Accommodations button.

Once your access coordinator has reviewed your Semester Request and you have met all necessary requirements for accessibility measure re-approval, you will be notified by email that your Memo is ready in the Student Portal for retrieval and distribution to your instructors.

Arranging accessibility measures (accommodations) to provide equitable access is a shared responsibility between the student, the instructor and AES through an interactive process. As a student receiving accessibility measures, you are responsible to provide the Memo to your instructors at the beginning of each semester, or after approval for accessibility measures. You should meet with your instructors to discuss how they will implement the approved accessibility measures as outlined in your Memo.

Be sure to meet with your instructors early each semester—within the first two weeks of classes, if possible. Accessibility measures are not retroactive. They are forward moving from the time you meet with your instructors. You need to meet with each instructor to understand how accessibility measures will be implemented in your classes. Accessibility measures cannot be guaranteed if your instructors don’t receive reasonable advance notice.

During the meetings, you and your instructors should discuss how they will provide accessibility measures throughout the courses. Your Memo does not contain any information about your qualifying medical condition(s); rather, it simply specifies the accessibility measures your instructors are required to provide.

Special information about exam accessibility measures

Please review the AES guidelines for arranging exam accessibility measures before meeting with your instructors.