Registration
Students enrolled at the University of Cincinnati may request disability-related accommodations at any time during their enrollment.
Need Temporary Assistance?
If you are a student who would like to request assistance due to injury, illness, hospitalization, or unexpected life events (e.g., broken bones, unexpected or prolonged illness, recovery from surgery, death in the family, etc.) submit a Student Care Referral Form through the CARE team.
How to Register for Accommodations
Step 1: Complete the online form
Submit the New Student Registration form through UC Accommodate.
Log in using your UC email address and password.
Please allow 3–5 business days for processing.
Step 2: Schedule the Registration meeting
After your registration form has been reviewed, you will receive an email confirming your assigned Access Coordinator and an invitation to schedule the registration meeting.
Note: Students cannot schedule the meeting until that email has been received.
We recommend that registration meetings be in-person. If you cannot attend in person, let your Access Coordinator know to make other arrangements.
Step 3: Meet with your Access Coordinator
During the registration meeting, you will discuss disability-related barriers, review the interactive process, and explore reasonable accommodations and support options.
By the end of the registration meeting, you will have an accommodation plan established with Accessibility Resources.
Common Questions
I received my registration meeting invitation. How do I schedule my appointment?
To schedule your meeting:
- 1. Log in to UC Accommodate
- 2. Select Appointments from the main menu
- 3. Choose Registration as the appointment type
- 4. Select your assigned Access Coordinator
- 5. Click Check Availability to view their availability
- 6. Select an available appointment time and complete scheduling
What is the purpose of registering for accommodations?
The purpose of academic accommodations in higher education is to ensure equal access to education for students with disabilities. The registration process is the official pathway for students who have a diagnosed disability to seek accommodations during their time as a student at UC.
Reasonable accommodations remove barriers that could prevent students from demonstrating their true abilities in their education program, provide individualized access support based on specific student needs, and promote disability inclusivity to foster academic success. Accommodations maintain academic and technical standards, but may offer alternative ways to meet them, leveling the playing field and allowing students to fully participate in and benefit from their educational programs.
What does the interactive process of accommodation look like?
The process of determining reasonable and appropriate accommodations relies heavily on the interactive process between each student and their Access Coordinator.
You and your Access Coordinator will discuss your academic program, learning environments, expectations of UC students, and how accommodations fit into that overall picture. Your Access Coordinator will want to hear from you about what has worked before (or not) in terms of supports, what you're concerned about, and how you learn best.
Do I need documentation to receive accommodations?
Students are encouraged to submit documentation related to their disability and any previous accommodations as part of the registration process.
While documentation is not required to initiate your registration for services, a diagnosed disability is required to establish eligibility for disability-related accommodations.
Medical documentation is typically required for housing and emotional support animal accommodations.
If available, documentation can assist in understanding the impact of a disability within the academic environment documentation and support the interactive accommodation process. It can be a useful tool to help ensure that all impacts of your disability are considered.
The reasonableness and necessity of requested accommodations must be determined before approval, so students may be requested to provide documentation if it would:
a. help the student and Access Coordinator identify barriers and workable solutions for accommodations, and/or
b. clarify the relationship between the environment and the disability that is not readily apparent through the student’s narrative.
What does an Access Coordinator do?
Each student is assigned an Access Coordinator based on their college of enrollment. Your coordinator is available to provide personalized guidance and support related to accessibility services and academic accommodations.
Your Access Coordinator serves as your primary point of contact for accessibility support throughout your academic experience.
You can request a meeting with your Access Coordinator to discuss new concerns, revisit established accommdodations, discuss how to talk to your instructors, and more. Access Coordinators also work with instructors to ensure that accommodations are being appropriately fulfilled in classes.
Do I have to register more than once?
This registration process is completed once per academic program.
We recommend meeting for another registration meeting if you change or add an academic program, such as:
- change of major
- add a dual major program
- continue from one degree program to another (for example, from Associates to Bachelors, Masters to Doctoral, etc.)
How do I upload documentation to my Accommodate portal?
In Accommodate, click "Documents" in the menu.
What kinds of documentation can I provide?
Accepted forms of documentation may include IEPs, 504 Plans, psychological evaluations, medical records, or letters from qualified healthcare professionals.
You may also request for a medical professional to complete a Medical Professional Disability Verification Form.