Frequently Asked Questions

• MySSD How-to Guides

  These guides should help you with anything you'll need to navigate our system. Please contact ssd@colum.edu with and questions.

  New Students

  • Apply for Services

   

  Returning Students

  • Request Accommodations

   

  Receiving Notes

  • How to View Notes

   

  Being a Notetaker

  • Becoming a Notetaker
  • Upload Notes
• I can't find the forms I need!

  Here are many of the forms you may need when registering with SSD.

  • Verification of Disability (To submit this form properly you must download it first)
  • Documentation Guidelines
  • FERPA Release

   

  Petition for Exception to Scholarship Full Time Status Requirement

  Recipients of renewable Columbia scholarships who are unable to register full-time due to a medical circumstance or disability may submit a petition by filling out the ADA Scholarship Exemption Form to request an exception to the full-time enrollment requirement of their scholarship(s). Students will be considered if they have Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodations on file with Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD). Approval is based on SSD’s review of these accommodations and the Scholarship Committee’s review of students’ accounts. An exception is not guaranteed.

   

  Animals on Campus

  The deadline for Spring 2022 has passed. Applications and documentation submitted after the deadline will be reviewed but there is no guarantee that the request will be approved. Fall 2022 applications have a deadline of May 1, 2021.

  • Assistance  Animal Policy and Acknowledgement and Release of Information Consent Form to be reviewed, and then signed and dated by you; 
  • Assistance Animal in Housing Verification Form,   
    • Please note that this form must be completed by your current doctor, therapist or other reliable licensed third party who can verify that you have a disability and your disability-related need for an assistance animal; and 
  • Assistance Animal Housing Request and Registration Form, which should include:
    • Current Vaccinations.
    • Vet Records.
    • Photo of Animal.
    • Photo of Kennel/Cage/Carrier.
• Documentation Guidelines

  Please review the documentation guidelines to learn about the types of information that must be submitted to be considered eligible for services through SSD.
  Be sure to read the general guidelines and specific guidelines related to your disability. 

  We also have a list of Off-Campus Providers should you need more affordable options for diagnoses or other services. (informational)

• Are there any scholarships for students with disabilities?
  Absolutely, check these out! Just remember that this list isn't exhaustive and doesn't represent every single population we serve at SSD.
• General FAQs

  Who is eligible for accommodations?

  All currently enrolled students with a disability are eligible for services. A disability is a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits an individual's ability to perform one or more major life activities. Some disabilities may include (but are not limited to):

  Attention-Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder Learning Disability Communication Disorder

  Psychological/Emotional Disability Deafness/Hard-of-Hearing Blindness/Visual Impairment

  
  

  What kind of accommodations are available for students with disabilities?

  Here are some of the more common accommodations:

  • Extended time for exams and quizzes
  • Reduced distraction testing room
  • Note taker
  • Preferential seating
  • Permission to record lectures
  • Sign-language interpreters (see also Interpreting Services)
  • Alternative formats
  • Others

  
  How do I start receiving services?

  See our guide here!

   

  Once I am registered with SSD, what do I need to do to receive accommodations each semester? 

  The process to request your accommodation letters and have them set to your instructors is completely digital to make things easier for students! Each semester, SSD students must initiate the request for their semester-specific accommodation letters to be sent to their instructors through our online database system, MySSD. Once a student requests their accommodation letters, the SSD office will send them to their instructors electronically, via email.

  To request your accommodation letters, click on the “Returning Students” tab on the left and follow the instructions listed there to request accommodation letters. There is a step-by-step instruction guide found on the "Returning Students" page to help you request your letters.

  Accommodations are effective upon receipt of the semester-specific accommodation letter by the instructor.  They are not retroactive.

   

  Why should I register with SSD?

  It is recommended that all students with disabilities provide documentation to SSD, even if they do not choose to request any services.
  Providing documentation enables SSD staff to act more efficiently and knowledgeably on a student’s behalf, should the need arise and should the student request this.

   

  If I feel like I have been discriminated against based on my disability, what should I do?

  If a Columbia College Chicago student believes that she/he/they have been discriminated against because of a disability by any Columbia College Chicago personnel, she/he/they have the right to seek a review of such concerns. A student with a disability has the option of pursuing either an informal complaint or a formal grievance. If a student opts to pursue an informal complaint, she/he/they may later pursue a formal grievance if not satisfied with the resolution of the informal process. A student who is uncertain about filing a formal grievance may consult informally with the 504 Coordinator (Dean of Students), with staff in the Services for Students with Disabilities office, the Dean of Students' office, and/or the Provost's office. 

  Please see the Anti-Discrimination and Harassment Policy for more details about the informal and formal grievance procedures for students with disabilities.