About Student Disability Services

Mission: The Office of Student Disability Services is dedicated to the philosophy that all Kansas City University students are assured equal opportunity, access and participation in the University’s courses, programs, activities, services and facilities. Disability support services are provided for documented disabilities and can include academic and/or clinical accommodations. We aim to promote accessible learning environments and facilitate academic success through innovative services and programs in partnership with faculty, staff and students at KCU.

The Accommodation Process 

Individually designed accommodation plans and services are determined based on the documented needs of each student in conjunction with their program requirements and are created to match the specific disability-related needs of each student with those program requirements in mind.

1. Fill out the Student Disability Services (SDS) Student Accommodation Request form. If you have documentation (from your treating physician, psychologist, counselor, etc.), please submit it in the portal.

2. SDS will contact you to set up a time to discuss the information provided in your intake form.

3. Meet with the SDS team member. If you do not have documentation, please provide it to the SDS staff as soon as possible. Often, documentation is needed to properly assess appropriate accommodations.

4. For certain academic accommodations, determined on a case-by-case basis, there will be more interaction necessary between the SDS staff member and either your documentation source or academic department/professor.

Timeline: Students should submit required forms and engage in the Interactive Process at least four weeks before the start of the relevant Academic Term. If a Disability arises after this period, Students should submit their request as soon as possible. Late requests may result in delayed services or missed deadlines.

Register early to avoid delays. It is important to note that academic accommodations are NOT retroactive. This means that any work completed or turned in prior to sharing your accommodations letter with the professor/instructor will not be subject to your accommodations. This is one important reason why it is best to register with SDS early, even if you do not utilize accommodations at the beginning of the semester. If you do wish to use accommodations later in the semester, beginning the process later may take longer than you anticipate and delay any potential academic accommodations.

Documentation Guidelines

The physician verification of disability form is the preferred form of documentation. However other documentation will be considered. All documentation turned in for accommodation consideration should be on official letterhead, dated, and signed by the provider. In some cases, medical documentation or psychological assessment write-ups would substitute for letters from the provider. Letters written by providers should include the following:

1. Qualifications and credentials of the diagnosing/treating evaluator or licensed professional related to specific diagnosis or impairment.

2. Diagnostic information identifying the impairment/disability, provides information about the functional impact on the student’s ability to participate in the academic and/or clinical environment.

3. A description of the diagnostic methodology used (e.g., criteria, methods, procedures, clinical narrative, observation, specific results).

4. A description of current and past accommodations, services, medications, auxiliary aids, assistive devices, and support services that are logically related to the student’s functional limitations.

5. Recommendations of academic accommodations to address current functional limitations in the academic and/or clinical environment.

** If you plan to request accommodations for entrance or qualifying board exams (e.g., MCAT, COMLEX, USMLE, DAT), please be aware that these exams often require more extensive documentation than what is needed at KCU. Begin this process well in advance to avoid delays.

Student Responsibilities and Rights

Responsibilities

• Notify the School: If you need accommodation(s), register with Student Disability Services.

• Provide Documentation: It is the student’s responsibility to provide documentation about their disability from a qualified healthcare provider. Student Disability Services office will be able to tell you what types of documentation are required.

• Determine your classes’ requirements and possible accommodations needed.

• Request Accommodations: Request accommodations as far in advance as is possible.

• Meet Academic and Conduct Standards: Students with disabilities are held to the same academic and conduct standards as all other students. While accommodations are provided to ensure access and equity, all students must meet the essential requirements of their courses and programs.

  Rights

Every qualified student with a disability has the right to:

• Equal access to educational and co-curricular programs, services, activities, and facilities available through KCU.

• Reasonable and effective accommodations, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids as determined on a case-by-case basis.

• Confidentiality regarding disability information, including the right to choose to whom the disclosure of disability is made, except as required by law or as necessary to assess and implement any accommodations.

• Receive information in reasonably accessible formats (must meet request deadlines to ensure availability).

Frequently Asked Questions

What defines a disability?

A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits (compared to most people in the general population) one or more major life activities, a history of such an impairment, or being regarded as having such an impairment. A temporary impairment may be a Disability if it substantially limits one or more major life activities for an extended period of time. Common, short-term illnesses that predictably resolve themselves do not “substantially limit” a major life activity and therefore are not Disabilities under the law or this Policy.

What is a reasonable accommodation? 

Adjustments or auxiliary aids that facilitate equal access to KCU programs and activities, including classrooms, laboratories, simulations, and clinical trainings, including (1) making existing facilities readily accessible to and usable by individuals with Disabilities; (2) acquisition or modification of equipment or devices; (3) appropriate adjustments or modifications of examinations, course materials, or policies. An accommodation is not considered reasonable if it is a device or service of a personal nature (unless also provided to individuals without disabilities), would be ineffective, are retroactively applied, would impose an undue financial or administrative burden on the University, pose a Direct Threat, or would Fundamentally Alter any Essential Requirement.

Will conversations about my disability be confidential?

Yes, all conversations about your disability and any accommodation you seek or secure are confidential, except as required by law or as necessary to assess and implement any accommodations.

I received accommodations at my previous institution, will I automatically receive them at Kansas City University?

No, simply because a student received accommodations at another education institution or elsewhere does not automatically entitle the student to the same reasonable accommodation at KCU. The Student Disability Services office staff will carefully review the disability being identified, relevant paperwork, and determine what accommodations are appropriate.

My doctor says I should get unlimited time for taking tests. Why has Student Disability Services only granted me extended time?

Student Disability Services has the authority to determine reasonable academic adjustments to facilitate equal access for qualified students, and the office has the knowledge, credentials, and experience to do this. SDS often uses medical or other professional documentation provided by the students as a basis for making such decisions, but they are not required to exactly follow the recommendations made in the documentation provided.

What if I suspect I may have a disability but have never been diagnosed?

A student who thinks they may have a disability may schedule a meeting with Student Disability Services to discuss their situation. SDS can provide information and referrals to help a student seek an assessment.

Guidance for Clinical Sites

Suggested Email Template for Year 3 and 4 Students (to be sent to the Clerkship Director, Coordinator, and Site Preceptor): 

Subject: [Third/Fourth Year Accommodations] for [Rotation Name] 

Dear Dr. [Clerkship Director Name], and Clerkship Coordinator 

I am registered for your clerkship during [month(s)] and am forwarding you an accommodation letter from the Kansas City University’s Student Disability Services Office. Please let me know if you have any questions regarding my accommodation needs. I will also share this letter with the Site Coordinator and meet with them to discuss how the accommodations will be provided during my rotation. 

Thank you. 

[Student Name] [E-mail and phone]

Guidance for Exam/Board Prep 

COMLEX Accommodation Information:

Per KCU’s Disability Accommodation Policy, “Students are responsible for initiating NBOME or NBME accommodation requests directly with the appropriate governing entities.”

• Begin to draft personal statement (see attached for recommendations on what to include in your personal statement)

• Review requirements for completing the application

  • NBOME Test Accommodations

  • USMLE Test Accommodations

• Schedule visit (and updated testing if necessary) with your treating provider (e.g., psychologist, medical doctor, etc.)

  • Assessments and/or documentation of attentional deficit and/or learning disabilities should be no more than 3 years old when submitting your application.

  • Assessments and/or documentation of psychiatric conditions (e.g., anxiety disorders, depressive disorders) should be no more than one (1) year old when submitting your application.

• Request or screenshot MCAT, ACT/SAT scores

• This information does not need to be an official transcript

  • Collect additional documentation as necessary

    • CVs for evaluators/physicians (this is an essential supporting document)

    • All historical evaluations, supplemental letters of support from previous institutions, K-12 education, etc. 

    • Prior accommodation letters if available

• Develop a plan and timeline to apply for accommodations

  • Complete the application form(s)

  • Email the verification of prior accommodation form(s) to [email protected] for signature

  • Recommended date for submitting your request is no later than December 1, 2025.

Use the Student Disability Services calendar link to schedule a meeting if you have any questions about the application process.

Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE) accommodation information

To request testing accommodations from the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations (JCNDE), you must submit three components: an application, the specific accommodations request form, and supporting documentation from a qualified health professional. 


Step 1: Submit your exam application

• When applying for your exam through your DENTPIN account, you must select "Yes" to indicate you are requesting testing accommodations.

• Do this before scheduling your testing appointment. 

Step 2: Complete and submit the Testing Accommodations Request Form 

• You must download and complete the correct form for your exam, the INBDE

• The form requires you to: List any previous accommodations you've received.

• Specify your disability and the year it was diagnosed.

• Detail the specific accommodations you are requesting and explain how they relate to your disability. 
  
  

Step 3: Provide supporting documentation 

• This documentation must be current (within the past five years) and come from a qualified health professional.

• The professional's report must include: The specific diagnosis and a description of your  limitations due to the disability.

• The diagnostic procedures used to evaluate the disability.

• Details explaining how the requested accommodations will reduce the impact of your  disability.

• All documents must be on the professional's official letterhead.  

The JCNDE will not accept: Handwritten letters or notes.

• Diagnoses on prescription pads.

• Self-evaluations. 

Step 4: Submit all materials 

• Send the completed, signed request form and all supporting documents to testing [email protected] as a single attachment.

• If you have previously received accommodations from the JCNDE, you do not need to resubmit the full medical documentation, but you must still submit the request form with each new application. 

Important considerations 

• Approval is required: You must wait for the JCNDE to approve your accommodations before you can schedule your testing appointment.

• Confidentiality: All submitted medical information is treated with strict confidentiality.

• ADA compliance: Requests are evaluated under the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Conditions like English as a second language or test anxiety without a documented  underlying deficit are typically not covered.

• Re-testing: If you re-test for the same disability, you only need to submit the accommodations request form, not new medical documentation, unless you are requesting different accommodations. 

Grievance Process

Appeal Process.

1. Initiating the Appeal

If a Student is not satisfied with the outcome of the accommodation process, the Student may file a written appeal of the determination letter to the ADA Coordinator within 5 calendar days of receiving the denial. Failure to file a timely appeal forecloses the appeal process. 

2. Contents of Appeal. All appeals must include:

1. A clear statement of the specific determination being appealed; 

2. An explanation of why the decision should be reconsidered or overturned, specifically (1) how the requested accommodation relates to the documented Disability, (2) why the requested accommodation is necessary for equal access to educational programs or activities; and  (3) a response to the reasons for denial of the requested accommodation (e.g., Fundamental Alteration, sufficient alternative accommodation granted, lack of documentation, etc.).

3. Any new or additional information relevant to the request that was not previously available or considered; and

4. The specific remedy or resolution sought (e.g., implement preferred accommodation). 

3. Review Process. The Provost, or their designee, will review all appeals and will decide the appeal after consultation with the Director of Equal Opportunity and/or legal counsel. 

1. In reviewing appeals, the Provost will consider:

• Whether appropriate procedures were followed in the initial determination. 

• Whether the initial determination was supported by appropriate and relevant documentation;

• Whether all relevant factors were appropriately considered; 

4. Whether the requested accommodation would require a Fundamental Alteration or create an undue burden; 

5. Any new information provided in the appeal that was not previously available.

1. The Provost, or their designee, shall provide a final written determination to the Student and ADA Coordinator . The written determination will include the decision to uphold, modify, or overturn the initial determination; the reasoning for the decision; and any instructions for implementation if applicable. The Provost's decision is final. 

2. The Provost may direct any temporary accommodation during the pendency of the appeal, or take other steps as necessary under the circumstances to mitigate interim access challenges for the Student