Disability Services
Welcome to the Office of Disability Services. We are glad you are here.
We welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss any disability-related accommodations and support services you may need. Richard Bland College of William & Mary is committed to providing equal educational opportunity and full participation for persons with disabilities. It is the College’s policy that no qualified person with a disability be excluded from participating in any campus program or benefiting from any Richard Bland College activities.
Students may register with Disability Services (DS) at any time. There is no deadline to register with DS. However, we encourage students to reach out to DS as early as possible to put accommodations and supports in place. If you are struggling academically and believe you might have a disability, please reach out to DS.
It is important to note that accommodations are not retroactive and cannot be utilized by a student until the student has fully registered with DS and has given their professor the letter of accommodation.
In order to be approved for accommodations at RBC a student must go through the process of registering with DS. The registration process is as follows:
Step 1: Registration Form
Student personally completes a DS Student Registration Form. This is intended to gather basic demographic information, details of their diagnosis, the impact of their disability, educational history, and desired accommodations.
Step 2: Documentation
Student submits documentation based on the RBC Documentation Guidelines found below. RBC takes a holistic approach in determining eligibility for accommodation and will review any information a student submits.
Step 3: Registration Meeting
Student meets with DS staff after DS has received and reviewed a Registration Form and supporting documentation.
During this meeting, specific accommodations will be discussed and approved on a case-by-case basis. If additional documentation or information is required, DS will inform the student of what else may be needed.
Testing Services For Current Students
If you need to request to test in the RBC Testing Center as a result of an accommodation, please visit https://www.rbc.edu/academics/student-support-team/testing-center/ for next steps.
Office of Disability Services Documentation Guidelines
Students who are requesting services from Disability Services (DS) at Richard Bland College (RBC) are required to submit documentation under the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments (ADAA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Individuals with disabilities are protected from discrimination and may be entitled to reasonable accommodations and the right to equal access to programs and services.
Disability Services acknowledges that once a person is diagnosed as having a disability the disability is normally viewed as life-long. While the disability will continue, the severity of the condition and/or how it is impacted in different settings may change over time. Therefore, the purpose of requesting documentation is:
To consider each student individually and to understand if and how the student is impacted by their disability in a higher education living and learning environment in order to make an informed decision about the need for accommodations and services.
The following are examples of the types of documentation DS uses to make the determination about appropriate accommodations:
Physical Disability, Chronic Health Impairment or Sensory Impairment
- A letter from a medical professional and/or the RBC Documentation Form verifying a disability and explaining its impact on one or more life activities.
- Information from medical professional detailing the short-term and long-term impact of the condition.
- History of accommodations used in past educational, work or similar settings (e.g., IEP).*
Learning Disability, ADHD, and Autism Spectrum Disorders:
- The results of a comprehensive neuropsychological or psychoeducational evaluation.
- Rating scales and objective measure of symptoms related to diagnosis.
- History of accommodations used in past educational, work or similar settings (e.g., IEP).*
Psychological / Mental Health Disability:
- A letter from a mental health professional and/or the RBC Documentation Form verifying a disability and explaining its impact on one or more life activities.
- Treatment records that include diagnosis and a signature from a clinician.
- History of accommodations used in past educational, work or similar settings (e.g., IEP).*
*A 504 Plan, Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or Summary of Performance (SOP) can be submitted as documentation so long as the information provided indicates the impact of the condition and helps the DS office identify a connection between the disability and the accommodations being requested.
Because accommodation needs can potentially change over time for some disabilities, students should try to submit updated information in order to provide the most effective services and accommodations possible.
Disability Services reserves the right to request additional documentation in order to support specific accommodations. If additional information is needed, DS may determine that it is appropriate to provide provisional accommodations. Provisional accommodations will be determined based on the information that has been provided.
The aforementioned guidelines are provided so that Disability Services can respond appropriately to the individual needs of the student. Disability Services reserves the right to determine eligibility for services based on adherence to these guidelines and established DS policies and procedures.
