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Registering with the ADRC

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Registering with the ADRC


Before Registering with the ADRC

Students must meet all admission and academic standards and be formally admitted to the University of Oklahoma.

Definition of Disability

An individual with a disability is defined by the ADA as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment.

Registration Process

  1. Fill out our pre-registration form to self-identify as a student with a disability and submit documentation to the Accessibility and Disability Resource Center. Information regarding the documentation can be found in our Documentation Guidelines
  2. Once your documentation and registration form have been received, it will be reviewed within 5-15 university business days. Please check your OU email account regularly because this is how we will contact you once your documentation has been reviewed.
  3. If there is a need for additional documentation, this information will be provided in the email you receive from ADRC. 
  4. When you receive an email from ADRC, please follow the instructions in the email.
  5. During the registration appointment, you and an ADRC Team member will discuss appropriate accommodations to provide equal educational opportunities.
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Registration Schedule for Fall 2024: Updated November 6th, 2024

  • Documentation and Pre-registration form for academic accommodations for Fall 2024 semester must be received by ADRC no later than November 18th to receive accommodations for Final Exams.
  • Fall 2024 semester signed accommodation forms returned and accommodation requests submitted no later than November 25th. These forms are received during or shortly after your ADRC meeting.

  • Documentation and Pre-registration form for academic accommodations for Fall 2024 semester must be received by ADRC no later than November 25th to receive accommodations for Final Exams.
  • Fall 2024 semester signed accommodation forms returned and accommodation requests submitted no later than December 2nd. These forms are received during or shortly after your ADRC meeting.

  • Housing Registrations: we will work to meet with students before the housing deadlines (May 1st for Fall Housing and November 1st for Spring Housing). (Housing policy deadline for guaranteed accommodations; we will make a good faith effort for any student processed after those dates)

A publication by the Office for Civil Rights: Students with Disabilities Preparing for Post-Secondary Education: Know your Rights and Responsibilities

Documentation Guidelines

Fill out our pre-registration form to self-identify as a student with a disability and submit documentation to the Accessibility and Disability Resource Center.

Documentation may be uploaded to the form or sent to the Accessibility and Disability Resource Center via:

  1. Email: adrc@ou.edu
  2. Fax: (405) 325-4491
  3. Mail: 300 Kellogg Drive, Norman, OK, 73072.

We recommend documentation be uploaded to the form or sent via email to reduce the likelihood of potential delays in processing.


Students in higher education are required to self-disclose their disabilities to formally request accommodations. This includes submitting appropriate diagnostic documentation of these disabilities. Diagnostic documentation must come from a licensed practitioner eligible to diagnose and treat this condition.

The rationale for seeking information about a student’s condition is to support the higher education professional in establishing disability, understanding how disability may impact a student, and making informed decisions about accommodations. Professional judgment is an essential component of this process (AHEAD, 2024).

Diagnostic documentation of a disability should include:

  • Documentation must be on letterhead
  • Name and qualifications of the treating professional
  • Names of any diagnostic tests or tools administered
  • Test results and summary report, diagnosis, and prognosis
  • Statement of how the disability impacts the student’s academic performance (strongly recommended)

The ADRC is unable to accept disability information presented on a prescription pad or a document with no identifying information about the health care provider.

The ADRC may be able to use patient portal documents if they include diagnosis and prognosis. 

A letter with no disability diagnosis will not be accepted (e.g. illness, condition, disability)

Veterans with disabilities

Rating letters that include a diagnosis will be considered.  We are unable to accept a rating letter that does not include what you are rated for.

Common diagnostic documentation includes, but is not limited to:

  • Audiological Reports – deaf, hard of hearing
  • ENT Reports – hearing loss, tinnitus, Meniere’s disease
  • Ophthalmological Reports – blind, visually impaired
  • Psychological or Neuropsychological Reports – traumatic brain injury, learning disabilities, mental health disorders, intellectual or developmental disabilities
  • Psychiatric Reports – ADHD, mental health disorders
  • Special Education Testing (to determine IEP/504 eligibility) – See Psychological or Neuropsychological Reports; must include the most recent Full Individual Evaluation (FIE) or comprehensive individual assessment conducted by the professional or specialist in that disability area.
  • Medical Specialist Reports – as appropriate for the disability

The ADRC reserves the right to request updated or additional documentation as needed to determine appropriate accommodations.

Professional Judgment Statement

When complete documentation is not available, ADRC staff may utilize the student self-report and exercise professional judgment to determine a student’s eligibility for services and assign temporary accommodations.

Temporary Accommodations

·      Services may be granted for up to one semester based on the student self-report and any documentation provided.  There must be an end date noted on the accommodation notice.  

·      Updated documentation will be required if the student continues to seek accommodations.

·      This information will be provided in the follow-up, welcome to ADRC email.

Expected length of temporary medical condition.

Expected due date.

Statement of how disability impacts your housing and required accommodations for equal access.

Priority deadlines are as follows:

  • Entering the Fall Semester: May 1
  • Entering the Spring Semester: November 1

 

 

Why the animal is required for equal access.

Registering an ESA with the ADRC (pdf)

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Confidentiality

All documentation of disability submitted to the Accessibility and Disability Resource Center will be held in confidence. Disability documentation provided by a physician, psychiatrist, psychologist, or other recognized health professional is not subject to free access under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA).