Accommodations and Accessibility

• Academic Accommodations
• Housing and Meal Plan Accommodations 
• Dining Hall Accommodations
• Considerations for Students with Temporary Conditions
• Study Abroad Programs and Accommodations

All requests for accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis.  Reasonable accommodations may include academic modifications, exam modifications and auxiliary services.  For information about requesting accommodations from Services for Students with Disabilities (SSWD), register with SSWD.

Academic Accommodations

Academic modifications may include: exam modifications, extended time, provision of a separate room, rest periods, use of a read­er or a scribe, permission to eat during an exam and arrangements to take exams at an alternative time; priority registration.  Course substitution will be determined in consultation with other academic units, as necessary.

Auxiliary services may include note takers, readers, sign language interpreters, real-time captioning (CART), assistive technology, alternate forms of text.

Students should bring problems with accommodations to the attention of the Services for Students with Disabilities staff and/or the faculty member providing the accommodations.

Loyola does not provide aides, services or devices for personal use or study.  Accommodations that fundamentally alter the nature of the coursework, or the materials assigned, or are unduly burdensome financially or administratively will not be provided.

Housing and Meal Plan Accommodations

For any student who would like more information about requesting housing or meal plan accommodations because of a disability, please contact SSWD at 773-508-3700 or email SSWD@luc.edu to schedule an in-person or phone appointment with an SSWD Disability Specialist.  In order to fully evaluate an accommodation request, documentation from the student's medical provider may be needed.  SSWD works directly with Residence Life during the accommodation process.  Our goal is to provide accessible and reasonable housing and/or meal plan accommodations to students.

For information about documentation, please review the documentation guidelines on the SSWD website.  You can pick up a copy of the guidelines in the SSWD office in the Sullivan Center for Student Services, Suite 117.  Students can also request that the guidelines be emailed or faxed to them.

The documentation provided by the medical provider must be faxed, mailed, or delivered to the Services for Students with Disabilities Office.

In addition, you must complete one of the following Residence Life forms:

• Housing Application and Contract
• Request for Release/Exemption form

Both forms are available at the Residence Life Website.  Where the form states, "Please use the space provided below to indicate your reasons," write: Documentation submitted/is being submitted to Services for Students with Disabilities.

Submit the completed Residence Life forms to the Residence Life office in Simpson Living Learning Center, 1st Floor. 

Dining Hall Accommodations:

Considerations for Students with Temporary Conditions:

Temporary impairments such as broken bones, temporary illnesses, and recovery from minor surgery are generally not regarded as disabilities. The degree of functional limitation and the duration of such impairments are typically not substantial enough to cause a temporary condition to be considered a disability.

Loyola University Chicago does recognize that temporary conditions may cause difficulties related to the student's academic progress in a given semester.

The following are some suggestions that might be beneficial for someone who is temporarily incapacitated:

Campus:  Students who are utilizing mobility aids such as wheelchairs, motorized scooters, crutches etc. are advised to research the most accessible route for their needs to get to and from class.  SSWD Staff is available to advise and answer questions about accessible routes on campus.

Classes: Students needing information regarding a change in their course load should contact their academic advisor for advice.  It is important to communicate with the instructor of the course regarding options of continuing and completing course work. Students may also consider asking a fellow classmate to take notes or obtain copies of notes.  Instructors and/or Teaching Assistants may be able to provide suggestions regarding note-taking and testing.