Welcome to Loyola!

 

College can be both an exciting and challenging time, and the SAC is here to help you manage your accommodations so that you can make the most of your time here.  

One of the biggest changes that almost every student notices is that the level of responsibility really increases. This is true regardless of whether a person experiences disability or not. 

 

The SAC is here to help explain which documents you’ll need to put your accommodations into effect. We will also walk with you through the process. 

• Maybe you’ve been dealing with a lifelong disability, and you have a history of medical support that you need at the college level?  

• Maybe you recently received a diagnosis?  

• Maybe you need help and don’t know where to start.  

Whatever your background or experience, we’re here to help!  

 

Many of you will have had 504 and/or IEP plans during high school. These plans were designed to support you by making sure that you learned in an optimal environment with the help of teachers who checked in with you as needed and communicated with your family when your needs changed.  

Working with the SAC may feel different to receiving accommodations in high school. This is because in high school, teachers, principals, and doctors were all required by the law to make sure that you had a clear path to success.  

Colleges and universities are also legally required to help you work around obstacles that stop you from learning. The difference is that at college, you have to advocate, reach out for yourself. If you don’t ask for help, your professors won’t know you need it.  

 

What is a disability? 

 “The ADA defines a person with a disability as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity. This includes people who have a record of such an impairment, even if they do not currently have a disability. It also includes individuals who do not have a disability but are regarded as having a disability. The ADA also makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person based on that person’s association with a person with a disability.” - ADA National Network  

The SAC is here to support students who experience any of the following: (This list is not conclusive, SAC staff welcome conversations about conditions beyond those listed below.) 

 

• ADD/ADHD 

• Learning Disabilities (e.g. dyslexia, dyscalculia, reading, written expression) 

• Mental Health Conditions (e.g. depression, anxiety, PTSD) 

• Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) 

• Chronic Health Conditions (e.g. diabetes, Crohn’s, migraines) 

• D/deaf or Hard of Hearing 

• Blind/Low Vision 

• Physical Disabilities (e.g. epilepsy, cerebral palsy, musculoskeletal conditions) 

• Students with allergies are also encouraged to communicate with their professors in advance of their classes in case their allergies interfere with their studies.