CU Boulder Undergraduate Student Support & Academic Resources Guide

Step 1: Submit an Online Application. Students begin by filling out the online Application for Accommodations, linked on the official Disability Services website, using your CU Boulder IdentiKey credentials. In this initial form, the student describes their diagnosis or condition, the functional impacts they experience in classroom and residential settings, and the specific academic accommodations they are requesting. You don’t have to submit documentation of your disability to move on to step 2, but it’s strongly suggested that students submit documentation as early as possible, so if you have it, you can submit it with your initial application.

Step 2: Schedule and Attend an Access Meeting with your Access Coordinator. Once your online application for academic accommodations is submitted, you’ll receive an email notifying you to schedule an access meeting with your access coordinator (AC). At the access meeting, you’ll have an opportunity to discuss your disability with your AC, including how it affects your academic experiences and, if you’ve received accommodations in the past, what has or hasn’t been helpful for you.

Step 3: Submit Documentation of Your Disability. As stated in step 1, documentation of your disability can be uploaded with the initial online application or afterward, but you must provide supporting documentation of your disability in order to move on to step 4. Documentation can be uploaded directly into the AIM Portal, emailed to dsinfo@colorado.edu, or faxed to the Disability Services office.

Documentation should consist of supporting medical or psychological records that verify your eligibility for accommodations under federal disability guidelines. Documents must be dated within the last 3-5 years for conditions such as ADHD, learning disabilities and mental health disorders.

According to university documentation guidelines, records must:

• Be completed by a qualified, licensed healthcare professional or evaluator (including credentials, license number, signature and date of report).
• Outline the diagnostic criteria and functional limitations impacting the student in a university setting.

Examples of documentation are:

• Psychoeducational or neuropsychological evaluations.
• Audiology/vision reports.
• Physician medical records.
• Proof of accommodations used on standardized tests (SAT, ACT, GRE, etc.). 

Visit the following link for more detailed documentation guidelines on the official CU Boulder website.

Step 4: Review of Your Submitted Documentation. In order to initiate step 4, the review process, the student must submit an application for accommodations (step 1) and provide supporting documentation of their disability (step 3). The access coordinator will provide a Notice of Determination to the student within five business days following the start of the review process. This can be extended beyond five business days as long as the access coordinator provides written notice to the student.

Step 5: Manage Accommodation Letters on AIM. An accommodation letter is the letter generated for your instructors when your accommodation request for the semester is approved. The accommodation letter verifies you have a disability, met with Disability Services and have been approved to receive the accommodations listed in the letter during that semester. Once an accomodation letter is sent to your instructors, you need to schedule a time to meet with them to discuss implementing your accommodations. To request additional accommodations after your original access meeting, you can make a supplemental request through the AIM portal.

*Returning students must submit a new Application for Accommodations each semester that they wish to receive accommodations. These new applications can be submitted through the AIM portal.