Information for Families

Our office always has representation at University-wide events such as Open House and Admitted Students Day. We are happy to meet you and your student at these events and give a general overview of our office.

Additionally, our team provides a webinar about the transition to college at UML on a regular basis, previous recordings can be found on our UML Disability Services YouTube Channel.

Full/In depth discussions about a student's individual accommodations occur during their Intake meeting. It is legally required to uphold a thorough interactive process which includes reviewing documentation and directly conversing with the student. This process can only occur for a matriculated student.

Students can register with Disability Services once they are matriculated (admitted and enrolled in the University).

We prefer students to meet with us prior to their first semester so they can start with academic accommodations in place.

As our academic year is focused on supporting the currently enrolled students, most of our incoming students meet with us over the summer.

However, our office is available to meet with students year-round and anytime during their academic career.

Accommodations are activated for students upon the instrutor’s receipt of their semester letter.

Our website outlines the three-step registration process and shares in-depth information about many of our resources and offerings. Students are welcome to complete our Prospective / Admitted Students Form to receive more information and stay connected with us once they are matriculated.

Admissions does not share information sent with applications with other offices. Students need to follow the registration process in order to move forward with academic accommodations. Students receive emails via their UMass Lowell (UML) email with updates to their registration status once they begin that process.

• Encourage your student to register with our office.
• Family members can be available to answer any questions a student has when filling out the Public Accommodation Request Form however, students must be the one to independently complete the form through their UMass Lowell (UML) login and in their own words.
• Family members can help the student obtain a copy of documentation to submit to our office.
• Prior to the Intake meeting, the student is sent a copy of the Resource Guide along with questions for discussion. Family members may go through those materials with the student and help them think about how they may answer the discussion questions.
• To help students understand their disability documentation, families may review it with their student.
• Families can work with the student to create a list of points/questions to address during the Intake meeting.

The Disability Services staff understands that many students may not be well prepared to meet with a new support person to share about their disability and what they might need entering college. During the Intake meeting, we collaborate with the student to identify their strengths and challenges and determine academic accommodations. Our staff members ask questions to gain a deeper understanding of the student’s personal experience. We use a Resource Guide to walk students though the content of our meeting. This guide can be referenced at any time by the student after the meeting.

At the college level, the interactive intake meeting is designed as a 1-1 meeting with the student and the staff member only in order to empower the student, allow for self-advocacy and autonomy, and reduce disability stigma. Authentic conversations are made complex with others in the room. At the start of the Intake meeting, students may alert the staff member if they wish for a family member to briefly attend the end of the meeting for a summary. Follow-up meetings are also designed to be on a one-to-one basis.

Students can review their materials with their family supports including the Student Resource Guide and their Record of Approved Accommodations, both of which will be in the student’s UML email inbox. The Resource Guide also shares resources and offerings that go beyond what is on the accommodation letter. At any time in their academic career, students can schedule a meeting with us to seek disability-related guidance, revisit their accommodations, or share a change in their disability needs.

In general, at the college level, the process is student driven. Additionally, our Accommodate system utilizes single sign-on through the student UML credentials. This system is utilized to manage the registration process, send accommodation letters, and book appointments with our office. Therefore, others are not able to complete these tasks for the student. However, one of the most supportive roles a family member can have is to encourage their student to register with us even if they aren’t sure they will utilize accommodations (it’s much faster if they change their mind than to have to start the process). Family members can also encourage students to check their UML email regularly and know how to filter to make sure they see and respond to the most important information.

At the college level, all interactions are directly with the student. Only the student can choose who to share with that they are registered with us and what has occurred in the meetings. If they don’t want to register, unfortunately we must respect their choice and remain available at any time if they change their mind. It is the student’s choice to opt-in to any support services on campus, including Disability Services.

Each semester, the student will receive an email from our office reminding them to complete the Semester Request Process. Students follow this simple process to send accommodation letters to the instructor(s) of their choosing. Students are CCed on the faculty notification that the Accommodation Letter has been sent. Students and faculty are highly encouraged to discuss the details of the accommodations in the letter.