Getting Started

Registering with Our Office

If you have documentation of a disability, please complete the following steps:

1. Complete and submit our online application
   • Students can also access our online application through the a11y application link in DartHub.
2. Especially for students with invisible disabilities, please review our general documentation guidelines as well as those that pertain to your specific condition(s). You can upload documentation with your application, or email it to SAS.
   • One means of providing documentation is to ask your current provider to complete our online SAS Verification Form; however, this form is generally not needed if you are submitting a psychoeducational or neuropsychological evaluation report. For non-Dartmouth providers who complete the SAS Verification Form, the form must be accompanied by a short letter on letterhead signed by the professional, which can be uploaded to the online SAS Verification Form.

Within one week of completing steps 1 and 2, an SAS representative will contact you to schedule a meeting to discuss academic adjustments and services or to request additional information. (If you believe both steps have been completed and more than one week has passed, email us or call 603-646-9900.)

Even if you do not have disability documentation, you can still complete our online application and meet with an SAS advisor to discuss possible next steps. In addition, please read the last two headings of this page for information often sought by students who do not have disability documentation.

Notes about registering

You should plan for the process of registering with SAS or renewing accommodations requiring updated documentation to take at least one week from the time you have completed step 2 above. If further documentation is needed or you are not enrolled in classes when you apply for SAS services, the process will take longer.

Along these lines and because it is important to provide reasonable notice to professors, requests for accommodations after week 8 may not be able to take effect until the following quarter. All requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis. 

Services will vary from student to student. We need to be able to substantiate how each service is needed to achieve equal opportunity and how it relates to your disability. The most important factors are your experience, documentation, and the legitimate requirements and standards of classes, programs, and activities for which our services are authorized.

Not sure if you have a disability?

Very bright individuals – such as those accepted for selective schools like Dartmouth College – can have a cognitive disorder (such as a learning disability, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or psychological disorder) that goes undetected through high school. Moreover, the age of onset for a number of psychological conditions is not until late adolescence, so a student may first begin experiencing a disability while at Dartmouth. Finally, many students don't realize that a condition they experience may qualify as a disability that is eligible for services and support.

Next steps

If you are seeking more information about a possible disability, please consider the following:

• If your concern is primarily an inability to sustain attention or focus and you want to be screened for attention-deficit disorder, contact the Counseling Center. The Counseling Center is also the best avenue for support with symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns. Moreover, if you engage in treatment with the Counseling Center (or see a private mental health professional) your provider may be able to submit documentation that qualifies you for services and support through SAS.
• If your concern is related to a learning disability such as dyslexia, you have wondered about having Asperger's, or you frequently run out of time on tests, start by reviewing and trying some of the strategies on the Academic Skills Center (ASC) website. For additional guidance, such as whether you should be formally evaluated, you can also schedule a meeting with Interim ASC Director Karen Afre.
• If you wonder if a medical condition you are experiencing may qualify as a disability, contact the Dartmouth College Health Service, who, like the Counseling Center, may be in a position to provide you with documentation for registering with SAS.

If none of these routes feel quite right and/or you would still like speak with someone from SAS, please email us or call 603-646-9900.