How to Register for Accommodations

To be considered for disability-related accommodations, you need to follow these steps:

1. Submit Self-Report: If you are registering with OARS for the first time, completing our secure registration form enables you to tell us more about yourself, the barriers you are currently facing or have faced in the past, your history of accommodations, and the accommodations you would like to request.
   • This form serves as a starting point from which to reflect on your strengths, successes, barriers, and challenges; what's worked and what hasn't.
   • If you'd prefer to review these questions in person, verbally or otherwise, you can do so by scheduling a meeting with OARS staff anytime!
2. Supporting Documentation: Every student must work with a professional care provider to complete a Supporting Documentation Form for Care Providers or equivalent documentation of disability that substantially limits one or more major life activities. You can submit one of the two forms below, or if you have any documentation verifying your diagnosis and functional limitations, you may submit that instead.
   You can submit documentation with your self-report via the registration form (recommended), fax it to us at 413.559.5481, or mail it to us at Hampshire College OARS, 893 West ST. Amherst, MA 01002. If you or your provider have questions, refer to our Documentation Guidelines (PDF).
   • If you are requesting any accommodation, you must have a professional care provider complete a Form for Care Providers (PDF).
   • If you are requesting an Emotional Support Animal (ESA), your provider must instead complete an ESA Packet (PDF)
3. Review or make Additional Requests on the OARS Portal: Once you complete the registration form or if you have previously registered with the OARS office, you will be able to log in to the secure OARS Portal to review your case. From there, you can view approved accommodations, make any additional accommodation requests, upload required documentation, and submit Semester Request forms to apply your academic accommodations to your classes.
4. One-on-One Appointment: Once your file is complete for review, we will request an intake meeting if needed to discuss your request on a case-by-case basis. You can reply to this email to schedule an intake appointment (usually lasting 1 hour) in which you would meet with an OARS staff member to discuss your accommodations and support recommendations. Here you will have a chance to ask any questions about your documentation and why accommodations were approved or denied, and to explore and understand any other support services available at Hampshire.

REGISTRATION TIMELINE

If you are entering the Hampshire College community in the fall or spring, we recommend that you send in your request and documentation in the summer or winter using our OARS Registration form, or by logging into the OARS Portal once registered. This allows accessibility services staff to review your case with enough time to ensure your accommodations are in place on the first day of classes. Please note that housing accommodations requests for entering students have earlier deadlines, and are subject to availability after that date.

Students can, however, register with OARS at any point during their academic careers. Once approved, the OARS staff will support your advocacy around implementing these accommodations. Please review our detailed registration instructions and FAQs for more information about types of accommodations and how to register with OARS.

Once approved for accommodations, you are entitled to those accommodations throughout the Five College Consortium and throughout your time at Hampshire. The circumstances in which this might not be true would be if you take substantial time off, if your accommodations are initially approved on a temporary basis, or if your disability and/or functional limitation changes.

Implementing Accommodations

Once the registration process is complete (you have turned in a self-report and medical documentation and completed an intake meeting, if needed) you will receive a letter from OARS via your Hampshire College email outlining the accommodations that you have been approved for, and you will review your approved accommodations on the OARS Portal.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the approved accommodations, check-in with an OARS staff member. Your approved accommodations will be listed in your academic, housing, dining, campus access, or assistance animal accommodation letter.

Confidentiality

The decision to disclose a disability to the College is wholly voluntary. You may not, however, receive an accommodation from the College without such disclosure and providing appropriate supporting information and documentation. The information provided by you will be treated as confidential and will be disclosed by the College only as necessary for it to assess or implement your requested services or accommodations. Students are legally considered to be adults. Communication of confidential information with parents or professionals regarding disabilities must be authorized by the student.