Student Disability Services
Westminster University seeks to provide equal access in higher education to academically qualified students with physical, learning, and psychiatric disabilities. Disability Services works with departments throughout the university to help ensure that programs and facilities are accessible to all members of the university community.
Disability Services is located in the lower level of Giovale Library. If you have questions regarding services for students with disabilities, please call 801.832.2272 or email disabilityservices@westminsteru.edu.
Employees seeking accommodations should contact Human Resources at 801.832.2272.
"I was really surprised, in a good way, that Westminster has a lot to offer for people that have certain challenges. It's been a relatively smooth ride thanks to my teachers. They were always willing to work with me."
—Robin "Bino" Gillon
Accessing Services
Westminster University provides equal access to higher education for academically qualified students with physical, learning, or psychiatric disabilities. Disability Services works with departments throughout the university to help ensure that programs and facilities are accessible to all members of the university community.
The director of Disability Services will meet with you for a comprehensive initial appointment to determine your eligibility for services. When you request program eligibility, you'll be asked to describe the nature and impact of the disability and prior use of accommodations (if any) to clarify how it may interact with living and learning on campus. Submitting relevant professional documentation is important and is used to confirm eligibility and support requests for accommodations, academic modifications, and/or other aids. Once eligibility is established, you'll meet with the director of Disability Services or another disability services staff member a minimum of once per semester to determine your individual accommodations.
Your Initial Appointment
Call 801.832.2272, email disabilityservices@westminsteru.edu, or book an appointment online to meet with the director of Disability Services. During this conversation, the director will review any documentation you bring with you.
Request for Academic Accommodation
- Make an appointment with the director of Disability Services by calling (801.832.2272) or emailing (disabilityservices@westminsteru.edu) Disability Services, or booking an appointment online.
- Send appropriate documentation prior to your scheduled appointment. See the guidelines for documentation for what constitutes appropriate documentation. Documentation can be sent via fax (801.832.3118) or email (disabilityservices@westminsteru.edu).
- Attend your initial appointment, during which Disability Services will discuss your
condition and determine appropriate accommodations, which will then be outlined in
your welcome letter. You are officially registered with Disability Services when your
welcome letter is complete. You will receive a copy of the letter.
- Accommodations are in place for the semester on the date that letters of accommodations are signed and sent out by a Disability Services staff member. This occurs every semester. Accommodations for the semester are valid from the date on the letter and are not retroactive.
- Most accommodation requests are resolved during the initial appointment. If there is an accommodation request that needs further review, this review will occur within 10 business days of the initial meeting. In that case, an appointment will be set to review the decision before the conclusion of the initial meeting.
- Make an appointment with the director of Disability Services by calling (801.832.2272) or emailing (disabilityservices@westminsteru.edu) Disability Services, or booking an appointment online.
- Send appropriate documentation prior to your scheduled appointment. See the guidelines for documentation for what constitutes appropriate documentation. Documentation can be sent via fax (801.832.3118) or email (disabilityservices@westminsteru.edu).
- Attend your initial appointment, during which Disability Services will discuss your
condition and determine appropriate accommodations, which will then be outlined in
your welcome letter. You are officially registered with Disability Services when your
welcome letter is complete. You will receive a copy of the letter.
- Accommodations are in place for the semester when letters of accommodations are signed and sent out. This occurs every semester. Accommodations for the semester are valid from the date on the letter and are not retroactive.
- Most accommodation requests are resolved during the initial appointment. If there is an accommodation request that needs to be reviewed, the review will occur within 10 business days of the initial meeting. In that case, an appointment will be set to review the decision before the student leaves the initial meeting.
During the course of a semester, unexpected events can occur that may necessitate the need for a student to request "temporary" academic accommodations. Unexpected events could include but are not limited to concussions and injury to any part of a student's dominant arm or shoulder.
Students can follow the following process to receive temporary academic accommodations:
- Makes an appointment with the director of Disability Services by calling (801.832.2272) or emailing (disabilityservices@westminsteru.edu) Disability Services, or booking an appointment online.
- Bring appropriate documentation to your scheduled appointment. See the guidelines for documentation for what constitutes appropriate documentation. Documentation can be sent via fax (801.832.3118) or email (disabilityservices@westminsteru.edu).
- Attend your initial appointment, during which Disability Services will discuss your
condition and determine appropriate accommodations and length of time for said accommodations,
which will then be outlined in your welcome letter for temporary disability registration.
You are officially registered with Disability Services when your welcome letter is
complete. You will receive a copy of the letter.
- The accommodations request is reviewed during this appointment and the student and the director of Disability Services (or their representative) will review which accommodations are needed for particular classes during the current semester.
- Accommodations are in place for the semester when letters of accommodations are signed and sent out. Accommodations for the semester are valid from the date on the letter and are not retroactive.
- Most accommodation requests are resolved during the initial appointment. If there is an accommodation request that needs to be reviewed, the review will occur within 10 business days of the initial meeting. In that case, an appointment will be set to review the decision before the student leaves the initial meeting.
If a student's injury persists into a subsequent semester, new documentation must be provided and the process to receive temporary academic accommodations repeated. If the injury is severe enough for the student to become permanently registered with Disability Services, that must be stated in the documentation.
First-Year Students
First-year students may benefit from reading Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education, Know Your Rights and Responsibilities, a U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights brochure designed to help students understand the transition from the IDEA (K-12) to the ADA, as amended.
Transfer Students
Transfer students need to check with the disability services program at their current institution to find out how to transfer disability documentation.
Pregnancy Accommodations
Pregnancy in and of itself is not a qualifying condition that would receive accommodations from Disability Services. Students seeking pregnancy-related accommodations should contact the Title IX Coordinator, Mary Edmonds (medmonds@westminsteru.edu).
Meet the Staff
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Student Disability Services
