Students who have approved academic accommodations (classroom and/or testing accommodations) through The Catholic University of America’s Office of Disability Support Services (DSS) require a renewed Letter of Accommodation for each semester that they are enrolled at Catholic U. Accommodate, the DSS Case Management Portal, will auto-generate a request for this renewed letter on behalf of any enrolled students with academic accommodations prior to the start of an upcoming term.
NOTE: Previously, DSS registered students were required to submit a request to DSS each semester for a renewed academic Accommodation Letter (a.k.a. Letter Renewal/Semester Request). Starting with Spring 2025, this request will now be automated for students as DSS is now implementing additional features of the Accommodate platform. With this change, students do not need to submit a Letter Renewal/Semester Request. Approved Housing and/or Dining accommodations are in effect for the academic year and do not require a mid-year renewal (the one exception being a Housing accommodation for an emotional support animal).
Once a student’s semester letter is available, the student will receive an email informing them that their semester academic Letter of Accommodation is available for download via the Accommodate Portal.
To download the semester academic Letter of Accommodation (once available):
- Click "Accommodation"
- Click "Accommodation Letters"
- Select desired letter
- Click "Download"
If upon review of your downloaded letter you have any questions or concerns, please contact DSS via email at: cua-dss@cua.edu and report your issue before distributing your letter to Instructors.
It remains the student's responsibility to provide their Instructors with a copy of their academic Letter of Accommodation in order to utilize their academic accommodations in each enrolled class. Additionally, DSS strongly advises that students provide their Letters of Accommodation electronically to their Instructors via email at the start of each term so that there is a documentation history that your Letter of Accommodation has been shared with each of your Instructors.
Do You Need To Request a Change to Your Academic Accommodations?
If there is a new development with your disability/condition or if you have been recently diagnosed with an additional condition(s) that was not considered when you initially registered with DSS, it is important for DSS to conduct a re-evaluation of your current accommodation plan. In such cases, additional supportive documentation likely will be necessary to consider a change or addition to your accommodations. To request a re-evaluation of your accommodation plan, please submit an Accommodation Change Request form and provide DSS with new, updated supportive documentation via the Accommodate Portal.
Visit the ‘Welcome to Accommodate’ page on the DSS website and click open the ‘Submit and Monitor Accommodation Change Requests’ section at the bottom of the page to learn more about requesting a change to your accommodation plan.
If you are later approved for a change to your academic accommodation plan (classroom and/or testing accommodations), you will receive an updated academic Letter of Accommodation to provide to your Instructors so that they are aware of any changes to your accommodations since the start of the semester. You will be notified via email once your updated letter is available for download via the Accommodate Portal.
Visit our Accommodate Portal page and click open the Accommodation Change Request section at the bottom of the page to learn more about requesting a change to your accommodation plan.