Student Accessibility Services

The Student Accessibility Services Office (SASO) provides reasonable accommodations to promote accessibility for students with permanent or temporary disabilities. Our goal is to create equal opportunities throughout our student's educational journey so they can thrive at Washburn University and Washburn Institute of Technology.

Accommodations & Policies

Get Started

Washburn utilizes an accommodation management system called Accommodate to receive accommodation requests, process requests, and send out official letters of accommodation to a student's assigned faculty/instructor each semester.

The student portal on accommodate allows you to:

  • Upload new documentation
  • Book a time and room within our testing center
  • Renew accommodations each semester – called a "semester request"
  • Request new accommodations – called a "supplemental request"
  • See announcements from SASO
  • View their accommodation letters

To log into Accommodate, click the Accommodate Student Portal button. Then, select the student option and enter your Washburn email address and password. Video instructions for using the portal can be found on our Getting Started page.

Guidelines for Faculty

A student uses a wheelchair on campus.

What to expect: accommodations and self-advocacy in college

At Washburn University, student accommodations may look different from what you experienced in high school due to differences in federal laws that govern higher education. We work closely with each student to develop a personalized accommodation plan based on individual needs.

While parents or guardians are important supporters, college students are expected to advocate for themselves—this includes completing the accommodation process, meeting with instructors and managing communication. All correspondence is conducted directly with the student through their Washburn email, and even if a FERPA Release Form is on file, the student remains our primary point of contact.

If you're new to Washburn, self-advocacy means discussing your accommodations with instructors to ensure they are implemented in each class—without needing to disclose your specific diagnosis or disability. SASO is here to help guide you through this transition and empower you to take ownership of your academic journey.

FAQs

We send out the official accommodations to each instructor of a student’s class each semester as long as the student completes the accommodation/renewal process. However, students are encouraged to discuss their accommodations with each instructor to ensure mutual understanding.
The process for renewing accommodations comes in the form of a "semester request". Students are reminded through their Washburn email on how to do the process and it is very simple. There is no request for further documentation or meetings unless there are changes being requested.
No, you do not have to tell your instructor any specific details about your disability unless you choose to. Your accommodations need to be discussed, and you may share details if you feel your instructor needs to know in order to meet your accommodations, but you do not have to share that information with anyone other than SASO staff.
No, not all classes are the same structure, and you may not need all of your accommodations in every class. For example, you may have a class with no exams – you will not need to use your exam accommodations in those classes.
Accommodations can be adjusted at any point in the semester. However, accommodations are not retroactive, so the sooner you alert SASO staff to needed changes, the sooner we can make them official.
If you notice an issue on campus related to physical accessibility or ADA compliance, please complete the Access Barrier Report Form to give us details about the concern.

Meet the Staff

Meet the Student Accessibilitiy Services staff who are here to help.
Meet the Staff

Student Resources

Find resources on and off campus.
Student Resources

GET IN TOUCH WITH Student Accessibility Services

Washburn University
Plass Learning Resources Center
Room 315
Mon–Fri: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
& by appointment

Washburn Tech
Student Services North
Building A
Mon, Wed & Fri: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
& by appointment

Connect
785.670.1622
accommodations@washburn.edu
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